Live Coverage - Part 2

:00:09. > :00:17.Hello and welcome to the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon.

:00:18. > :00:21.We are live from Blackheath and in five minutes the fastest runners in

:00:22. > :00:27.the world will set off alongside 40,000 women of -- men and women of

:00:28. > :00:31.all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes with just one goal in mind, to

:00:32. > :00:35.finish. It is such a special day which brings so many people together

:00:36. > :00:36.as they push themselves to the limit in this most iconic and magnificent

:00:37. > :00:57.human race. My name is Tania. Vincent. This is

:00:58. > :01:08.my wife, Laura. Am I going? I am from Mexico. Canada. United States.

:01:09. > :01:12.I am from South Wales. I am running for my father, who is unfortunately

:01:13. > :01:17.suffering from pancreatic cancer. Children with Cancer UK, in memory

:01:18. > :01:25.of my mother. I have a point to pre-padding comeback from a

:01:26. > :01:32.life-threatening illness. I am running because, well, frankly, I am

:01:33. > :01:39.nuts! It is something I have always wanted to do. We are going to do all

:01:40. > :01:46.the major marathons. This time last year, I had not run more than 5k. It

:01:47. > :01:51.is now or never. I am epileptic, I want to show I can do this. I and

:01:52. > :02:04.type one diabetic. To stay fit physically and mentally. We are

:02:05. > :02:07.running together! Thank you. What an awe-inspiring sight that is,

:02:08. > :02:12.good luck to each and every one of those runners and everyone here

:02:13. > :02:16.today, 40,000 taking part, they all have their reasons to run but the

:02:17. > :02:19.atmosphere will help them get along, and there will these guys, the Duke

:02:20. > :02:23.and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, here to start the race. They

:02:24. > :02:25.are the figurehead of Heads Together, the official charity of

:02:26. > :02:30.the Marathon this year, which is aiming to remove the stigma

:02:31. > :02:33.surrounding those suffering mental health issues. Many of those running

:02:34. > :02:37.today will run with the Heads Together band on their heads, and

:02:38. > :02:40.they will of course all have their own charities and causes which they

:02:41. > :02:45.will discuss and talked about, we will hear so many of their stories

:02:46. > :02:48.as the day goes on. Here at the start, though, you can see the

:02:49. > :02:54.excitement on the face of the people in the crowds because right behind

:02:55. > :03:01.me here the Elite Men are lined up, Kenenisa Bekele there, may run a

:03:02. > :03:07.world record today, behind him masses and masses of runners aiming

:03:08. > :03:10.to complete the 26.2 mile course and the Royals, getting their last

:03:11. > :03:14.minute briefing on how they start the London Marathon. We hope to

:03:15. > :03:19.catch up with them later. We are on air until pre-PM on BBC One but I

:03:20. > :03:23.will hand you over now to other incredible commentary team of

:03:24. > :03:25.Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Andrew Cotter, Paula Radcliffe, our brand

:03:26. > :03:30.and in his last ever London Marathon, what an emotional day this

:03:31. > :03:34.could be, and of course Steve Cram -- our Brendan

:03:35. > :03:45.ANDREW COTTER: Good morning everyone, on this special day, a

:03:46. > :03:51.special event. Three starts, one finish, thousands of stories. All of

:03:52. > :03:56.these runners heading towards the Red Start, out in Greenwich Park.

:03:57. > :04:02.This is where the masses will get under way, this is the Blue Start

:04:03. > :04:09.for the elite athletes, then a Green Start with some celebrities. Cannot

:04:10. > :04:12.call them celebrities, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince

:04:13. > :04:21.Harry! They have added real stardust to this event. Over 40,000 people

:04:22. > :04:25.are registered in the last few days to line up this morning, that is a

:04:26. > :04:30.record, we expect a record field in terms of participants, will be get a

:04:31. > :04:33.world record from our Elite Men? Here is the line-up, headed by

:04:34. > :04:37.Kenenisa Bekele, perhaps the greatest ever distance runner

:04:38. > :04:43.certainly on the track, looking to cement that on the roads. Nobody has

:04:44. > :04:48.held the record for the 5000, 10000 and the Marathon, can he do it? The

:04:49. > :04:51.British quest to make the world championship team, another story to

:04:52. > :04:56.watch out for today. The world champion there, Ghirmay

:04:57. > :05:05.Ghebreslassie, not Haile Gebrselassie. Debutant Mantegna,

:05:06. > :05:09.Bedan Karoki, a real talent. Former world champion Abele Karrubi, in

:05:10. > :05:20.good form in recently winning in Chicago, silver medallist, tribute

:05:21. > :05:29.to the people back home in Ethiopia, Feyisa Lilesa. And then this man,

:05:30. > :05:34.Kenenisa Bekele, so many old medals and records on the track, the

:05:35. > :05:41.fastest marathon of all time. How quick can he go today? Chris

:05:42. > :05:46.Thompson, Scott Overall, Tony hate there, all men in contention for two

:05:47. > :05:51.British spots for the great British team. A little discussion going on

:05:52. > :05:53.about how they are going to do this, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

:05:54. > :06:02.and Prince Harry ready to get us under way. Here we go.

:06:03. > :06:16.KLAXON SOUNDS. This 37th London Marathon gets under

:06:17. > :06:25.way. It could be the greatest ever. Perfect conditions. A sight to

:06:26. > :06:34.behold, as ever. The greatest runners from around the world gather

:06:35. > :06:39.in London once more, followed by 40,000 special people all running

:06:40. > :06:42.for all sorts of courses, this year Heads Together in particular very

:06:43. > :06:48.much to the forefront. Let's hope they all have a great day, and we

:06:49. > :06:54.look forward to watching them, I know you were lactone, watch them,

:06:55. > :06:59.support them, admire them. Brendan, you have sat here for all 37 years,

:07:00. > :07:03.this will be the last time you will be with us, this must bring back

:07:04. > :07:07.lots of memories, I suppose every single year as well you, like me,

:07:08. > :07:14.look forward to what is going to unfold over the next few hours.

:07:15. > :07:18.Every marathon it has been three famous hands together pressing the

:07:19. > :07:21.start button there for a charity which is about to transform the

:07:22. > :07:26.attitude of Britain towards mental health, which is marvellous. We see

:07:27. > :07:31.the streets of London, the beginning of spring time in London, it has,

:07:32. > :07:40.all the long way in those 37 years, now a national institution. Chris

:07:41. > :07:43.and John, who founded the event, after having tried the Google

:07:44. > :07:49.Marathon, to see if London had the attitude and hospitality for it --

:07:50. > :07:53.try to beat New York Marathon. There we are, the London Marathon under

:07:54. > :07:58.way, wonderful, wonderful shots of this magnificent city, and once

:07:59. > :08:02.again London responds, they are on their way, a record number of

:08:03. > :08:07.starters which will probably leave to eight -- lead to a record number

:08:08. > :08:10.of finishers. There is the Red Start, the masses going through,

:08:11. > :08:15.Greenwich Park and the background. This is a sight to warm the hearts,

:08:16. > :08:19.the colourful must is a major change since the grey and navy blue of the

:08:20. > :08:27.early years. Blue, red and yellow stands out there. 6000 in the 1981

:08:28. > :08:33.London Marathon, 40,000 today. As they queue up through Greenwich

:08:34. > :08:37.Park, they will file out slowly and there, the Duke and Duchess of

:08:38. > :08:42.Cambridge, and Prince Harry, really fantastic job they have done this

:08:43. > :08:46.year bringing that mental health together with changing attitudes in

:08:47. > :08:50.Britain. Physical health has been changed over the years by London

:08:51. > :08:55.Marathon, hopefully this year mental health will get a change that will

:08:56. > :09:01.sweep this nation, exercise being a big part of it. This is absolutely

:09:02. > :09:09.wonderful. Of course many other charities are supported. Hugh

:09:10. > :09:13.Brazier, who has taken over from his father, who founded the event in

:09:14. > :09:20.1981 with John Disley, he was saying the other day that ?850 million has

:09:21. > :09:24.been raised so far, sometime in the next couple of years it will be ?1

:09:25. > :09:29.billion for charity and I don't think even Chris and John could have

:09:30. > :09:34.envisaged that as almost a by-product of this great event over

:09:35. > :09:38.the years. We have seen some great races, and as I said we are hoping

:09:39. > :09:43.for a couple of great races today. So far I can tell you this young

:09:44. > :09:47.lady here, Merrick Otani, two-time winner, has set out, I will say it

:09:48. > :09:51.is a crazy place, she has a pacemaker, training partner there,

:09:52. > :09:55.and they have been going at a pace that will take them not only inside

:09:56. > :10:02.the women's only world record, which Paula has, but also the world record

:10:03. > :10:07.which Paula set in 2003, in fact she is heading in a pace which, for me,

:10:08. > :10:11.will only result in one thing. Paula is getting nervous but I think this

:10:12. > :10:16.is too fast even baulk Mary Keitany. She has been running under

:10:17. > :10:25.five-minute smiling, hasn't really slowed down yet, but surely she has

:10:26. > :10:28.got to pay for this, Paula? I keep saying I hope she is going to pay

:10:29. > :10:34.for it, the pace she is running is phenomenally quick. Three miles

:10:35. > :10:41.under five minutes, several just around it, she has averaged around

:10:42. > :10:45.5.04, she looks like she is working hard but does not look like she is

:10:46. > :10:50.falling apart yet. The chase group behind her are also running really,

:10:51. > :10:53.really quickly. Vivian Cheruiyot in the yellow socks, she tried to close

:10:54. > :11:02.the gap earlier on and has decided to drop back. Florence Kiplagat,

:11:03. > :11:08.they are still about one minute inside the pace I ran as well, so

:11:09. > :11:11.they are all running very, very fast, but some of them will pay for

:11:12. > :11:15.it, there will be lots of casualties from this pace today but some will

:11:16. > :11:18.be able to maintain it as well. This is perhaps the greatest women's

:11:19. > :11:28.field ever, running quicker than we have ever seen a group of women

:11:29. > :11:35.running. Tirunesh Dibaba, three-time Olympic champion, in her quest to

:11:36. > :11:41.improve her marathon best. Chariot, in her first-ever marathon, going

:11:42. > :11:45.quicker cell. Look how far behind they are, Mary Keitany out there

:11:46. > :11:50.with her training partner as pacemaker. Going through ten miles,

:11:51. > :11:55.look at the time on the side of your screen, under 51 minutes through ten

:11:56. > :12:01.miles. That might be her slowest mile, 5.14. Brendan, how many times

:12:02. > :12:07.have you said to be, things will change in the last few miles? Surely

:12:08. > :12:11.that has got to happen today. Things are going to change in the later

:12:12. > :12:15.stages, we have seen Mary Keitany run very quick before but at the end

:12:16. > :12:20.of the day it is about the last five or six miles, so the question being

:12:21. > :12:25.asked, quite sensibly, is she going too fast? Remember, she has run this

:12:26. > :12:29.fast before and faded away. She is a more experienced athlete, I would

:12:30. > :12:34.not write her off yet because she is going so quickly, but she looks

:12:35. > :12:38.comfortable and these are perfect conditions for distance running and

:12:39. > :12:47.this is the perfect way to do it. She is ten miles in to her 26 mile

:12:48. > :12:51.journey. Many yet to even cross the start line. Let's see what they have

:12:52. > :12:57.got ahead of them. It is a very familiar course for most, it has

:12:58. > :13:00.changed a bit over the years but always start here in Greenwich,

:13:01. > :13:06.Shooters Hill Road there, Greenwich Park where we saw the Red Start, the

:13:07. > :13:10.masses get. They will eventually meet hopefully about three miles in,

:13:11. > :13:13.the green and the blue join a little bit earlier than that, then they run

:13:14. > :13:21.the fast miles, down towards the Sark area -- the Cutty Sark area,

:13:22. > :13:28.that is where the big crowds are, we expect some support out on the

:13:29. > :13:33.roads, great weather today. Ten miles, we have just seen the Elite

:13:34. > :13:38.Women pass that mark. Tower Bridge, the shard, they will know that

:13:39. > :13:42.halfway approaches. Then they headed towards Canary Wharf, this is the

:13:43. > :13:46.area where there have been a few little changes to the route over the

:13:47. > :13:52.years, twist and turns, that is where you start to feel, as you go

:13:53. > :14:03.through 20 miles, and eventually be able to see in the distance Big Ben.

:14:04. > :14:07.The last mile, they turn, round the corner, the last 250 metres also to

:14:08. > :14:15.the finish line, one of the most famous site in world sport.

:14:16. > :14:20.Beautiful day, perfect running conditions. It will take a good few

:14:21. > :14:23.minutes for all 40,000 to cross the start line, and of course each of

:14:24. > :14:27.them wearing their own personal transponders which are activated as

:14:28. > :14:31.they crossed the start line so they all get their individual times.

:14:32. > :14:36.Probably a good thing that for many of them they get to run a bit slowly

:14:37. > :14:42.in the first few miles. Never a bad idea to start slow. I think David

:14:43. > :14:49.Coleman, the great David Coleman, used to say, start slow, get slower.

:14:50. > :14:55.So many people watched over the years and decided they want to come

:14:56. > :15:01.and take part. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are

:15:02. > :15:05.really so much involved in this year's event, they have done a

:15:06. > :15:09.fantastic job of encouraging so many people to take part, and Heads

:15:10. > :15:13.Together will benefit hugely. Lots of people wearing that blue

:15:14. > :15:14.headband, as you can see, in support of that particular group of

:15:15. > :15:21.charities. The simple thing they have been

:15:22. > :15:24.saying, which I think is wonderful, if you have mental problems,

:15:25. > :15:28.physical activity can definitely help. The fact they have come out

:15:29. > :15:32.and said that discussing your mental problems is something which is of

:15:33. > :15:36.benefit to you and to the general public, I think it has been

:15:37. > :15:40.marvellous. To actually have the Royals participate, as they have

:15:41. > :15:46.this year, with that mission, that message, is absolutely incredible.

:15:47. > :15:52.We know that the physical side is something which benefits from

:15:53. > :15:57.activities. Now the fact that the mental side is being demonstrated,

:15:58. > :16:02.by doctors and also by mental health officials, is absolutely wonderful.

:16:03. > :16:06.This is a great initiative. Thank goodness for that. There we are,

:16:07. > :16:10.looking at the back. Look at the guy in the green and white shirt,

:16:11. > :16:15.strolling along. He is going to get ready. I'll come along! I think they

:16:16. > :16:19.will be going next to him, doing some limbering up, stretching his

:16:20. > :16:25.quads, he's going to be doing that for a while. There is always someone

:16:26. > :16:31.lying in bed at about 9.15, thinking, I'm late! They will just

:16:32. > :16:34.about get there in time to cross the start line, a few minutes behind

:16:35. > :16:40.everybody else. I bet somebody will be late. I remember several years

:16:41. > :16:46.ago am a guy arriving later, with ladders on his back. He had his

:16:47. > :16:49.number and ladders, I thought that is fantastic, it sums up the London

:16:50. > :16:57.Marathon. The Royals, giving a fantastic support. Prince Harry

:16:58. > :17:01.threatening to run it, next year. He backed out, he saw the wisdom, and

:17:02. > :17:08.said, I'm not built for marathon running. But encouraging everybody

:17:09. > :17:11.today. The Heads Together charity, a wonderful initiative. To see the

:17:12. > :17:14.young royals supporting this event, they will appreciate it. I think we

:17:15. > :17:18.will see more of them today, I don't think they will just do the start.

:17:19. > :17:24.They will have a few other duties through the day. The London

:17:25. > :17:28.Marathon, an event which comment 37 years, has become a national

:17:29. > :17:31.institution. If you think about it, other events that our national

:17:32. > :17:37.sporting institutions, they have taken hundreds of years to get

:17:38. > :17:44.there. This one, 37 years, the Royal support, a fist from Prince William.

:17:45. > :17:55.The Duchess, a casual, nonchalant well done from Prince Harry. Well

:17:56. > :18:04.done to them and to these rumours. -- runners.

:18:05. > :18:09.The hundreds, the thousands, the masses get going. It looks like we

:18:10. > :18:15.have a calm and tranquil pack in the wheelchair race. This has settled

:18:16. > :18:17.down into this pack again. Marcel Hug, the favourite, defending

:18:18. > :18:25.champion, to the right of your picture in a Silver helmet. He was

:18:26. > :18:28.awake clear of the rest. He had David Weir for company. They had a

:18:29. > :18:32.long way back to the next guy. But they have been swallowed up by the

:18:33. > :18:37.rest of the pack. Is he saying, this is what I've got, trying something?

:18:38. > :18:41.I think Marcel Hug wanted to make a break. He wound up to his top speed,

:18:42. > :18:49.had his head down. David Weir was sitting on his back wheel. He saw

:18:50. > :18:54.Hug indicate that he was coming through, and I think David Weir was

:18:55. > :18:59.making him work for it. Ernst van Dyk is not the strongest sprinter,

:19:00. > :19:05.he needs to get some separation. This is a decent downhill. You can't

:19:06. > :19:09.quite see the top speed they are doing, probably about 30 mph. They

:19:10. > :19:13.are not coasting, they are trying to maintain speed. This is going to be

:19:14. > :19:17.a really interesting sprint finish. Somebody is going to have to make a

:19:18. > :19:21.move pretty soon, otherwise they are going to stretch right across the

:19:22. > :19:27.finish line. Ten minutes or so from the finish. They were on a course

:19:28. > :19:33.record pace of 1.27, but the second half, for wheelchair racers, is

:19:34. > :19:37.slower. The pace has dropped down to about 1.30, as they headed towards

:19:38. > :19:42.Tower Bridge. They go along the embankment, as Steve was explaining

:19:43. > :19:48.on the course map, round and into the Mall. They are not too far away.

:19:49. > :19:52.Heinz Frei, the 59-year-old from Switzerland, who has been around for

:19:53. > :19:56.so long under such an to many, he hits the front. There are so many

:19:57. > :19:59.within this pack that can win, but only a few of them can do it with

:20:00. > :20:04.the serious sprint finish that I think it is going to take in the

:20:05. > :20:07.final 200 metres. I think a lot of people will be looking over their

:20:08. > :20:14.shoulders and trying to make the break. This looks like a fairly

:20:15. > :20:19.serious break for Frei. He will not have the sprint finish, but he will

:20:20. > :20:21.have eight top speed. He will want to make people work, pull people out

:20:22. > :20:25.and start dropping off some of those that can get in the way for the

:20:26. > :20:32.sprint finish. In the women's race, further back, there is a minute lead

:20:33. > :20:41.for Manuela Schar, the strong favourite. It might be a Swiss

:20:42. > :20:51.double, with Manuela Schar in the women, and Heinz -- Marcel Hug in

:20:52. > :20:56.the men's. The big story in the Elite Women's races that Mary

:20:57. > :20:58.Keitany is running quicker in a marathon than anyone, including

:20:59. > :21:05.Paula, has ever done. If she is going to be able to maintain this,

:21:06. > :21:11.there is a huge question mark. She has just run another 5.06 mile, for

:21:12. > :21:15.the 11th mile. She will reach halfway in a crazy fast time.

:21:16. > :21:22.Certainly heading for way inside... I mean, she is the second fastest

:21:23. > :21:26.woman ever, behind Paula, 2:18.37, she is heading for minutes inside of

:21:27. > :21:31.that. She's 35, she has never run this quick either. I am not sure

:21:32. > :21:36.what is going on. She is experienced, she is in good shape,

:21:37. > :21:44.we know that. But surely, she must have thought to herself, OK, I feel

:21:45. > :21:49.good today, I might go through in 68.5, something like that. I keep

:21:50. > :21:54.looking at you. To see an experienced runner going this fast,

:21:55. > :21:59.it seems odd? She is very experienced, she knows she is in

:22:00. > :22:04.shape. She is very confident and competitive. She came here,

:22:05. > :22:08.obviously within her mind that she wanted to make her mark, set a fast

:22:09. > :22:13.time and beat the record. She has gone after it. She is getting some

:22:14. > :22:18.good pacing from the pacemaker in front of her, looking over his

:22:19. > :22:24.shoulder. 5.16, she has slowed down a little bit. It has to be expected

:22:25. > :22:29.that at some point she has to start easing back, to maintain this pace.

:22:30. > :22:33.She has to be aware of the fact that she has a group chasing behind her.

:22:34. > :22:39.You can see Vivian Cheruiyot, in the bright yellow socks. She was ahead

:22:40. > :22:49.of this group. Even though she has backed off, this chasing group is

:22:50. > :22:53.making up ground on Mary Keitany. Tirunesh Dibaba, not as experienced

:22:54. > :22:57.as an athlete, she will not like the fact that Mary Keitany is so far up

:22:58. > :23:00.the road ahead of her. She doesn't like the fact that the athletes are

:23:01. > :23:06.on her shoulder. She has been weaving side to side, trying to get

:23:07. > :23:09.that leading pace. She hasn't got a pacemaker, she is setting the pace

:23:10. > :23:14.for the second group. This race is not over. Whatever happens today,

:23:15. > :23:18.the second half of the women's marathon will be dramatic. We are

:23:19. > :23:23.looking at two Olympic champions in the chasing group. The reigning

:23:24. > :23:29.champion, 130, Vivian Cheruiyot. The leader of that group, the great

:23:30. > :23:32.Terror Dibaba. The most successful female distance runner in the

:23:33. > :23:36.history of the other big games. There she is, looking around,

:23:37. > :23:45.leading the pace, as we look at the yellow socks, Vivian Cheruiyot,, who

:23:46. > :23:48.won that marvellous 5000 metres in the Olympic Games, decided it was

:23:49. > :23:53.time to run on a road. We are looking at athletic royalty, chasing

:23:54. > :24:00.down Mary Keitany, who has set an awesome pace. She is doing it the

:24:01. > :24:03.hard way, the fastest ever. The crowds are gathering, the atmosphere

:24:04. > :24:10.is rising. Mary Keitany, being cheered. She has her pacemaker for

:24:11. > :24:14.company. Running faster than anybody has run before. Looking at the

:24:15. > :24:18.statistics, it looks bold, brave, a bit too aggressive. But when Paula

:24:19. > :24:22.was doing this, we were asking the same questions. Paula was being

:24:23. > :24:25.brave, pushing into a new world. This lady is pushing even more so.

:24:26. > :24:30.At the end of the day, if you are the second fastest Arda Turan of all

:24:31. > :24:36.time, the only way you're going to become the fastest runner of all

:24:37. > :24:39.time is by attacking it. -- fastest marathon runner. Maybe this is too

:24:40. > :24:44.much of an aggressive move. If we look down the other side of Tower

:24:45. > :24:49.Bridge, we can see the approaching Olympic champion, Tirunesh Dibaba. I

:24:50. > :24:58.think she is already starting to pay for this. She is slowing down

:24:59. > :25:05.already. This is a crazy fast pace. If you think that the first ten

:25:06. > :25:09.kilometres was 31.17, the second was 32.08. She has already slowed a

:25:10. > :25:15.minute for the second ten kilometres. Even though she is very

:25:16. > :25:20.fast, going through the half way point, very quick. The pacemaker,

:25:21. > :25:24.which is her training partner, is not waiting for her any more. That

:25:25. > :25:28.is a bit silly, the pacemaker is going quicker than she was meant to.

:25:29. > :25:31.At this point, if anything, she should be helping her. I think she

:25:32. > :25:37.is already suffering. I agree with Brendan, even the ones behind might

:25:38. > :25:42.suffer. There might be one or two that are further back. I think there

:25:43. > :25:47.are lots of changes going to happen here, as they approach halfway. They

:25:48. > :25:56.have just crossed over. The Elite Men, a long way back. Just between

:25:57. > :26:00.three and four miles. Here they are. A pretty quick start for them. They

:26:01. > :26:05.have just gone through four miles. They started very quick as well. If

:26:06. > :26:09.we can tell you that... We are going to talk about records a lot,

:26:10. > :26:12.obviously. This is a bit more sensible from the men. They are on

:26:13. > :26:21.world-record pace, but doing it right. They have gone 4.30 4.36,

:26:22. > :26:36.4.30, 18.20 one. Good pacing, good to see Bekele

:26:37. > :26:42.looking comfortable. You can see which had he has on. The Olympic

:26:43. > :26:47.champion, world-record holder for the 5000 and the 10,000 metres. He

:26:48. > :26:53.is amongst the pacemakers, encouraging them to go fast. As we

:26:54. > :26:57.wait at Greenwich Park, they are limbering up at the back. Walking

:26:58. > :27:01.slowly, to go through the gates. When they get through the gates,

:27:02. > :27:05.their own chip timing will start. They are not losing anything. They

:27:06. > :27:08.are gradually getting onto the course. The organisation of this

:27:09. > :27:12.London Marathon has got better and better over the years. The wonderful

:27:13. > :27:16.start area, Greenwich Park. It lends itself to an event like this. There

:27:17. > :27:19.is only one event like this. The best marathon in the world. That is

:27:20. > :27:25.one of the best sites in the world of sport. It has been a pleasure

:27:26. > :27:31.doing it. They are dancing at the start line. Raising money for the

:27:32. > :27:38.NSPCC, the Leonard Cheshire Charity, as they move through, taking

:27:39. > :27:42.pictures of the Royals. Great picture! Now get them to do a Salvi.

:27:43. > :27:45.That is the next thing. I bet that happens during the course of the

:27:46. > :27:57.day. As they get on the start line, she has her collectors item. Whizz

:27:58. > :28:05.kids, another good charity. They are all in good spirits. A joyous

:28:06. > :28:11.occasion. The London Marathon, The Royal Institute For The Blind, the

:28:12. > :28:15.British Heart Foundation, Children With Cancer, it is wonderful to see.

:28:16. > :28:19.They are getting closer, they are going to get amongst it soon. They

:28:20. > :28:23.are going to be talking on the way back, I bet, do you think we should

:28:24. > :28:28.run it next time? Which one is going to run it? They keep pushing

:28:29. > :28:31.carry-forward. But all three of them would-be contenders, they are all

:28:32. > :28:38.athletic, young people. This is a great site. The slow procession to

:28:39. > :28:41.the gates of Greenwich Park, ready to start the journey that will bring

:28:42. > :28:50.them where we are, in the Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace. So many

:28:51. > :28:56.great stories there, we try to reflect as many as we possibly can.

:28:57. > :29:03.We will mention a view during the course of the afternoon. -- a few.

:29:04. > :29:10.Laura Hodgkins is running for Walking With The Wounded. Soon, he

:29:11. > :29:15.suffered a brain haemorrhage, and we wish her our best. -- her mother,

:29:16. > :29:33.Sue. They are just about all the way

:29:34. > :29:37.through. We are going to keep you up-to-date with what is happening in

:29:38. > :29:40.the wheelchair next. A very strong Japanese threat to those favourites.

:29:41. > :29:49.We talked about Marcel Hug and David Weir. Kurt Fearnley behind. Hiroki

:29:50. > :29:54.Nishida is out in front at the moment. He finished sixth in Boston.

:29:55. > :29:59.It is, Tanni Grey-Thompson, going to come down to the sprint finish at

:30:00. > :30:03.the Mall? It is the biggest pack we have had for the men's wheelchair

:30:04. > :30:06.race. Even coming past Westminster, there are still a few more tends to

:30:07. > :30:11.come. Everybody is getting a bit nervous now. As they come to the

:30:12. > :30:17.final bend, we actually have bumps on the road. They are going to be

:30:18. > :30:22.spread right across the road. I am sure by now, Marcel, and David Weir,

:30:23. > :30:25.they want to make sure they are at the front of the pack and are not

:30:26. > :30:30.going to get caught in the final turn. Yoshida wanted to get the bike

:30:31. > :30:34.out of the way as well. Everybody sitting behind them. Marcel Hug, the

:30:35. > :30:38.favourite, a wonderful sprint finish. So too, David Weir. He wears

:30:39. > :30:46.those soft gloves. You cannot hear him tapping on the wheel, and you

:30:47. > :30:51.cannot hear him coming. Is it going to be a seventh London Marathon

:30:52. > :30:52.victory for David Weir? Kurt Fearnley, the Australian, just

:30:53. > :31:01.behind him. I am feeling slightly nervous

:31:02. > :31:04.because of the number of people in this pack. Ernst van Dyk has crashed

:31:05. > :31:07.in the finish line before now because he sprints with his head

:31:08. > :31:10.down so you not only have to be aware of who is on your left and

:31:11. > :31:15.right but exactly what is in front of you on the road. David Weir,

:31:16. > :31:20.because he wears the soft gloves, you cannot hear him kicking, he is

:31:21. > :31:25.devastating when he decides to go. They are all looking over their

:31:26. > :31:31.shoulders, Marcel looking right back, but they also want to get a

:31:32. > :31:39.bit of attention, and where the road narrows down, you have to time and

:31:40. > :31:44.try to keep up the momentum. Two turns from the final sprint finish.

:31:45. > :31:49.385 yards beyond the 26 miles to go and out in front Marcel Hug, David

:31:50. > :31:55.Weir sitting on his shoulder, Kurt Fearnley, the big three, coming

:31:56. > :32:00.around this final bend. David Weir right in my's shadow, is he judging

:32:01. > :32:04.this well? The final bend, the finish line weights, six victories

:32:05. > :32:10.the David Weir, defending champion Marcel Hug added at the moment,

:32:11. > :32:15.David Weir gets those arms pumping, he is passing, Hug, does he have a

:32:16. > :32:25.response? David Weir DriveStyle, and a seventh London Marathon victory is

:32:26. > :32:31.going to come the David Weir! And the Weirwolf roars again! He beat

:32:32. > :32:36.defending champion Marcel Hug! What a win the David Weir, I am not sure

:32:37. > :32:41.if he will retire, but if he does, what a way to go. Victories number

:32:42. > :32:46.seven in London. That, I think, is David Weir's best marathon I have

:32:47. > :32:51.ever seen him race! Absolutely incredible. I really hope this is

:32:52. > :32:55.not it for him, he has so much more to give, to absolutely come past

:32:56. > :33:00.Marcel in that final sprint finish is amazing. He might not give us a

:33:01. > :33:05.smile, I hope he does. That is too much to ask, spent after the effort

:33:06. > :33:10.of winning a seventh London Marathon in his 18th, he is alongside Marcel

:33:11. > :33:13.Hug, who has had the better of him in recent seasons, recent years, but

:33:14. > :33:20.it is David Weir winning again here on The Mall, and Hug, well, again,

:33:21. > :33:27.the tactics, it is when you take out the sprint, David Weir able to sit

:33:28. > :33:31.behind Marcel Hug, used him and come past with that famous sprint finish

:33:32. > :33:37.that we used to see in years gone by, perhaps have not seen in the

:33:38. > :33:41.past couple of seasons so much. This is where everyone starts rushing to

:33:42. > :33:45.him because everyone in the UK wanted Dave to have a good race

:33:46. > :33:49.today. For him as much of anything else. But that is a devastating

:33:50. > :33:53.sprint finish the David Weir, the top speed between him and Hug is

:33:54. > :33:58.similar but in that situation, coming round the far bend, I thought

:33:59. > :34:03.it was Hug's, but well done, David Weir, really proud of you. We might

:34:04. > :34:07.not see him on the track, he may race in the Commonwealth Games, he

:34:08. > :34:13.had his problems with GB, but he loves racing, he loves road racing.

:34:14. > :34:18.Here are some of the most famous roads in racing, and he has done it

:34:19. > :34:26.again. On The Mall, he wins his seventh London Marathon title. Well

:34:27. > :34:30.done, David Weir. Manuela Schar in the women's race

:34:31. > :34:34.has a big lead, it will not be a swift double because Marcel Hug was

:34:35. > :34:38.seen off by David Weir but Manuela Schar is surely going to win the

:34:39. > :34:42.women's events. In the absence of Tatyana McFadden, who has won this

:34:43. > :34:47.for the last ball years, Shah has been second for the last three, it

:34:48. > :34:53.was clear who was going to snap up with McFadden being indisposed. --

:34:54. > :34:58.going to step up. We were talking with Hynes Frei, who is her training

:34:59. > :35:01.partner, and he said she never had the confidence to go it alone, but

:35:02. > :35:06.winning Boston last week has given her a new feeling and she realised

:35:07. > :35:11.she has got the talent. She has been around a long time and has always

:35:12. > :35:15.been there or thereabouts. Never performed the way we expected in the

:35:16. > :35:19.Paralympics but I think we will see great things from her to come.

:35:20. > :35:30.Coming through 35 K, seven K from the finish, McGrory, then Scaroni,

:35:31. > :35:34.van den Broek behind them. But Manuela Schar is a long way clear

:35:35. > :35:52.and heading for victory. This is the Elite Men at Cutty Sark,

:35:53. > :35:57.good pace being set by them, the Caley, Ghebreslassie, the young

:35:58. > :36:03.world champion there, still yet to do a really fast Marathon, although

:36:04. > :36:07.he has shown he is capable of that. The Caley, with his phalanx of

:36:08. > :36:11.pacemakers. The rules say you are only allowed three, you will

:36:12. > :36:17.probably spot a fourth black and white vest. I think he is on the

:36:18. > :36:22.wrong place, isn't he? There are different paces the different

:36:23. > :36:27.groups, the British men have asked for 2.11, 2.14, qualifying time for

:36:28. > :36:35.the men is 2.16. We are watching and will be following the progress of

:36:36. > :36:39.Scott Overall, Chris Thompson, one or two others who will be hoping

:36:40. > :36:44.they will have a big day today. But at the front of the men, it has

:36:45. > :36:49.certainly given them a chance of being close to world record pace.

:36:50. > :36:54.What they are after, what Kenenisa wants is to get to 30 K in good

:36:55. > :37:00.pace, and if he is feeling good he will want less people around him, I

:37:01. > :37:04.don't think the quality is as high as it is in the women's race, then

:37:05. > :37:08.we will see what he wants to do. The last 15km, the last 10k is where

:37:09. > :37:13.records are won and lost if you place it right. I will say right now

:37:14. > :37:23.I think Mary Keitany has gone too quick, we will catch up with her in

:37:24. > :37:28.a second. Just to show you where they are, we have seen the men go

:37:29. > :37:34.through Cutty Sark, the Elite Women, Mary Keitany is slowing down she is

:37:35. > :37:40.slowing down quickly, if you know what I mean. It will be interesting

:37:41. > :37:48.to see whether the others, who are also slugging down behind, Cheruiyot

:37:49. > :37:51.and Dibaba, we just lost the signal with Mary Keitany there but I can

:37:52. > :37:55.tell you she went through the half marathon quicker than any woman

:37:56. > :37:59.including close-up has ever gone through the half marathon point, and

:38:00. > :38:03.talking about going quick, Aly Dixon is leading the British contingent by

:38:04. > :38:06.about 30 seconds ahead of Charlotte Purdue. She went through the half

:38:07. > :38:15.quicker than she was planning to, she is heading for a personal best,

:38:16. > :38:20.so everybody in Sunderland will be cheering her on. Something to cheer

:38:21. > :38:26.in Sunderland, anyway! You keep mentioning Sunderland and black and

:38:27. > :38:29.white vests, I am ignoring it! Aly Dixon is running strongly and now

:38:30. > :38:34.she is in a position to run a personal best. The heads down of

:38:35. > :38:38.Mary Keitany. We have seen this great athlete, the second fastest

:38:39. > :38:45.female athlete of all time, clearly set off to try and become the

:38:46. > :38:49.fastest female in world time, the fastest sitting along from me here,

:38:50. > :38:54.but Mary Keitany has demonstrated in the past that she is not a great

:38:55. > :38:58.pace judging person. She ran the New York marathon a few years ago, went

:38:59. > :39:02.through just minutes slower than she has gone today, she slowed

:39:03. > :39:05.drastically that day. She may not slow as drastically but is beginning

:39:06. > :39:13.to show signs that she is slowing little. Solitary pursuit for Mary

:39:14. > :39:17.Keitany, as there has been in the women's wheelchair race for Manuela

:39:18. > :39:21.Schar. She has had some company, these are a couple of the men lower

:39:22. > :39:25.down the field in the men's wheelchair, and behind them in the

:39:26. > :39:36.distance you can see Manuela Schar, coming towards the finish. There she

:39:37. > :39:40.is, second in 2014, 2015, and 2016, behind Tatyana McFadden, the

:39:41. > :39:44.American who has won the last four years but is suffering from lung

:39:45. > :39:51.clots, had surgery recently after trying to compete in Boston, could

:39:52. > :39:55.not make the trip to compete here, but Schar has been a class apart,

:39:56. > :39:59.she won Boston by a huge margin, five minutes or so, and is coming

:40:00. > :40:03.round to win here as well. Very different race to the men's race,

:40:04. > :40:07.which was a furious and fast sprint finish, but this has been a

:40:08. > :40:13.demonstration of Schar's strength. It has been superbly timed, Amanda

:40:14. > :40:17.McGrory, the top five women who will finish today some of the best in the

:40:18. > :40:22.world and Schar's kilometre times have been really evenly paced so she

:40:23. > :40:27.knows she has got that ability. It is going to be outside her personal

:40:28. > :40:31.best but to her winning is important in terms of getting the confidence

:40:32. > :40:34.to go into the rest of the marathon and major racing season. Personal

:40:35. > :40:38.are very different in wheelchair marathon is because of the different

:40:39. > :40:44.causes, everyone goes very very quick in Boston, which has a drop,

:40:45. > :40:53.but 140 metres, 200 metres remaining now for Manuela Schar and the course

:40:54. > :40:56.record of 1.41 here in London, held by Tatyana McFadden, I am looking

:40:57. > :41:00.for the time for Manuela Schar because it has been her against the

:41:01. > :41:03.clock for much of this race but she will take her first victory in the

:41:04. > :41:10.London Marathon, second for the last three years but here she will take

:41:11. > :41:15.victory in just a shade under 1.40, does over it there, that is a course

:41:16. > :41:16.record and a victory in the London Marathon, a first victory in this

:41:17. > :41:35.event for Manuela Schar. Well, finally, everybody has crossed

:41:36. > :41:38.the start line, perhaps one or two latecomers, just about everybody

:41:39. > :41:43.across the start line, just the last few setting off on their way.

:41:44. > :41:47.Hopefully as soon as we get it we will give you how many actually

:41:48. > :41:50.crossed the start line because once everybody is over they will quickly

:41:51. > :41:54.be able to tell us how many started, it could well be a record, last year

:41:55. > :42:00.set the record of 39,000 people starting out, most of them finished,

:42:01. > :42:03.only a couple of hundred did not make it and that is one of the great

:42:04. > :42:09.things these days, the dropout rate on the day is very, very low. 99% of

:42:10. > :42:17.people who start will finish. The last couple walking down the road,

:42:18. > :42:25.going to attempt walking it all the way round. She has just arrived. Is

:42:26. > :42:30.he looking at a map?! I think that is a guide there. People wear their

:42:31. > :42:34.names on their shirts, saying what they are running or walking before,

:42:35. > :42:39.people around the route can give them a cheer, support, shout. Much

:42:40. > :42:47.further ahead, this is around the Canary Wharf area, we will just

:42:48. > :42:54.check in with the men. Well, the men are running sub 2.22 pace through

:42:55. > :43:05.the first 10k, 28.51 through 10km so real intent here, a big group again.

:43:06. > :43:11.Kenenisa Bekele can go at that sort of place, most of the others don't,

:43:12. > :43:24.I find this funny, even with the top guys here, some running the first

:43:25. > :43:29.marathon, run at world record pace, see how it goes! That cannot be

:43:30. > :43:32.planned? You cannot possibly come from training, step into a marathon

:43:33. > :43:38.and will run at world record pace. But the ceilidh, two minute slower

:43:39. > :43:42.than his personal best of 10k so he should be comfortable here, but I

:43:43. > :43:46.have watched Kenenisa Bekele over the years and have seen fantastic

:43:47. > :43:55.races, the occasional average race. His marathon last year in London,

:43:56. > :43:59.when he was not 100% fit, the body language was different to today,

:44:00. > :44:04.today he is trying to encourage the pacemakers to go even faster because

:44:05. > :44:12.he knows that coming up soon the Olympic champion Elliot Kipchoge is

:44:13. > :44:15.going to attempt to run and he has this idea that he would like to

:44:16. > :44:20.become the first man to simultaneously hold the world record

:44:21. > :44:25.for five, ten, and for the marathon. Can he do that, can he do it today?

:44:26. > :44:30.He has got good company, good competition, he has good support

:44:31. > :44:35.from the pacemakers, he is fitter now than he has been for a marathon

:44:36. > :44:38.except in Berlin, when he ran the second fastest marathon in world

:44:39. > :44:46.time. We have seen Mary Keitany trying to become the second fastest,

:44:47. > :44:51.Kenenisa Bekele trying to become the fastest but he is doing it more

:44:52. > :44:55.conservatively, Mary Keitany is going extremely aggressively now. As

:44:56. > :45:00.she got the strength, the willpower and the determination to hang on?

:45:01. > :45:07.Yes, Paula, I note you keep looking at the Times and I keep saying the

:45:08. > :45:14.same thing, she is still on 2.13, sub 2.14 pace, starting to slow now,

:45:15. > :45:17.with each mile I think those early fast, fast miles are beginning to

:45:18. > :45:19.take their toll and I don't know what you think but this is going to

:45:20. > :45:28.be a slog for the last few miles. It will definitely be a race of

:45:29. > :45:33.attrition from her to keep her body going. The easier way to run a

:45:34. > :45:37.marathon is definitely to run negative splits, run faster in the

:45:38. > :45:40.second half of the marathon. That is pretty much impossible, the pace she

:45:41. > :45:45.went through in the first half, it is not possible for her to close

:45:46. > :45:52.faster. What she needs to do is hold together. She is down, she slowed

:45:53. > :45:56.down, but is still running very fast. She has a lead of about one

:45:57. > :45:59.minute and six seconds on the group behind her, who are also running

:46:00. > :46:07.very fast. There are going to be some people paying a price for the

:46:08. > :46:11.early pace. And there are people further down that might move through

:46:12. > :46:19.the field. Those times that we put up, including your times, Mary

:46:20. > :46:22.Keitany's times, to reiterate there was points, the fastest we have seen

:46:23. > :46:25.in the world, ever run in the marathon distance, and she set off

:46:26. > :46:36.through the first half over a minute quicker, over the first half, than

:46:37. > :46:41.Paula Radcliffe's 68.02. She went under in 56.53. She is slowing down.

:46:42. > :46:47.The only question is if she will make it to the finish, and I know

:46:48. > :46:51.you say they are elite runners, even they suffer if they get it horribly

:46:52. > :46:57.wrong. If she hasn't, she will be hanging on for a time. If anybody

:46:58. > :47:00.has the right to try to shatter that world record, it is the second

:47:01. > :47:04.fastest marathon runner of all time. She's not doing it in the

:47:05. > :47:08.conventional mathematical and studious way of running a steady

:47:09. > :47:12.pace. She has gone very quickly. She might have gone too quickly. But it

:47:13. > :47:17.is very much up to her, as we see Aly Dixon, the leading British

:47:18. > :47:20.athlete. We are looking at a fantastic performance, really,

:47:21. > :47:25.really good performance. But we are looking at somebody that is trying

:47:26. > :47:29.to change the world, Mary Keitany. Having a great race at the moment,

:47:30. > :47:33.let's hope she has judged it well. She is opening a big lead on the

:47:34. > :47:39.next British athlete, Charlotte Perdue, about 45 seconds behind. She

:47:40. > :47:47.is heading for 2.27, around about that. A couple of minutes quicker.

:47:48. > :47:53.Aly Dixon likes to work the last few miles. This is quicker than she has

:47:54. > :47:56.done before. She is in better shape, I help her out with her training and

:47:57. > :48:01.she is in better shape than she has ever been coming into a marathon.

:48:02. > :48:03.She knows the conditions are perfect today. She wants to go out there and

:48:04. > :48:08.give it her best shot. She doesn't look like she has gone too fast. She

:48:09. > :48:16.looks like she is in control, she is taking some energy on board, pacing

:48:17. > :48:23.her effort well. The British women, Aly in front. There are three places

:48:24. > :48:27.available, Charlotte Perdue, Tracy Barlow going well. Jo Pavey is a

:48:28. > :48:30.little bit behind. A lot of people will be watching and waiting to see

:48:31. > :48:33.if she can make the World Championship team. At the moment,

:48:34. > :48:37.she is out of the positions that would qualify her, you would think,

:48:38. > :48:46.to be selected. That will happen in the next couple of days. So, back at

:48:47. > :48:52.the front, 9.4 miles to go. Mary Keitany, all on her own, not only

:48:53. > :48:56.out on the roads, but in terms of what she is trying to do, going

:48:57. > :49:02.quicker than even she has done, even quicker than Paula Radcliffe has

:49:03. > :49:06.done through the first 14, 15 miles. Now it is going to be a long, hard

:49:07. > :49:13.slog. She will be trying to concentrate as much as she can. You

:49:14. > :49:17.guys have run marathons, I have run a couple. Many people don't know it

:49:18. > :49:24.is the last three, four, five miles where you can fall apart. Let's see

:49:25. > :49:29.what happens there. So far, so good, for the men. Very fast-paced. We are

:49:30. > :49:35.getting used to seeing this with the men. Three of four years ago, people

:49:36. > :49:42.went through really quick. Around the hotel, during the week, there

:49:43. > :49:45.has been a lot of talk about if Bekele can break the world record.

:49:46. > :49:49.We have talked about if there was enough competition for him here.

:49:50. > :49:53.Sometimes you don't want competition. It is a high risk

:49:54. > :49:57.strategy to go for a record. He is already looking like he wants to

:49:58. > :50:02.force this on. He is ahead of the pacemakers, looking for his drink.

:50:03. > :50:06.Get a clear look at the table. It is important they get their

:50:07. > :50:10.personalised drinks. That is why he went to the front. He knew that the

:50:11. > :50:15.drinks station was coming up. This is an important part of the race,

:50:16. > :50:19.rehydration. In the past, he has not paid too much attention to this.

:50:20. > :50:25.Now, as he is committed to running fast marathons, he takes that a

:50:26. > :50:37.drink on board. His team-mate, the Olympic silver medallist, Feyisa

:50:38. > :50:40.Lilesa, behind him. Kenenisa Bekele, when you look at his attitude on the

:50:41. > :50:44.track, you see this kind of running. We are looking at him running

:50:45. > :50:51.alongside and in amongst the pacemakers. This is one, in my view,

:50:52. > :50:57.one of the two greatest distance runners of all time. I think Mo

:50:58. > :51:04.Farah has an equal claim to Kenenisa He has more records, Mo Farah has

:51:05. > :51:10.won more Olympic titles. Who wants to hold the world record for the

:51:11. > :51:14.5000, the 10000 and the marathon. He has had some difficult times. This

:51:15. > :51:17.year, he went to Dubai, fell over at the start of the race, he was

:51:18. > :51:21.injured and could not finish the race. He is back here now. He is

:51:22. > :51:26.ready to run quick. He does want to run quicker. When he smells, in the

:51:27. > :51:30.later stages, that he is in contention for the fastest time, we

:51:31. > :51:37.are looking at an athlete that has an engine like no other. Some of the

:51:38. > :51:39.physiology people have told me that his physiology is such that he has

:51:40. > :51:45.the greatest capacity for injuries running that they have ever seen. He

:51:46. > :51:52.is amongst the pacemakers. His team-mate, a letter, the silver

:51:53. > :51:56.medallist, they are pulling clear. He was ill, three weeks ago. But his

:51:57. > :52:02.manager, who has done a great job over the years, he goes from nervous

:52:03. > :52:08.to being less nervous. He says when you leave it to Kenenisa, his

:52:09. > :52:14.attitude to racing is better than anybody else. In the white vest,

:52:15. > :52:21.behind the black and white shirts of Shaftesbury Harriers. They are going

:52:22. > :52:25.very quickly indeed. Inside world record pace in the men's pace,

:52:26. > :52:28.inside world record pace in the women's race. Back at Cutty Sark,

:52:29. > :52:35.some of these are quick learners, these folks, going through. -- quick

:52:36. > :52:47.runners. Going pretty well indeed. The race started about 45 minutes

:52:48. > :52:51.ago. If any of you do your ten Ks, you know that they are going well. A

:52:52. > :52:58.shout out to a couple of people, police she white, Amy Savage.

:52:59. > :53:04.Running for Sparks Children, and Children With Cancer. They are

:53:05. > :53:15.hoping for the four hour mark. -- the Alicia White. This has always

:53:16. > :53:21.been a landmark for the London Marathon, we couldn't see it when it

:53:22. > :53:23.was undergoing the work. Looking resplendent in the morning sunshine.

:53:24. > :53:29.It is hiding behind the clouds occasionally, but it is a great day

:53:30. > :53:34.for marathon running. Temperature expected to get up to 15 degrees.

:53:35. > :53:39.Not too bad. Pretty perfect conditions for trying to chase fast

:53:40. > :53:49.times. Still chasing one, Mary Keitany. She is slowing, but not

:53:50. > :54:01.slowing too much. She is still heading for inside 2.15. Don't

:54:02. > :54:05.forget that record of Paula's, 2:15.25. She has a minute or so in

:54:06. > :54:13.hand on that. This is the lonely bit. There are parts of the course

:54:14. > :54:17.here which gets a bit lonely. She has got a watch on, surely she knows

:54:18. > :54:22.what she has got to do from this point, or is it just concentrating

:54:23. > :54:26.on step-by-step? It is absolutely concentrating on it. I don't think

:54:27. > :54:31.she has really looked at her watch. She doesn't need to, she has got the

:54:32. > :54:35.splits on the car in front of her, she's got the splits on every mile

:54:36. > :54:42.mark as she goes through. But it is not the way that she runs. She runs

:54:43. > :54:45.according to feel, which is how you race a marathon, you have to gauge

:54:46. > :54:51.your effort against the distance to get the most out of yourself. We

:54:52. > :54:54.will see that in the men's race. I think if you start aiming too much

:54:55. > :54:57.to hit certain split times, you get too much in your head. You need to

:54:58. > :55:03.just run according to the sensations you have hard in training, where you

:55:04. > :55:07.have worked too, to know your body and to know where you can push too,

:55:08. > :55:10.where is the line that you can almost ride along? That is what

:55:11. > :55:14.she's doing now. She has pushed as hard as she can and she is try to

:55:15. > :55:20.hold it at that point to get to the finish with nothing left. She has

:55:21. > :55:24.won five out of her ten marathons. She has run quickly, the second

:55:25. > :55:28.fastest female distance runner of all time in the marathon. She is

:55:29. > :55:32.running strongly up points. Occasionally, when there is an

:55:33. > :55:39.incline, she is working extremely hard. She wasn't able to run in the

:55:40. > :55:43.Olympic Games. She ran London last year and fell, that was a bad

:55:44. > :55:48.occasion. She came back, won the New York Marathon. She loves big

:55:49. > :55:52.marathons. She loves New York, won that three times. She won London

:55:53. > :55:56.twice. Apart from those, she has lost the others. There is the

:55:57. > :56:04.chasing group. It looks like Tirunesh Dibaba, and Eliud Kipchoge

:56:05. > :56:15.from Kenya. There a the other big champion,

:56:16. > :56:22.working hard. The calibre of this athlete, second to none in the world

:56:23. > :56:30.of distance running. Numerous times world champion. Tirunesh Dibaba,

:56:31. > :56:33.without a pacemaker, running strongly, and running well. Who

:56:34. > :56:36.knows what is going to happen in front? Are we looking at the

:56:37. > :56:43.potential winner of the London Marathon? Or are we looking at

:56:44. > :56:56.Tirunesh being in second place? She is looking strong and has made up a

:56:57. > :57:01.five or six second gap on Kiprop. With the pace that they have set

:57:02. > :57:07.out, they will inevitably have some people that will come down the road.

:57:08. > :57:11.A look over her shoulder, from Tirunesh Dibaba, to see who else is

:57:12. > :57:19.going with her and moving through. Tirunesh Dibaba, you know how good a

:57:20. > :57:23.runner she is, but she is terrible at turning around. She nearly fell

:57:24. > :57:34.over twice. She is hopeless at it. There are a few streets, a street

:57:35. > :57:37.that they have already come down, a narrow road, and the speed bumps,

:57:38. > :57:42.what I mean by that, little things on the road, if you don't watch what

:57:43. > :57:48.you are doing, it is easy to tip over. It happened to be! As you go

:57:49. > :57:52.slower, the speed bumps become a problem. They are hills, actually.

:57:53. > :57:59.Mary Keitany, what is she heading for? Through 18 miles, very fast.

:58:00. > :58:05.Just went through 30 kilometres. The time is slipping. The predicted

:58:06. > :58:11.time, if I went back to halfway, before halfway, it was 2.13, then it

:58:12. > :58:17.was just outside 2.14, then it was a high 2.14. For the first time, had

:58:18. > :58:21.predicted time has slipped to 2:15.08. That would still be a world

:58:22. > :58:32.record, but I don't think she will do that. Mary Keitany, she will be

:58:33. > :58:39.concentrating, but if tyrannous died -- Tirunesh Dibaba keeps running

:58:40. > :58:48.strongly, we will see when we get to the split, when she goes to the 30,

:58:49. > :58:53.the point, she might have a chance. There she is, chasing. When she

:58:54. > :59:00.starts to be able to see Mary Keitany, that will also help her

:59:01. > :59:04.confidence. I just had a note from Mark Butler, who said that Mary

:59:05. > :59:13.Keitany has broken the world record of 30 kilometres. She has beaten by

:59:14. > :59:21.two minutes. She has a world record at 30 kilometres, as we watch

:59:22. > :59:24.Tirunesh Dibaba picking up her drink, and she is not good at that

:59:25. > :59:29.either, but we are looking at an athlete that is en route for

:59:30. > :59:34.breaking the world record by two minutes, which is staggering. All I

:59:35. > :59:41.am going to say is 31.17 for the first ten, 31.08 for the second,

:59:42. > :59:46.31.44 the third ten kilometres, what will she do in the fourth? I suggest

:59:47. > :59:52.it will be well outside 33 minutes. That is still quick running, 33

:59:53. > :59:55.minutes. She is slowing, but she is not falling apart. She's looking

:59:56. > :59:58.back over her shoulder. She is not going to see anybody for a long way

:59:59. > :00:03.down the road. The other group has not yet gone through the 30

:00:04. > :00:11.kilometre marker. That is well over two minutes. That is growing and

:00:12. > :00:14.growing. I don't think she is in any danger of being caught. I can't see

:00:15. > :00:19.her fading that much. In New York, she went up far too fast and I think

:00:20. > :00:22.she learned a lesson. She had to. She had to learn she had gone out

:00:23. > :00:26.too quickly. In New York, with the respect you need to give the second

:00:27. > :00:30.half of the course, the hills in New York, this second half is, in my

:00:31. > :00:33.opinion, quicker than the first half in the London Marathon. She is

:00:34. > :00:36.holding it together. She is not showing the signs of distress that

:00:37. > :00:41.she showed when she ran that quickly the first half in New York.

:00:42. > :00:46.But she is the second fastest Tom Mercey wants to become the fastest,

:00:47. > :00:50.you can't blame her for going out aggressively, she may pay the price

:00:51. > :00:56.but she is an athlete who is allowed to run like this because she is the

:00:57. > :00:58.second fastest of all time. 78 seconds the lead over Tirunesh

:00:59. > :01:05.Dibaba at 30 kilometres. Even Tirunesh Dibaba would have been

:01:06. > :01:10.inside the old world record as well. Tirunesh Dibaba with 1:37.23 is

:01:11. > :01:16.inside the old world record for that distance. To me, she should stop

:01:17. > :01:21.looking behind, that is not where anything is happening. Keep solid,

:01:22. > :01:24.keep going strong, her cadence looks better to me than Mary Keitany, she

:01:25. > :01:29.has always been a great runner, don't know why she is looking at her

:01:30. > :01:34.watch, there is a big thing on that that says, you are going very fast,

:01:35. > :01:39.heading for a massive personal-best. Certainly at the moment Mary

:01:40. > :01:44.Keitany, if she sees the absolute world record slipping away, the

:01:45. > :01:48.women's only one is still inside for her but she still needs to get her

:01:49. > :01:54.head down and keep working hard, it is going to be tough as she enters

:01:55. > :01:59.her last seven or eight miles. The men, though, are heading towards

:02:00. > :02:03.Tower Bridge and it is as you were, Kenenisa Bekele still tucking in

:02:04. > :02:08.behind the pacemakers. Ghebreslassie, the diminutive figure

:02:09. > :02:12.in the white, Abdelkader Amri as well on the left there, the former

:02:13. > :02:22.world champion. Ghebreslassie is the current world champion. One or two

:02:23. > :02:32.others I am just looking to see, there he is, Karoki, there he is,

:02:33. > :02:37.the debutant from Kenyan also there. Plenty for Kenenisa Bekele to think

:02:38. > :02:41.about but I will say as far as he is concerned, so far, so good. So far,

:02:42. > :02:45.so good from the great Kenenisa Bekele, but some of these athletes

:02:46. > :02:48.will pay for it in the second half of the race, they have gone too

:02:49. > :02:53.quickly, you cannot run too fast unless you are a great runner, and

:02:54. > :02:56.he is, Kenenisa, he knows what he is doing, the second fastest marathon

:02:57. > :03:13.runner of all time, he wants to become the fastest today,

:03:14. > :03:17.if we cannot do it today you will probably try later in the year to do

:03:18. > :03:20.it again. Kenenisa, when running well, there is no better side in

:03:21. > :03:21.distance running. Olympic champion, world record holder, best

:03:22. > :03:25.cross-country runner the world has ever seen, he has won it all. Can he

:03:26. > :03:27.win this one? He hasn't won this one. We have seen some sites over

:03:28. > :03:32.the years in London, this one was added a few years ago, the Shard. It

:03:33. > :03:35.gives a real focal point for those on the south side as they head

:03:36. > :03:39.towards Tower Bridge because you cannot see Tower Bridge until you

:03:40. > :03:44.turn the corner and suddenly you are up on it, whereas the shard you can

:03:45. > :03:47.see from a long way away. This is one of the worst hills on the

:03:48. > :03:53.course, it does not look like it from there but Tower Bridge has

:03:54. > :03:58.quite a bit of a rise at 12 miles. And they will be experiencing that

:03:59. > :04:01.little rise but also the big crowds that start to gather, it is a

:04:02. > :04:04.favourite spot for spectating because you get the chance to see

:04:05. > :04:10.your favourite as they enter Tower Bridge coming through 12 miles and

:04:11. > :04:14.come back in the other direction. They are being cheered by these

:04:15. > :04:18.crowds, Kenenisa Bekele there settling, slowing down a little bit

:04:19. > :04:23.but still on very good pace. Yes, you talk about the rise coming over

:04:24. > :04:26.Tower Bridge, almost totally negated by the support and annoys you

:04:27. > :04:31.experience as you come over it. A bit of a drop of it, pretty fast

:04:32. > :04:35.mile as you drop a broad, you pass halfway and in your mind it is a

:04:36. > :04:39.significant marker, to pass halfway in the marathon feeling good, that

:04:40. > :04:40.is when the real racing is going to start coming through and they are

:04:41. > :04:54.racing already at this is one of those

:04:55. > :04:57.occasions where sometimes you get a lot of good guys racing together and

:04:58. > :05:00.the pace slows because everybody is watching each other, but here they

:05:01. > :05:03.are feeding off each other and this will continue to wind, though it is

:05:04. > :05:07.starting to spread out a bit, some gaps opening up, but the guy making

:05:08. > :05:10.me laugh is the fourth pacemaker who is working as hard as he can to hang

:05:11. > :05:21.on the back of that pack rather than dropping back to help the group

:05:22. > :05:28.behind. Well, they are through 20k. The Tower of London, one of the

:05:29. > :05:33.great sites of this most famous of routes. Once they are beyond Tower

:05:34. > :05:37.Bridge, they passed the halfway point, head out towards Canary

:05:38. > :05:43.Wharf, and again pretty good crowds these days through this area. 20

:05:44. > :05:48.miles is where the race often begins with the elites. Come back past

:05:49. > :05:54.Tower Bridge on to the embankment, the last two or three miles is where

:05:55. > :06:06.it can all go right and all go horribly wrong as well. Into the

:06:07. > :06:11.finish. In The Mall. Not too far away now, Mary Keitany, but that

:06:12. > :06:17.stride length looks pretty short for me. She is hurting, but she is still

:06:18. > :06:21.running incredibly past, over a wall time, even if she has slowed in the

:06:22. > :06:26.last few miles, and maybe will continue to slow, at some point that

:06:27. > :06:30.will be replaced by, hang on, I am still going well, I am still in

:06:31. > :06:35.this, still up for a personal best. One of the fastest times ever, as

:06:36. > :06:42.long as she can hold it together over the last few miles. I wonder if

:06:43. > :06:46.she is getting enough information on the course? There will be

:06:47. > :06:50.information on the lead car but I wonder if she is getting information

:06:51. > :06:56.from her team that she needs, she looks OK for the moment. Here is

:06:57. > :07:00.Tirunesh Dibaba in second place, chasing Mary Keitany now. She looks

:07:01. > :07:03.as though she is running comfortably, I am glad she has

:07:04. > :07:08.stopped looking over her shoulder and weaving from side to side but I

:07:09. > :07:13.hope she gets her drinks better organised because in the last stages

:07:14. > :07:17.rehydration is extremely important. But Tirunesh Dibaba the greatest

:07:18. > :07:23.female Olympian of all time, three times Olympic champion, nobody has

:07:24. > :07:27.ever done more than that in the world of female athletics and this

:07:28. > :07:33.lady is to risk the runner, this is only her second marathon, she was

:07:34. > :07:37.third last year, at the moment she is second, she will eventually win

:07:38. > :07:41.one, she is such a good athlete, but she says she is not giving up on the

:07:42. > :07:46.track, she will be back on the track, but here she is on the road.

:07:47. > :07:52.The marathon she ran a few years ago, 2.20, she is well inside that

:07:53. > :08:03.so she will be happy. Great site of the great athlete that is Tirunesh

:08:04. > :08:08.Dibaba. Mary Keitany's mile there was 5.20, her slowest of the race.

:08:09. > :08:11.If she goes to much lower than that then certainly Tirunesh Dibaba will

:08:12. > :08:17.start to, if she keeps going at the pay she is going, will cut into the

:08:18. > :08:21.lead a bit, but it is a big Read, over a minute, still the hard miles

:08:22. > :08:26.to go, there you can see in the distance Saint Catherine's. On the

:08:27. > :08:34.left, where the athletes' hotel is as well -- said Catherine's dock.

:08:35. > :08:42.They will eventually get onto the embankment. Making their way a

:08:43. > :08:48.little more so really, back at Cutty Sark, the 40,000 who, in many ways,

:08:49. > :08:52.the elite athletes get the headlines but in many ways it is, as ever, all

:08:53. > :08:57.these big marathons and races around the world, it is these thousands of

:08:58. > :09:02.people taking part who produced the spectacle of the events. And, wow,

:09:03. > :09:07.how about that for a high five, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge found

:09:08. > :09:11.a good spot there to cheer all of these people, so many running for

:09:12. > :09:16.the Heads Together campaign, many wearing their headbands. And look at

:09:17. > :09:22.this, the sunshine comes out to welcome them and help them on their

:09:23. > :09:27.way will stop all your messages, keep sending them in, commerce

:09:28. > :09:30.rolling across at the bottom. Once the elite race has finished we will

:09:31. > :09:34.concentrate more on some of those stories as well, so stay with us all

:09:35. > :09:48.the way through until 3pm this afternoon. Look, it is chapters! --

:09:49. > :09:51.it is Chappers! He is meant to be presenting Match Of The Day to, what

:09:52. > :09:58.time does it start?! He has plenty of time. He looks like he is going

:09:59. > :10:04.OK, he is enjoying it, I think. I tell you what, in much of the day

:10:05. > :10:16.they often use lots of good slow motion, they don't need it for

:10:17. > :10:21.Chappers! One or two for me to shout out to, Jess running for British

:10:22. > :10:26.Heart Foundation, her first marathon, in memory of her dad, good

:10:27. > :10:33.luck to her. Some others, first timers for British Heart Foundation,

:10:34. > :10:37.Amelia and Lucy. They have volunteered in the past. We should

:10:38. > :10:41.say a word for the volunteers as well, thousands of people taking

:10:42. > :10:45.part but also thousands of people give up their time and energy to

:10:46. > :10:49.make sure that these folks have a good and safe day, so important that

:10:50. > :10:53.so many other people give up their time to hand out water, giving

:10:54. > :10:59.massage afterwards, the cheering points for the charities, probably

:11:00. > :11:05.more than the 40,000 who actually take part. I think we are looking at

:11:06. > :11:08.a slight change in the mens rea is. We had Kenenisa Bekele pestering the

:11:09. > :11:15.pacemakers and suddenly in the last half a mile it has changed, the

:11:16. > :11:21.Olympic champion and world has suddenly drifted to the back of the

:11:22. > :11:26.field, I am looking to see if he is waiting to get a drink on board, but

:11:27. > :11:29.now we have got a change. There is a group and instead of being at the

:11:30. > :11:35.front of the group, Kenenisa Bekele is just faded away at the back. That

:11:36. > :11:40.is a shock, a bit of a surprise for all as we look at his team-mate,

:11:41. > :11:46.Lilesa, and suddenly in the course of a couple of hundred metres, the

:11:47. > :11:50.great one is no longer in the favoured position, he has run at

:11:51. > :11:54.world record pace for half the distance, is he going to struggle

:11:55. > :11:57.for the next half of the race? It looks to me though he is going

:11:58. > :12:02.through a really bad patch, can he recover from this? Can he get back

:12:03. > :12:06.into the lead group? I thought he might have been stepping down at 40

:12:07. > :12:10.miles to get a drink on board but it does not look like that, so the

:12:11. > :12:16.pacemakers are keeping going, pushing it along, and the great

:12:17. > :12:23.athlete from Ethiopian who was always looking like he was up arace,

:12:24. > :12:27.always looking as though the favourite tacky had beforehand, if

:12:28. > :12:32.we can get a little bit closer to the Kenenisa Bekele as he comes

:12:33. > :12:38.round that corner, at the back of the group, rather than, as he was,

:12:39. > :12:43.at the brunt of the group, Kenenisa Bekele working hard with just a few

:12:44. > :12:55.yards opening two lilies are, in the orange vest -- Lilesa. He did a

:12:56. > :12:58.salute to his people, there was real political unrest in Ethiopia, he has

:12:59. > :13:02.emigrated to the United States because of the trouble he was

:13:03. > :13:08.getting in. His team-mate today, Kenenisa Bekele, world record

:13:09. > :13:11.holder, well, is he going to be amongst them or have we seen all we

:13:12. > :13:21.are going to see off Kelinni said today? British athlete to world a

:13:22. > :13:29.looks like he is fading. -- Tsegai Tewelde. But what is happening with

:13:30. > :13:35.Kenenisa Bekele? He did this last year, went off really hard, we were

:13:36. > :13:39.told his preparations had not gone as well as they might, he has gone

:13:40. > :13:46.off quickly again today but I can tell you that he has now been caught

:13:47. > :13:53.by Andy Lemoncello, who may well be the best place to finish as the top

:13:54. > :13:56.British athlete, going well, the Scot. The Scots of course doing so

:13:57. > :14:03.well in distance running at the moment. We will keep you up-to-date,

:14:04. > :14:10.or try to, with the men's, the British men's challenge, but the

:14:11. > :14:13.Kayleigh has got himself back in here, Ghebreslassie is alongside

:14:14. > :14:17.him, the world champion in the white, but bikini is now working his

:14:18. > :14:22.way back in. Sometimes you go through a bad patch, the pace is

:14:23. > :14:25.broken up, if you like, he would not want to be where he is, he would

:14:26. > :14:32.want to be at the front of this group. Kenenisa Bekele has not

:14:33. > :14:35.completely gone. When he dropped back, he was hanged in his arms

:14:36. > :14:40.straight by the side of him like he was trying to shake out a stitch, a

:14:41. > :14:44.shoulder stitch, something not feeling right, but also every single

:14:45. > :14:48.one of particularly the Ethiopian runners looked back at what had

:14:49. > :14:55.happened, so he could be playing mind games with them a little bit.

:14:56. > :14:58.What will be others do? I am not saying he has done that, because he

:14:59. > :15:02.looks as though he is in a bit of difficulty and is working hard, but

:15:03. > :15:07.it looks as though he is getting through that difficult patch.

:15:08. > :15:17.You're right, you can go through a bad patch and come back. But he will

:15:18. > :15:27.really want to be appear. -- up here.

:15:28. > :15:39.The pacemakers, doing their job here. It is Lilesa that is hanging

:15:40. > :15:46.onto them, with them. Another Kenyan, Daniel Wanjiru. Still in

:15:47. > :15:49.touch, hanging on for the time being. That is the best way I can

:15:50. > :15:56.describe it, it is about just hanging on. Apart from the last

:15:57. > :16:01.three weeks, when we are told he had a few problems, his preparation had

:16:02. > :16:06.been going well. Ready to run fast. A lot of talk about world record

:16:07. > :16:10.pace, a world record challenge. Nobody really thought any of these

:16:11. > :16:14.guys were capable of running 2.3, it was only Bekele in the field capable

:16:15. > :16:22.of that. But they are running very quick, and forcing it on. Meanwhile,

:16:23. > :16:28.Mary Keitany, all on her own, and has been since basically Maehl

:16:29. > :16:36.three. Just gone through 35: it is. -- mile

:16:37. > :16:45.She just has to keep slowing against that schedule at this point. The

:16:46. > :16:53.question is, can she hang on to run under 2.17? The very least she would

:16:54. > :16:59.want is the women only world-record. The predicted time for her at the

:17:00. > :17:06.moment is 2:15.48. I suspect she is going to be a fair bit slower.

:17:07. > :17:11.Tirunesh Dibaba has not really made much ground. She has picked up a few

:17:12. > :17:16.seconds, but not much. She is already the second fastest female

:17:17. > :17:20.marathon runner. It looks to me like she will end the day still the

:17:21. > :17:23.second fastest female marathon runner. She might actually run a

:17:24. > :17:27.personal best time. She might run a Kenyan record. She might run a

:17:28. > :17:32.women's only world-record, as we look at the athlete that has held

:17:33. > :17:36.the world records on the track for 5000 metres, won Olympic medals in

:17:37. > :17:44.5000 and 10,000 metres, slowly coming to terms with marathon. A two

:17:45. > :17:47.our 20 minutes run in her only other marathon. She is on schedule to run

:17:48. > :17:53.what could be the third fastest female distance runner marathon of

:17:54. > :17:56.all time. She has a little bit to learn in the marathon. She has to

:17:57. > :18:03.learn about taking drinks on-board, about discipline, looking over her

:18:04. > :18:07.shoulder and unbalancing herself. She is such a great runner, such a

:18:08. > :18:13.class runner in every sense. The leader, Mary Keitany, set off so

:18:14. > :18:18.aggressively, faster in the first half than any female has ever done

:18:19. > :18:22.before. Six kilometres from the finish. She is well within sight, in

:18:23. > :18:39.her mind, of the finish, and the traditional sight of this great

:18:40. > :18:43.distance runner, Tirunesh Dibaba. Keitany is a road runner, though.

:18:44. > :18:49.That is the point where they come from Tower Bridge, Mary Keitany

:18:50. > :18:53.heading in the other direction, dropping down to the embankment.

:18:54. > :18:56.When we have the World Championships in London in the summer, this will

:18:57. > :19:01.be the start and finish of the World Championship marathon. Mary Keitany

:19:02. > :19:06.has said she wants to be here for that. I am coming to London to run

:19:07. > :19:11.in a World Championship. There is British selection and also Kenyan

:19:12. > :19:14.and Ethiopian selection, apart from anything else going on today. We

:19:15. > :19:19.might be seeing her back here in the summer. She had a very disappointing

:19:20. > :19:26.Olympic Games in 2012, having run so well in the London Marathon. We have

:19:27. > :19:34.the different IPC categories, still running up there. Derek Gray that

:19:35. > :19:51.she is running past. He is in fourth place, with the run in front of him,

:19:52. > :19:55.Da Silva. It might just help her as well, these athletes ahead, it gives

:19:56. > :20:01.you targets, people to work towards. Mary Keitany, getting great support,

:20:02. > :20:07.both of them. The crowds will build as they come down the embankment.

:20:08. > :20:10.These are tough miles. Not so much in terms of being at the point in

:20:11. > :20:14.the race, she is committed, going for the time, she is running the

:20:15. > :20:16.slowest she has been running in the race, it is hard work. She is not

:20:17. > :20:28.that far behind Tirunesh Dibaba. If you contrast the styles, they are

:20:29. > :20:40.two different styles anyway, Tirunesh Dibaba will bring her seal

:20:41. > :20:49.of -- heel but much closer to her bum. Mary Keitany's her last mile,

:20:50. > :20:52.it shows that she is tiring. But this will give her something to

:20:53. > :20:56.focus on. At this stage, you are getting a lot of support. What you

:20:57. > :20:59.need to try to do is just stay in the moment. We have said that so

:21:00. > :21:02.many times to people over the last couple of days, they have asked me

:21:03. > :21:05.what they need to do when it gets really tough. You just need to think

:21:06. > :21:09.about putting one foot in front of the other. You don't need to think,

:21:10. > :21:15.I've got 3.3 miles to go, further back down, there are guys going

:21:16. > :21:18.around the Isle of Dogs, I am only half way, you just think about one

:21:19. > :21:21.foot in front of the other. Just think about that. That is what she

:21:22. > :21:26.is doing now. It helps, having somebody up the road to focus on. It

:21:27. > :21:30.helps having landmarks to pick out. I have a red telephone box, and

:21:31. > :21:35.there are a lot of those along the last bit, there is one in particular

:21:36. > :21:39.that signifies a mile to go. We picked that out before we even ran

:21:40. > :21:42.the race. I used to look for that as I ran along the embankment. It is

:21:43. > :21:51.easier now, because the millennium wheel is opposite. At Big Ben, 1200

:21:52. > :21:57.metres to go, all of that helps keep them going. Then they go through the

:21:58. > :22:01.mini marathon start run. Some kids starting on their journey, their

:22:02. > :22:04.future in running. They will come back and walked down the course and

:22:05. > :22:07.see some of the racing going on behind. Hopefully it will grow from

:22:08. > :22:12.there into some great marathon runners in future. That is at the

:22:13. > :22:16.front of the women's race. The British battle at the moment is

:22:17. > :22:20.still being won by Aly Dixon, still running strong, beyond two hours.

:22:21. > :22:25.Charlotte Perdue, we think she is a little bit further back, maybe 30

:22:26. > :22:31.seconds. I am just trying to look into the distance, that could be a

:22:32. > :22:35.real scrap for the two them. Jo Pavey was in fourth, Tracy Barlow

:22:36. > :22:45.holding onto the third position. We will get a split through 35 K

:22:46. > :22:51.shortly. Some of the faster athletes went off to quit. We are waiting for

:22:52. > :23:01.her to go through. We could see a personal best, I think that was set

:23:02. > :23:05.in Berlin. Much of that race was on 2.27 pace. She slowed a little, she

:23:06. > :23:10.is still heading for something between 2.28 and 2.29, still a

:23:11. > :23:14.personal best. Is that Charlotte Perdue in the background? Maybe only

:23:15. > :23:22.ten or 15 seconds behind. I counted her through, 16 seconds as they came

:23:23. > :23:26.past the pedestrian crossing, so she is closing in. That might help her,

:23:27. > :23:35.as Charlotte comes along. They will be able to work together and Kedar

:23:36. > :23:41.Jadhav going. Is that Andrea Deelstra, running with her? Those

:23:42. > :23:46.two have hurt in their sights. She's running into personal best

:23:47. > :23:53.territory, she knows she is in shape to do that. She didn't manage to

:23:54. > :23:59.pick up her bottle, hopefully that will not throw her off her stride.

:24:00. > :24:04.She will grab water or Lucozade as she gets into the next feed station.

:24:05. > :24:08.She will see these guys in front of her that she can work her way

:24:09. > :24:12.through. She will have these targets of the girls that have gone off too

:24:13. > :24:20.fast in this race ahead of her to work on. A great race to keep our

:24:21. > :24:25.eye on. It might come to a head in the last few miles. In terms of

:24:26. > :24:30.British selection, those are the targets. Mary Keitany, tired,

:24:31. > :24:37.working hard. We have to make sure she concentrates, the previous mile

:24:38. > :24:42.was slower by a good ten seconds. 5.29. Tirunesh Dibaba is not so far

:24:43. > :24:45.behind any more. But does she have time to catch her? What will they

:24:46. > :24:53.both end up with in terms of a finishing time? The official record

:24:54. > :25:03.for a women's only race, it is going to be close. In the men's? A shock

:25:04. > :25:11.change in position. The world-record holder, in the 5000 and 10,000

:25:12. > :25:23.metres, as you at the lead group, Daniel ten is there, Lilesa. --

:25:24. > :25:29.Daniel Wanjiru. You were right, he is in amongst it. Down the road, the

:25:30. > :25:34.two-time world record-holder, 5000 and 10,000 metres, the man that was

:25:35. > :25:39.trying today to run a halfway world-record place. Kenenisa Bekele

:25:40. > :25:42.really struggling now. He came to London to try to win this one. The

:25:43. > :25:50.second fastest marathon runner of all time. A lonely battle, on his

:25:51. > :25:54.own. He wanted to break a world record, but that is not on today. He

:25:55. > :25:59.at least once a decent position. That is going to be under threat. He

:26:00. > :26:03.is working hard. He set off so confidently. He was amongst the

:26:04. > :26:09.pacemakers. He kept it going, did everything he could. He told us, he

:26:10. > :26:12.is up for the race today. His performance in the second half is

:26:13. > :26:16.falling away. When you miss a bit of training, which he has done in the

:26:17. > :26:20.last three weeks, even the great one can't do the job. Kenenisa Bekele is

:26:21. > :26:29.working so hard, struggling for the moment. His countryman, Lilesa, the

:26:30. > :26:36.Olympic silver medallist, Wanjiru, of Kenya. It is now the four of

:26:37. > :26:40.them. It is not going to be a world record in the men's race today. But

:26:41. > :26:46.we are still looking at a great race. This uphill section, coming

:26:47. > :26:56.through the tunnels around Blackfriars, Mary Keitany knows it

:26:57. > :27:01.is not too far from here. She's into the last 5 K. The sweep of the River

:27:02. > :27:12.Thames taking towards Big Ben. Has she got a bit of a stitch? Tirunesh

:27:13. > :27:15.Dibaba was making inroads, has she got stomach problems? Yes, I think

:27:16. > :27:22.she has stomach cramps. That is a shame. I don't think she was that

:27:23. > :27:27.far behind. We have just seen Mary Keitany come up the hill. That would

:27:28. > :27:31.have only been 30 seconds ago. Is it falling apart for Tirunesh Dibaba?

:27:32. > :27:35.The two them were heading for the fastest times ever in the marathon.

:27:36. > :27:42.She is slowing almost to a walk. I keep saying this, it is the last two

:27:43. > :27:47.or three miles. That is a shame. She is really labouring. Is she going to

:27:48. > :27:53.be able to keep going? She is taking drinks on-board. Maybe that upset

:27:54. > :28:02.her stomach. She was going strongly, running powerfully. She comes to a

:28:03. > :28:07.standstill. The great one, Tirunesh Dibaba, walking along the

:28:08. > :28:12.embankment, trying to walk. Really struggling, really suffering. She

:28:13. > :28:15.can't have any assistance. She is going to go to the side and maybe

:28:16. > :28:25.get a drink, she might need a drink of water. She is almost sick, but

:28:26. > :28:30.she is running down the road. Whatever it is she is coughing up.

:28:31. > :28:33.You are trying to be polite. Love, she is running again. Obviously a

:28:34. > :28:43.stomach cramp. As you were watching that, by

:28:44. > :28:51.contrast, Keitany seems to have picked up again. She has run 5.26,

:28:52. > :28:56.5.29, slowing down, working hard. I think she is realising she is nearly

:28:57. > :28:59.there. I am not going to run as fast as I set out to, surely that must

:29:00. > :29:03.have been some sort of game plan, she was going so fast. She is

:29:04. > :29:07.hanging in, hanging on. Still heading for a very, very quick time.

:29:08. > :29:16.She will be approaching me 40 kilometre point. That point, just

:29:17. > :29:20.over 2 K to go. She will not be looking for Paula's phone box, but

:29:21. > :29:26.she will be clocking off each mile, even a half mile. I think she will

:29:27. > :29:30.be following the kilometres, I have not told her about my phone box,

:29:31. > :29:35.that is my secret! I have only told a few people watching today and over

:29:36. > :29:42.the last four years. She will know the course. She has run it a few

:29:43. > :29:45.times. She has a personal best year. She will also see the big arches and

:29:46. > :29:49.she will know what that means when she goes through the 40 K, which

:29:50. > :29:53.must be coming up sometime around now, if she has not already gone

:29:54. > :30:00.through it. It has not come up on our screens as her going through it.

:30:01. > :30:05.Tirunesh Dibaba, when you take on fluids, and they need to to get

:30:06. > :30:08.energy into them, then a little bit of a slope down and back up, it can

:30:09. > :30:14.sometimes be enough to shake it all up inside your tummy, blood is

:30:15. > :30:18.already being sent everywhere else. A lot of people get serious stomach

:30:19. > :30:23.discomfort in the last couple of miles. It was hard to see her going

:30:24. > :30:26.through that. She has managed to get going again. I am looking at her on

:30:27. > :30:29.my screen in a different shot, further down. Seems to be going to

:30:30. > :30:33.the same stomach spasms again. Hopefully she can get through and

:30:34. > :30:38.keep going. She has a big buffer behind her. But she was starting to

:30:39. > :30:39.make significant inroads upon Mary Keitany, who now seems to be pulling

:30:40. > :30:51.away. 40 kilometres, 2:09.38, she has

:30:52. > :30:57.picked things up a bit and is still heading for something inside 2.17,

:30:58. > :31:00.and that world record of 2:17.42 for women is only racing is certainly in

:31:01. > :31:07.site now and unless she completely falls apart in the last mile, 2.17

:31:08. > :31:11.clocking or thereabouts could be hers. News, quickly, from the

:31:12. > :31:17.British fans, we think Jo Pavey dropped out at about 60 miles, we

:31:18. > :31:20.will try to confirm that for you. Aly Dixon and Charlotte Purdue

:31:21. > :31:25.chasing, trying to get into the top ten, further down the road. But it

:31:26. > :31:30.is now about Mary Keitany, how fast can she go here? She is heading

:31:31. > :31:35.toward a personal best, she has already -- she is already the second

:31:36. > :31:41.quickest ever at marathon distance but could yet run the quickest ever

:31:42. > :31:46.marathon in a women's only race. I think Paula should explain the world

:31:47. > :31:52.record of 2.15 and the women's only world record of 2.17. I don't think

:31:53. > :31:56.people will understand, when she crosses the line and they say world

:31:57. > :32:01.record, can you explain to the public what that is about? When they

:32:02. > :32:05.started out racing the big city marathons, the women went off with

:32:06. > :32:11.the men and a couple of them stayed with that, the majority of them, New

:32:12. > :32:16.York, and London in particular, and Boston, went on to make women's only

:32:17. > :32:20.starts, so you run without any assistance from other males running

:32:21. > :32:24.around you, you cannot race the men, in effect, so when I broke my first

:32:25. > :32:29.world record in Chicago it was a mixed race, mixed start, we ran with

:32:30. > :32:35.them at around 2.17, but it was mixed. The improved the world record

:32:36. > :32:42.in London I had two Kenyan males who ran with me and I was trying to race

:32:43. > :32:46.them, but, yes, essentially it was a mixed race because they were in the

:32:47. > :32:52.race with me. In 2005 when I ran I was, I have no other pacemakers,

:32:53. > :32:56.some women running with me until about five miles and then I was on

:32:57. > :33:00.my own from there, and that is what Mary Keitany have had today, some

:33:01. > :33:08.assistance from pacemakers through half wake but then she has been on

:33:09. > :33:14.her own. Well, and then, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Bridge, the

:33:15. > :33:20.scene of such tragedy not that long ago, and today the crowds here to

:33:21. > :33:25.cheer on one of the most inspiring sites in world sport, the winners of

:33:26. > :33:29.the London Marathon. This is your winning here, Mary Keitany, heading

:33:30. > :33:33.towards, as Paula has been trying to explain, what could well be the

:33:34. > :33:38.quickest marathon ever run by a woman in a women's only race,

:33:39. > :33:44.without that assistance border was talking about. It has been an

:33:45. > :33:49.incredible performance, she went out so hard, crazy, crazy pace, and she

:33:50. > :33:55.could have completely fallen apart, as many have behind her, many big

:33:56. > :33:58.names behind her, a long way behind her. Tirunesh Dibaba at one point

:33:59. > :34:03.looked like she could eat into the lead, as close as about 40 seconds,

:34:04. > :34:07.that has now extended again to about 70 seconds because she had to stop

:34:08. > :34:16.because of stomach cramps. She is now back running strongly cannot

:34:17. > :34:19.catch Mary Keitany, despite the surge she is trying to put in. She

:34:20. > :34:23.now heads into bird cage Walk, having come through Parliament

:34:24. > :34:30.Square, around the Westminster area where so many people are watching.

:34:31. > :34:35.The line of trees that heads down towards Buckingham Palace, one

:34:36. > :34:40.bright turn, then the monument ahead of them, usually glinting in the

:34:41. > :34:47.sunshine, then another turn into the home straight. One kilometre to go

:34:48. > :34:53.for Mary Keitany of tenure. Can she be only the second athlete to run in

:34:54. > :34:57.two hours and 17 minutes? It will be close, she has recovered from that

:34:58. > :35:02.exuberant start, she went through the first part in the 66th and 53

:35:03. > :35:06.seconds, the fastest time a woman has ever run the first half of the

:35:07. > :35:10.marathon. She paid for that bit, she was the second fastest female of all

:35:11. > :35:14.time going into the race and looks as though she will stay as the

:35:15. > :35:20.second fastest female marathon runner of all time behind Paula, who

:35:21. > :35:23.is sitting alongside us, but she could be running a women's only

:35:24. > :35:28.world record, she could be running the only other athlete to run under

:35:29. > :35:32.2.17. It will be close, less than a kilometre to go, she looks strong

:35:33. > :35:37.now, haven't got the last few points but she now knows victory is in

:35:38. > :35:41.sight, personal best insight, Kenyan record inside, women's only world

:35:42. > :35:47.record probably in sight, so the young lady from Kenya who has had

:35:48. > :35:51.disappointments in the marathons in the past, she was not able to run in

:35:52. > :35:55.the Olympics last year, but there you go, 600 metres to go, a very

:35:56. > :36:05.welcome sign for the canyon. Well done so far. So, Mary Keitany, for

:36:06. > :36:10.the past few years, has probably, I put that in inverted commas,

:36:11. > :36:13.probably the world's best marathon runners, just that she has not been

:36:14. > :36:17.able to win the Olympic games. She ran here in London and found out

:36:18. > :36:21.later during the race that she was in the early stages of pregnancy,

:36:22. > :36:27.obviously an explanation as to why she did not go so well, but she

:36:28. > :36:35.picked it up again here, 4.53 for that last mile to 26, and of course

:36:36. > :36:38.now she has the .2 to go and Mary Keitany heading towards not only a

:36:39. > :36:45.personal best for herself but she will join Paula Radcliffe in running

:36:46. > :36:50.not only sub 2.18, only Paula had done that before on a few occasions,

:36:51. > :36:53.Mary Keitany had not been able to, she was the second fastest of all

:36:54. > :36:59.time before today but now heading for a time which perhaps is going to

:37:00. > :37:04.get her under 2.17, she will be very close to that. She needs to make one

:37:05. > :37:09.more turn and then she will see the finish line. She has won the London

:37:10. > :37:15.Marathon on two occasions before, but not like this, not this fast,

:37:16. > :37:23.not this good, not this dominant. Mary Keitany of Kenya can now sense

:37:24. > :37:31.that history awaits for her. The Cheers greet this great Kenya and

:37:32. > :37:34.runner, 35 years of age, looks a couple of meters ahead, she will see

:37:35. > :37:38.the clock ticking away, she will realise she is heading for something

:37:39. > :37:45.special, heading the something great. What will be her finish time?

:37:46. > :37:49.All on her own. She has been out in front since the first few miles, set

:37:50. > :37:56.out her stall, ran incredibly quick, the fastest ever half marathon,

:37:57. > :38:00.broke the world record for 30 kilometres, and now, heading towards

:38:01. > :38:07.a world record for the women's only marathon, Mary Keitany of Kenya.

:38:08. > :38:13.Just on 2.17, the official time we will have to wait for, but we can

:38:14. > :38:16.say that she has broken that record, broken her personal best, she is

:38:17. > :38:25.still the second fastest in history but, goodness me, what a performance

:38:26. > :38:32.from her today. A performance of ambition and a performance of

:38:33. > :38:37.strength, not only physically but mentally. Those 12 miles at the end,

:38:38. > :38:42.and here comes Tirunesh Dibaba, she will rise up the all-time rankings,

:38:43. > :38:46.heading for, she will hope, the third fastest marathon runner of

:38:47. > :38:54.all-time. She will break her own team-mate's Ethiopian record.

:38:55. > :39:01.Tirunesh Dibaba finishing like the great track athlete we remember her

:39:02. > :39:07.as, sprinting to the line, under 2.18. Tirunesh Dibaba takes a

:39:08. > :39:14.massive leap forward in her marathon career, second in London and the

:39:15. > :39:17.third fastest of all time. Brilliant run from her, despite the stomach

:39:18. > :39:21.cramps in those last two or three miles when it looked, just for a

:39:22. > :39:26.short while, as though she maybe, just maybe, could catch Mary

:39:27. > :39:31.Keitany, but Keitany rallied, Dibaba was bent double for a short time but

:39:32. > :39:42.recovered and has been rewarded with a brilliant performance. History

:39:43. > :39:50.being made in London 20s and Dean, -- London 2017, Mary Keitany, the

:39:51. > :39:55.brilliant, brilliant, diminutive Kenyan, rewarded for such dominant

:39:56. > :40:00.running in the early stages. There is your top two, and they have

:40:01. > :40:04.really pulled this race apart, there are so many great athletes who have

:40:05. > :40:07.suffered behind, including Vivian Cheruiyot, in her first-ever

:40:08. > :40:12.marathon, not able to stay with this. But who is winning the British

:40:13. > :40:17.race? Who will be the first British athlete to cross the line? For so

:40:18. > :40:25.long it has been Aly Dixon, the Sunderland stroller, the Olympian

:40:26. > :40:28.from Rio, 38 years of age, she set out her stall so early today, web

:40:29. > :40:31.hard early on, but behind her Charlotte Purdue, the youngest of

:40:32. > :40:36.our contenders, still in the early stages of her marathon career, she

:40:37. > :40:41.has been agonisingly close for the last six or seven miles to Aly Dixon

:40:42. > :40:46.and the gap is closing by about one second every kilometre. It is now

:40:47. > :40:51.down to about seven or eight seconds, and, Paula, this is a great

:40:52. > :40:54.scrap, these two will definitely be coming back for the World

:40:55. > :40:58.Championships in London, there is a good competition behind them with

:40:59. > :41:02.Tracy Barlow, I think, still holding that third spot. I mentioned earlier

:41:03. > :41:08.Jo Pavey hat to sadly dropout but who will win between these two?

:41:09. > :41:12.Great battle between them, new generation chasing down the old,

:41:13. > :41:19.Charlotte Purdue working hard to chase down Aly Dixon, they are both

:41:20. > :41:22.going to run big PBs, hopefully, but more than that I think they have the

:41:23. > :41:26.lure of being the first British athlete to cross the line and with

:41:27. > :41:29.that comes the pride of coming back and competing in a World

:41:30. > :41:33.Championships, representing Great Britain on home soil. Nothing can

:41:34. > :41:38.really beat that, to be able to do that on the streets of London is a

:41:39. > :41:42.very special experience, to run as a British athlete anywhere in the

:41:43. > :41:46.London Marathon but to do it in an Olympic Games or World Championships

:41:47. > :41:50.is extremely special. She missed out on selection last year, ran the

:41:51. > :41:55.qualifying time for the British team, had a tougher qualifying time

:41:56. > :41:58.than the IAAF had set so was not selected, rather controversially,

:41:59. > :42:01.some thought will stop she was in floods of tears in the tent

:42:02. > :42:05.afterwards. Whatever happens here, whether she catches Aly Dixon or

:42:06. > :42:09.not, the two of there will be going and it is just a question of who

:42:10. > :42:13.will get the third spot, Tracy Barlow, she is a great story in

:42:14. > :42:19.herself, she won the mass race last year, six years ago was well outside

:42:20. > :42:22.three years, now becoming a world-class marathon runner herself.

:42:23. > :42:29.She could be heading for the World Championship selection. I know

:42:30. > :42:32.Charlie's mum is here, she brought chicken and rice with broccoli that

:42:33. > :42:38.she cooked at home to make sure she got a good meal before she set off

:42:39. > :42:43.on today's quest. Run very well, heading for a PB, will she catch Aly

:42:44. > :42:53.Dixon? That is what mothers do. Third coming in, less than 400

:42:54. > :42:59.metres to go. It looks like Mergia, the Ethiopian athlete, who found

:43:00. > :43:07.herself the victor in the London Marathon a few years ago, but she

:43:08. > :43:12.has had a long, hard road, 2.22 on the clock. We have seen some

:43:13. > :43:17.outstanding performances, the second and third fastest women of all time

:43:18. > :43:25.today, we have seen a women's only world record and a third place the

:43:26. > :43:32.Ethiopian. On Saint Georges day, St George also the patron saint of

:43:33. > :43:37.Ethiopian, so second base and third place on Saint Georges day and I

:43:38. > :43:42.know that because I have just been reminded that the best beer in

:43:43. > :43:50.Ethiopian is St George's beer, named after the patron saint. I wouldn't

:43:51. > :43:53.know anything about Beer! I said the performance of Keitany and Dibaba

:43:54. > :43:57.pulled apart this brilliant women's race, some great runners have

:43:58. > :44:03.struggled and it has meant that the likes of Lisa Weightman of Australia

:44:04. > :44:09.moved into the top six, those who set out at 2.24 pace from the start

:44:10. > :44:13.have moved through the field. Aly Dixon and Charlie Perdue have moved

:44:14. > :44:17.through the field as well, so 2.23 for the third athlete to cross the

:44:18. > :44:21.line, she is very, very tired, Mergia, and needs a bit of help

:44:22. > :44:28.there. Well done to her for hanging on. And there are some very tired

:44:29. > :44:33.legs out there. We will keep an eye on the Aly Dixon Charlie Perdue race

:44:34. > :44:42.but meanwhile, in the men, former two-time world champion Abdelkader

:44:43. > :44:49.Amri with Daniel when Jimmy -- world champion Abdelkader Amri. This has

:44:50. > :44:54.been an up and down race, Paula. The pace has been up and down, no

:44:55. > :45:01.Kenenisa Bekele to contest this, as far as we know he is still running

:45:02. > :45:06.strongly, not that far off this, you know. Eight seconds, seven seconds?

:45:07. > :45:10.It is not over. It is not over at all and he looks better than he did

:45:11. > :45:15.the last time we saw him, when he looked like he was struggling to

:45:16. > :45:20.maintain his form, to maintain his pace. Certainly from behind he looks

:45:21. > :45:23.like there is more balanced, more control, but still a frown of

:45:24. > :45:27.concentration on his face, but he does not look as if he is in as much

:45:28. > :45:31.difficulty as I would have said the last time we saw him. Back at the

:45:32. > :45:38.front, Abel Kirui, I remember when he first entered the marathon, he

:45:39. > :45:40.said, I'm not that bothered about the prize money but if I win it can

:45:41. > :45:55.I go up in a space rocket?! That was interesting, three or four

:45:56. > :46:07.miles ago it looked as if Kenenisa Bekele was out of it. Ran earlier in

:46:08. > :46:13.the year, did not run very well in the marathon, Abel Kirui running

:46:14. > :46:19.really well. Again, the gaps and that they are not huge by marathon

:46:20. > :46:24.distance standards, one hour 40, just over 20 minutes of running left

:46:25. > :46:31.and the race now is certainly on, who is going to win this one? Is

:46:32. > :46:36.this a winning break from Wanjiru? Kenenisa Bekele in force now, he's

:46:37. > :46:41.gone through a bad patch, I had written him off earlier. It would be

:46:42. > :46:50.wonderful if the great man could come through quickly. There is

:46:51. > :46:54.Wanjiru, and as he turned the corner, here comes Kenenisa Bekele

:46:55. > :46:59.with a new spring in his step. He has worked hard and is applying

:47:00. > :47:05.himself, sometimes in races he can switch off and throw it away, but

:47:06. > :47:10.there he has got the site of the leader. He is looking down the road.

:47:11. > :47:20.He sees the leader, Wanjiru ahead of him. He can also see Abel Kirui.

:47:21. > :47:33.Fourth place, are we going to see a startling change? Today is about

:47:34. > :47:42.this race, in the men's race as far as Britain is concerned, Jonny

:47:43. > :47:45.Mellor having a great run. In the women it is Aly Dixon, she finished

:47:46. > :47:51.ahead of Sagna Samual 's last year in the Olympic trial, effectively

:47:52. > :47:55.this is the trial for the big championships, it was the Olympics

:47:56. > :47:58.last year, the chance to run for Great Britain in front of a home

:47:59. > :48:05.crowd in London in August in the World Championships, the Sunderland

:48:06. > :48:10.stroller, 38 years old, trying to hang on, trying to hold off

:48:11. > :48:20.Charlotte Purdue who has been trying her best to catch Aly but has not

:48:21. > :48:25.been able to make inroads, picked up a couple of seconds but no more than

:48:26. > :48:33.that. Aly you know her well, I know her well, her family is here, the

:48:34. > :48:40.whole of the north-east will loving this, she is a tough cookie. She is,

:48:41. > :48:46.and I do know her well, she is trying to get everything she can out

:48:47. > :48:52.of her legs and she will know that Charlie is closing on her and how

:48:53. > :49:01.tantalisingly close she is to her PB. Now she is going to be around

:49:02. > :49:15.the 2.29, her personal best is 2:29.30 or thereabouts. Charlotte

:49:16. > :49:18.has been tantalisingly close to Aly The significant extra distance added

:49:19. > :49:24.onto the marathon all those years ago, one more turn, then she will

:49:25. > :49:30.see the finishing gantry and she will be aware she can beat her

:49:31. > :49:37.personal best but she also wants to be the first British runner home.

:49:38. > :49:41.Aly Dixon of Sunderland, last year to gain selection for the Olympic

:49:42. > :49:49.Games and she was so pleased, she will now have our eyes on the clock

:49:50. > :49:53.ahead of her. Her personal best is 2:29.30 and I think she is going to

:49:54. > :50:05.break that. The last few metres, Charlotte Purdue is looking at a sub

:50:06. > :50:10.2.3 zero. Aly Dixon might be a bit emotional, there is the smile, she

:50:11. > :50:18.does her trademark finish. Personal best, 12th place I think, and what a

:50:19. > :50:23.run from Charlotte Purdue. Still learning the marathon, she is going

:50:24. > :50:31.to run under two hours and 30, APB for her as well. -- a personal best

:50:32. > :50:35.for her as well. I'm sure the selectors will make the decision

:50:36. > :50:43.tomorrow and we wait to see who the third British athlete is, the last I

:50:44. > :50:48.would did was Tracy Barlow. We are waiting for her to perhaps be coming

:50:49. > :50:53.through in the next few minutes. Let's see what is happening in the

:50:54. > :51:05.men's race in the meantime. What I can tell you is these two are

:51:06. > :51:11.celebrating, let's look, Aly. That is a reward for all those hard

:51:12. > :51:14.miles, tough miles, everybody puts them in but it's a great feeling

:51:15. > :51:22.when it all comes together like that. Well done to both of them.

:51:23. > :51:32.After all that excitement, more to come, the men's race. The leader was

:51:33. > :51:38.Daniel Wanjiru, when last year of the Amsterdam Marathon, this would

:51:39. > :51:48.be the biggest win of his career. But in the distance, the figure of

:51:49. > :51:56.Kenenisa Bekele is looming. He is now third, he is chasing. He's being

:51:57. > :52:01.cheered on by runners going in the opposite direction, he is the one

:52:02. > :52:06.they recognise, still plenty of miles for him, plenty of time to

:52:07. > :52:13.catch Wanjiru. He is moving much better. He looks altogether

:52:14. > :52:19.different than he did a few miles ago. He has a determination in his

:52:20. > :52:23.eye, he is hunting them down, in third place. This is not the way he

:52:24. > :52:27.would have chosen to run this marathon, he was threatening the

:52:28. > :52:34.pacemakers, wanting to do a fast one. He now has some idea that he

:52:35. > :52:38.will get a position. He is going to move into second place very quickly,

:52:39. > :52:47.he is running faster than anyone else at this stage. Here comes the

:52:48. > :52:50.great Kenenisa Bekele, saying that people recognise him and so they

:52:51. > :52:58.should. One of the greatest of all time. We have been privileged to

:52:59. > :53:02.watch his career and I remember his first ever International race a

:53:03. > :53:06.cross country in Newcastle in the early 2000's. At the time we were

:53:07. > :53:11.told that this man was going to be good and we did not realise how good

:53:12. > :53:17.he was going to be. Moving into second place. Moving quickly. That

:53:18. > :53:23.is the skill of marathon running, distance running on the roads, when

:53:24. > :53:30.you see the athlete you want to pass, pass him quickly. Moves into

:53:31. > :53:35.second place. Great drama in the men's race, we saw the top two women

:53:36. > :53:41.crossing the line for Great Britain in under two hours 30 and not far

:53:42. > :53:46.behind them, we thought the third place was going to go to Tracy

:53:47. > :53:49.Barlow, we can show you her in a second hopefully. Wanjiru looking

:53:50. > :53:57.behind, he knows where the threat is coming from.

:53:58. > :54:07.Big crowds, lots of cheering. At the front it's one thing, but here is

:54:08. > :54:12.someone who knows what it's like, Tracy Barlow, what a story for her,

:54:13. > :54:17.has got better and better, started with all those people at the back,

:54:18. > :54:21.last year even she did not get an elite start but she has done it this

:54:22. > :54:26.time and I think that run will cement her place, it's a big

:54:27. > :54:29.personal best for her, personal best's the law over the last few

:54:30. > :54:35.years for her and that another big step forward. Third British athlete

:54:36. > :54:38.home and could well be selected for the World Championships. So here we

:54:39. > :54:55.go, The Tower. He knows that that means there is

:54:56. > :55:00.not far to go and he is on the hunt. He is chasing down Wanjiru. Whatever

:55:01. > :55:05.went on in the middle section, what ever happened, he is able to put it

:55:06. > :55:10.to the back of his mind but can he close the gap? Plenty of time but as

:55:11. > :55:14.we saw with Charlotte Pardew and Alyson Dixon it is one thing to

:55:15. > :55:20.think you have time to do it, but he is moving well now. Gliding across

:55:21. > :55:26.the streets of London. He keeps looking up, looking at the gap, the

:55:27. > :55:30.man in front of him, thinking I have got you. Sometimes in the middle of

:55:31. > :55:35.the race he can get depressed and does not apply himself and other

:55:36. > :55:42.times, at his very, very best he is the greatest. Back somewhere in

:55:43. > :55:46.London his manager has done a brilliant job coaching him back from

:55:47. > :55:50.injury and illness and disillusionment, from the fact he's

:55:51. > :55:56.not been able to compete as he used to do. And there is Wanjiru, yes

:55:57. > :56:03.hunting him down. As he left it a bit late? There is no one more

:56:04. > :56:07.powerful in distance running. One of the advisers to Mo Farah was telling

:56:08. > :56:12.me there is nobody, no athlete he has ever worked with who has got the

:56:13. > :56:22.engine as he calls it, the capacity to work and run as quickly in engine

:56:23. > :56:26.and is running as Kenenisa Bekele. He is motoring, and this is a

:56:27. > :56:30.wonderful sight, not that his best, because I do not think this is his

:56:31. > :56:34.best, I think he is capable of running a world record in the

:56:35. > :56:38.marathon but it looks as though there has been two athletes in this

:56:39. > :56:45.race and this is the one we want to see. You would not bet against him

:56:46. > :56:49.at this point. The significant thing, you saw the caption come up

:56:50. > :56:55.about the leader and it said five minutes for his last mile. That is

:56:56. > :56:58.not quick enough at this point. Paula will tell you which are the

:56:59. > :57:10.quick miles and which are the slow ones, but if Kenny is running 4.50,

:57:11. > :57:19.he can make them up. All he needs to do is keep running 4.45, 4.50 and he

:57:20. > :57:24.will catch him. I think he might catch on in the next few minutes. I

:57:25. > :57:27.really hope he does. We are not supposed to be biased in the

:57:28. > :57:31.commentary box but I have got to know him over the years, I remember

:57:32. > :57:39.him coming to Newcastle, we had never heard of him, highly Gabler

:57:40. > :57:43.Selassie called me up and said he would be good. I remember seeing we

:57:44. > :57:49.would see a lot more of him and I would love him to win this one, it

:57:50. > :57:54.would be a fantastic occasion. A few miles ago you would not have given

:57:55. > :58:03.him a chance but no Wanjiru realises there is a race on. Does he have

:58:04. > :58:09.anything left? Can Kenenisa take some power from this crowd? There is

:58:10. > :58:20.lots of running left but marathon's are drama as and there is lots of

:58:21. > :58:27.drama left. Kenenisa 's confidence must be rising. Yes, the significant

:58:28. > :58:32.moment will be when he goes past Wanjiru, will he blow straight past

:58:33. > :58:36.him and keep driving? Don't settle in and make it into a race because

:58:37. > :58:43.that gives Wanjiru a bit of hope that he is also tired. If you go

:58:44. > :58:48.right past him, hard, it destroys the confidence of the runner being

:58:49. > :58:53.passed. Wanjiru must know Bekele is closing on him, people in the crowd

:58:54. > :58:57.will be saying it. Some of his support network might be out there

:58:58. > :59:01.along the road giving him information. His manager might be in

:59:02. > :59:07.the car in front. He will know someone is chasing him. Bekele going

:59:08. > :59:12.through some of the Ethiopian support to have come out to support

:59:13. > :59:16.him and giving them some banks. Not as tired as Wanjiru in front. If you

:59:17. > :59:21.can raise your arms at that stage you still have something left.

:59:22. > :59:26.Having said that, although he looks smoother and is running better the

:59:27. > :59:30.gap is not really closing. A couple of miles ago he could not have

:59:31. > :59:37.raised one arm let alone both hands. But he is waving a bit early because

:59:38. > :59:40.you do not start waving in second place, you wait till you are coming

:59:41. > :59:46.down in first place before you think about that. But Kenenisa Bekele, one

:59:47. > :59:54.of the greatest athletes of all time. Mo Farah we will see later in

:59:55. > :00:00.the summer and we see Kenenisa Bekele today, trying to write the

:00:01. > :00:04.record books in the marathon. Wanjiru looking over his shoulder,

:00:05. > :00:10.he is not very efficient at that but he knows it's coming from behind,

:00:11. > :00:13.the threat. He did not know, that look showed he did not know before

:00:14. > :00:20.now that it was Bekele closing on him.

:00:21. > :00:30.So that race, it's going to keep developing, isn't it? They've got

:00:31. > :00:35.another 11 minutes. They are heading to the roundabout, perhaps 11

:00:36. > :00:40.minutes of running. About 11 seconds to close. A second every minute,

:00:41. > :00:45.that's the way to look at it. Here we go. I know who my money's on for

:00:46. > :00:51.a sprint finish! It's one thing saying that, you can't always raise

:00:52. > :00:55.a sprint finish in marathon running. Before we get into this, in the

:00:56. > :01:02.British race, if you like, I can tell you Robbie Simpson, the Deeside

:01:03. > :01:07.runner, is heading for a massive personal best at the moment. He is

:01:08. > :01:15.ahead of Jonny Mellor, coming off his personal best of a half

:01:16. > :01:20.marathon. And Scott Overall, but other British runner. About ten

:01:21. > :01:25.minutes behind Kenenisa Bekele. He looks ahead, sees that that gap is

:01:26. > :01:30.closing but not closing quickly. It's just tantalising, when you get

:01:31. > :01:36.that close to somebody, and you think I've got to you, and all of a

:01:37. > :01:40.sudden, that look behind... Is he rallying, Wanjiru, is he trying to

:01:41. > :01:45.push on and give Kenenisa Bekele some doubts? He looks behind that

:01:46. > :01:49.there was a look of shock on his face when he saw Bekele was closing

:01:50. > :01:53.on him, then he put his head down and moved much quicker. Maybe he had

:01:54. > :01:57.backed off a little bit, thinking I've got this, I'm away, I'm clear.

:01:58. > :02:03.Then he looked around and saw he was in and has a bit more work to do

:02:04. > :02:06.yet. He's not done yet, when Giroud. Bekele also not done, chasing and

:02:07. > :02:15.chasing hard. Wanjiru had something left. He saw the traffic lights turn

:02:16. > :02:19.to green. Petals falling down from fans at the side. When Giroud, we

:02:20. > :02:25.don't know how quick he is at the finish. We've never seen him this

:02:26. > :02:31.competitive. Has he got a sprint finish? We don't know. Here comes

:02:32. > :02:34.Kenenisa Bekele. I'm getting very nervous for Kenenisa, I wish you

:02:35. > :02:37.would do it a bit quicker. We know how quick he can be in the last

:02:38. > :02:43.couple of hundred meters of a race but this is a marathon, this is

:02:44. > :02:49.different. I tell you what, Karoki is not far behind that two of them,

:02:50. > :02:53.making his way back towards them. They have less than three kilometres

:02:54. > :03:00.to go, there was a little sign saying 39 kilometres. Three and a

:03:01. > :03:08.bit from there. In his career he ran three kilometres in 3.7 five. He has

:03:09. > :03:15.some work to do here. He has to time it right. It's probably eight

:03:16. > :03:21.seconds. You can still catch that in the last 700-800 metres, but you

:03:22. > :03:26.have to pick up, and in a marathon it's not easy to do that. It's not

:03:27. > :03:31.so easy to do, and he could pick it up in the last 800 metres but we

:03:32. > :03:38.don't know how quick Wanjiru is. Great athletes from Ethiopia and

:03:39. > :03:42.Kenya, with great sprint finishes. We'd seen Kenenisa run from a long

:03:43. > :03:47.way out, seen him sprint quickly with one lap to go. But those days

:03:48. > :03:51.of track running, some of his very fastest times are behind him. He is

:03:52. > :03:56.now a marathon runner. The gap is not necessarily closing here. We

:03:57. > :04:00.have a true drama. This is the man who wants to win it, the big one for

:04:01. > :04:07.the first time. The man in second place hasn't won many, many big

:04:08. > :04:11.ones. Even the marathon in Berlin. Can he win this today? This is

:04:12. > :04:18.really, really exciting. My hopes are with Kenenisa, Wanjiru looks at

:04:19. > :04:25.his watch, perhaps at the time of day? The one thing it won't tell him

:04:26. > :04:29.is he has extended his lead by two seconds in the last 400 metres, it

:04:30. > :04:37.has gone from eight seconds to ten seconds. That is not good news for

:04:38. > :04:45.Kenenisa Bekele. Perhaps when Giroud is pushing too early... But he looks

:04:46. > :04:49.OK, looks comfortable. Bekele has to somehow lift himself, easier said

:04:50. > :04:53.than done. He is already looking behind. Maybe as Paula says, he's

:04:54. > :04:57.aware he is not far away. Ten seconds, they are both going to take

:04:58. > :05:02.their last water on board here. That is a good thing to do. There goes

:05:03. > :05:08.Wanjiru, he got his safely. Kenenisa looking for his drink. There it is,

:05:09. > :05:14.got it. You get that down you and then you go, if you can. We talked

:05:15. > :05:22.about mind games in the marathon, and it totally is. It's very apt

:05:23. > :05:25.it's sponsor headline charity is Heads Together. You need to have

:05:26. > :05:30.your head together to run strongly. There are a lot of mind games that

:05:31. > :05:34.play here. The fact Kenenisa Bekele is working as hard as he can not

:05:35. > :05:40.closing that gap is a strike against him. The little look back Wanjiru

:05:41. > :05:43.through over his shoulder was one strike back for Kenenisa Bekele. He

:05:44. > :05:47.thinks, you're struggling, you're worried about me. Maybe I can still

:05:48. > :05:53.make it up if I can still keep working away. Both these guys

:05:54. > :05:56.absolutely focused, as they put one foot in front of the other and try

:05:57. > :06:03.to maintain the pace. Try and pick it up a tiny bit. Breakdown this

:06:04. > :06:07.last mile and 300 yards into tiny little sections. 25 miles, a brave

:06:08. > :06:15.attempt to try and win it from Wanjiru. I don't know if he knows,

:06:16. > :06:19.Kenenisa Bekele. This is a tantalising gap, about nine seconds.

:06:20. > :06:23.They have about three or four minutes of running riot. Kenenisa

:06:24. > :06:30.Bekele, whilst I'm looking at him, I am a bit biased. I would love to see

:06:31. > :06:36.Kenenisa win this one, but my real heart is saying, come on Kenenisa,

:06:37. > :06:45.hurry up a bit. While you guys are chatting, it's eight seconds. It's

:06:46. > :06:50.gone from eight, to ten, to nine, back to eight. This is an over. He

:06:51. > :06:57.is close enough to strike. He is close enough to worry Wanjiru, as we

:06:58. > :07:06.go past midday, and Big Ben looking down on a great race again. Can

:07:07. > :07:11.Kenenisa Bekele close an Daniel Wanjiru? Wanjiru trying to win his

:07:12. > :07:16.biggest ever race. I don't know why Wanjiru looks at his watch, there is

:07:17. > :07:20.the biggest clock, the most famous clock in the world perhaps. It is

:07:21. > :07:23.one minute past 12 and you have another four minute or so of

:07:24. > :07:29.running. But behind you is perhaps the while's greatest ever distance

:07:30. > :07:34.runner. Perhaps the man who will one day break the record. It certainly

:07:35. > :07:39.won't be today. His job today is to close eight seconds of tarmac

:07:40. > :07:46.between him and Daniel Wanjiru. Wanjiru turns that corner. Now he

:07:47. > :07:50.has a long run. Kenenisa into the corner, really having a go. This gap

:07:51. > :07:57.may be a little too much for him. You just think you might see

:07:58. > :08:00.Kenenisa back to his track running days. He looks as though he's

:08:01. > :08:05.gearing up to do that. He looks as though he's gearing up for a finish.

:08:06. > :08:11.Seven seconds, according to my mathematician friend Steve Cram.

:08:12. > :08:14.Paula, what is your view? You know, seven seconds doesn't sound that

:08:15. > :08:17.much and people are going to say, seven seconds? Over the course of

:08:18. > :08:22.the marathon distance, surely you can make that up. If I tell you he's

:08:23. > :08:27.only gained five seconds at the last five kilometres, that shows you the

:08:28. > :08:32.enormity. He has less than two kilometres to make that up. He is

:08:33. > :08:37.capable of doing it, but this race means a lot to both of them and it's

:08:38. > :08:43.who wants it more at this stage. Six seconds now. It's nothing, is a

:08:44. > :08:48.question of what can you do in six seconds? You can't even tie your

:08:49. > :08:51.laces. For Kenenisa Bekele and Daniel Wanjiru it's the difference

:08:52. > :08:54.between first and second. For one it could be the biggest day of his

:08:55. > :08:59.career so far, for the other, it will cement his stature as one of

:09:00. > :09:05.the greatest ever distance athletes. Can he come back from a tough period

:09:06. > :09:10.in this race to win the London marathon? The crowds here are

:09:11. > :09:15.massive. That is a gap that is now down to about four or five seconds.

:09:16. > :09:18.Its closing all the time. It is closing all the time and Kenenisa

:09:19. > :09:24.Bekele, the great one, looks like he's moving into track mode. He's

:09:25. > :09:31.lifting, is looking like the Kenenisa Bekele we've seen running

:09:32. > :09:34.53, 54 seconds for the last lap of a 10,000 metre race. But the gap is

:09:35. > :09:39.still there. We can see them both together. The bikes are showing as

:09:40. > :09:45.there is still a gap. Kenenisa has to work, has to literally lift his

:09:46. > :09:50.body, move into sprinting mode, get ready to do that. Wanjiru looks over

:09:51. > :09:54.his shoulder. He's being hunted by the greatest of all, the man who has

:09:55. > :09:58.finished strongly in many, many races. Hunted by a man who it's been

:09:59. > :10:04.a privilege to observe in the last few years. I wonder, has he got one

:10:05. > :10:10.last effort? Can he dig one out? Come on, Kenenisa! I shouldn't say

:10:11. > :10:14.that. That gap has just extended by another second or two again. Those

:10:15. > :10:19.of us that watch track and field athletics, you always say when it

:10:20. > :10:24.comes to a sprint finish, the Ethiopian will outrun the Kenyan but

:10:25. > :10:27.today I fear that won't be the case for Kenenisa Bekele. Daniel Wanjiru

:10:28. > :10:34.takes another look behind. He has found something extra. 4.27 for the

:10:35. > :10:38.last mile and it might be that Bekele, as he takes one last look

:10:39. > :10:42.behind, instead of concentrating ahead, that gap is now an

:10:43. > :10:48.insurmountable one for even the greatest, even for Kenenisa Bekele.

:10:49. > :10:54.He cannot close that. You cannot lift your legs in the same way for

:10:55. > :11:00.the marathon, it just doesn't happen. Let's look at Daniel

:11:01. > :11:03.Wanjiru. Kenya have had some great champions, some great names, and he

:11:04. > :11:07.wouldn't have been the favour if you looked down the list today, but he

:11:08. > :11:11.showed when he won the Amsterdam Marathon, that he has massive

:11:12. > :11:17.potential. His best, is only going to be just outside it today. Two

:11:18. > :11:21.hours on five minutes, 21 seconds. These days people sniff at those

:11:22. > :11:27.times but that is phenomenal running. So Daniel Wanjiru, carrying

:11:28. > :11:34.a famous name, the Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru. Daniel Wanjiru today,

:11:35. > :11:40.it is today, his race, his London Marathon. He has held off the best.

:11:41. > :11:49.He has held off Kenenisa Bekele and now he can enjoy his moment, arms

:11:50. > :11:53.aloft. Daniel Wanjiru will win the 2017 London Marathon in fine style!

:11:54. > :11:57.Congratulations to him. Kenenisa Bekele tried his best, tried

:11:58. > :12:01.everything he knew, dug himself out of a bad patch but it wasn't enough

:12:02. > :12:07.on the day. Has to settle for second spot.

:12:08. > :12:18.Great race between these two. No quarter given, none expected.

:12:19. > :12:24.Wanjiru and Bekele. Not the fastest of London marathons but what a great

:12:25. > :12:29.race they gave us. I think all I made the point, on a day when we are

:12:30. > :12:34.talking about mental health, Heads Together, in their different ways

:12:35. > :12:38.they showed how much mind over matter can work here. Wanjiru, their

:12:39. > :12:47.biggest win of his career. And goodness me, what ever happens

:12:48. > :12:52.in the rest of his life, he will say, that is the day I'd eat

:12:53. > :13:01.Kenenisa Bekele, that is the day I held off the greatest. So, there is

:13:02. > :13:07.our winner. Kenenisa Bekele taking second. We are waiting for the third

:13:08. > :13:15.placed runner to come in. It was Karoki. A great marathon debut for

:13:16. > :13:20.him. He set off at a very, very fast pace. He's very tired, got to keep

:13:21. > :13:27.going to the finish. Being chased but I think he will hang on. Abele

:13:28. > :13:33.keirin, his team-mate, chasing him. Karoki, great career across half

:13:34. > :13:39.country, his first marathon has been a hard one. Goodness me, elite

:13:40. > :13:43.runners can look as tired as anybody else at the end, but he drags

:13:44. > :13:49.himself across the line for third in his first marathon in London. He

:13:50. > :14:01.will be one of those walking rather awkwardly tonight, Ammari will be

:14:02. > :14:08.joined by about 40,000 others. Kirui takes fourth. Tough races today. Big

:14:09. > :14:11.gaps, similar to the women's, if they go too hard, Bush too early,

:14:12. > :14:16.they can pay the penalty. The distance is always King. The

:14:17. > :14:18.marathon always comes out on top. It is always a test, it doesn't matter

:14:19. > :14:32.who you are. So, Daniel Wanjiru and Kenenisa

:14:33. > :14:38.Bekele, they looked pretty good at the end. Karoki just about

:14:39. > :14:48.staggering to the finish line. We are just waiting to see the fifth

:14:49. > :14:58.placed runner coming through. Just coming in is Simbu from Tanzania.

:14:59. > :15:06.Paul is happy, she is a big fan of his. He is going to be just outside

:15:07. > :15:09.two hours and nine minutes. Simbu finishing pretty strongly. Well done

:15:10. > :15:14.to him. We will try to give you an update on the British race. A bit of

:15:15. > :15:21.a surprise going on. Robbie Simpson was still leading. The British

:15:22. > :15:25.challenge. Don't forget, any two spots available for the British team

:15:26. > :15:31.because they have pre-selected Kallum Watkins, who has had such a

:15:32. > :15:37.brilliant year last and this year. -- Hawkins. And Jonny Mellor and

:15:38. > :15:42.Robbie Simpson... Jonny Mellor got ahead of Robbie Simpson at 35

:15:43. > :15:48.kilometres. Only two spots available for British selection, as we see the

:15:49. > :15:53.world champion who surprised everyone in the heat and humidity of

:15:54. > :15:56.Beijing. Ran well in Rio, just missed out on a medal and finished

:15:57. > :16:02.in fourth. He is tired today. I'm sure he has a fast time in him.

:16:03. > :16:10.He just needs to judge his race are little better.

:16:11. > :16:19.I can actually give you an update, Robbie Simpson has gone through 40

:16:20. > :16:25.kilometres, is not that far from the finish, the qualifying time was 2.16

:16:26. > :16:29.but most of the British athlete had already done that and it was a case

:16:30. > :16:44.of who finishes in the top two positions today.

:16:45. > :16:56.Back at The Tower, not yet have way. -- Capoue. Some of the elite

:16:57. > :17:04.athletes have completed their races, but we will keep an eye on the

:17:05. > :17:08.British story in the men's race, it's now about the thousands of

:17:09. > :17:14.others for who the day is not even half over yet. Tower Bridge a big

:17:15. > :17:19.landmark not only in terms of being able to see it but it marks the

:17:20. > :17:27.point where you cross from south to North and it's not too far is it?

:17:28. > :17:31.Halfway pretty much. I am always amazed by the fact that hardly

:17:32. > :17:36.anybody drops out, well done to everybody, it's a great site. Every

:17:37. > :17:42.single year. It inspires more and more, so many people, something like

:17:43. > :17:46.getting on for a quarter of a million people apply to run in the

:17:47. > :17:51.London Marathon every year and around 50,000 or so get accepted and

:17:52. > :17:57.some of them for what ever reason cannot come on the weekend so around

:17:58. > :18:02.40,000 registered this week to take part, picked up their numbers and

:18:03. > :18:06.these are the guys who have made it to Canary Wharf. The sun coming out,

:18:07. > :18:15.the temperature rising but it's pretty good conditions, a beautiful

:18:16. > :18:20.day in London. Great crowds as ever. We will continue to bring you those

:18:21. > :18:25.stories and mention a few people out there running for all of the great

:18:26. > :18:29.causes. I am sure most of you are aware the Duke and Duchess of

:18:30. > :18:34.Cambridge and Prince Harry have been out themselves supporting people.

:18:35. > :18:43.Raising money for the Heads Together campaign.

:18:44. > :18:54.Quick mention to a couple I know are running, Charlie Gaynor running for

:18:55. > :19:01.child rescue, Melanie Wells running for children's Hospice, Andrea

:19:02. > :19:09.Morgan running for Barnardo 's, so many people doing for the first

:19:10. > :19:13.time. I am sure they will get around safely. I give a shout out to all

:19:14. > :19:26.those out there raising money for asthma UK. Lydia Campbell, 60 years

:19:27. > :19:37.old, in her 49th marathon, her 20th London man of them, hope she is

:19:38. > :19:44.going well. -- 20th London Marathon. Nicholas running for the link and

:19:45. > :19:53.Notts air ambulance, and Stephen running for action for ME. Alice

:19:54. > :20:01.Milliken running for asthma UK, Rachel Phillips running for get kids

:20:02. > :20:12.are going. And Sarah running for Saint Gemma 's Hospice in Leeds,

:20:13. > :20:18.good luck to those. Connor, Andy, running for British Legion and

:20:19. > :20:24.autism. Sam who has raised ?3000 from bucket collections in the West

:20:25. > :20:31.End. When around after the show collecting money. This is

:20:32. > :20:36.interesting because that is Robbie Simpson running very well but there

:20:37. > :20:43.is an athlete ahead of him who might have been in the mass race. Simpson

:20:44. > :20:48.needs to run, could well be Josh Griffiths, I just need to check

:20:49. > :20:53.that. There he is, this could be a real surprise because in the same

:20:54. > :20:59.way Tracy Barlow did it last year what a performance from him, under

:21:00. > :21:06.2.15, he could well be the first British athlete across the line,

:21:07. > :21:10.could well join Callum Hawkins, Simpson has run under the qualifying

:21:11. > :21:17.time, that will be a new personal best for him. Jonny Mellor as well

:21:18. > :21:25.in the mix. Lots of athletes coming across the line who were in the 2.1

:21:26. > :21:34.four, max. But what a performance from him. It's a day when of course

:21:35. > :21:40.the elite's get the chance from the elite start line to have their name

:21:41. > :21:49.but others out there can put in big performances and he certainly has.

:21:50. > :21:56.He is holding his head, cannot believe what he has done. How often

:21:57. > :22:03.does that happen, a club runner, a brilliant club runner, getting in

:22:04. > :22:07.ahead of those from the elite starts, getting ahead of Robbie

:22:08. > :22:12.Simpson. An incredible performance. I mentioned Tracy Barlow doing it

:22:13. > :22:20.last year. You could go back to Tracy Griffiths was it? A long way

:22:21. > :22:27.back. Tracey Morris, excuse me. Well done Josh. He must have passed

:22:28. > :22:38.Robbie Simpson in the last mile or so because Robie was the leading

:22:39. > :22:45.British runner. That is one for the selectors. Could this man here be

:22:46. > :22:50.representing Great Britain in the World Championships in London this

:22:51. > :22:58.summer? What a story that would be. He should. He should, if he is in

:22:59. > :23:02.the first two British athletes, this is the official trial and he has got

:23:03. > :23:10.the qualifying time so I cannot see why they cannot pick him. Let's just

:23:11. > :23:23.pick him now. We can do a better job than the selectors anyway! CHUCKLES

:23:24. > :23:30.For Josh Griffiths, what a day it's been. We talk about the elites, the

:23:31. > :23:36.great stories but I love it when something like that happens, Swansea

:23:37. > :23:39.Harrier. The London Marathon in the early years, Brendan and you have

:23:40. > :23:43.been here for 37 years and we will get more of your memories later, but

:23:44. > :23:50.win this race started it was club runners as well, running has become

:23:51. > :23:54.something we have loved watching over the years but for club runners

:23:55. > :23:58.it is great somebody like that can come through and perhaps, who knows,

:23:59. > :24:04.I hope the selectors will confirm he will run in the World Championships.

:24:05. > :24:07.That's the great thing about running, nobody had to say how good

:24:08. > :24:11.you look which caught the art in what you have been doing, you just

:24:12. > :24:15.go out there, it's a true democracy because if you are good enough and

:24:16. > :24:22.train hard enough and are fast enough you should get selected and I

:24:23. > :24:24.think that is right. I think amongst the elite athletes we have seen

:24:25. > :24:29.British athletes, athlete selected for the World Championships, we just

:24:30. > :24:34.selected some of them! At the end of the day that is what the sport is

:24:35. > :24:39.about and it's wonderful. London responds every year, look at those

:24:40. > :24:47.shots, magnificent, our capital city in all its glory populated by

:24:48. > :24:52.runners. All the traffic has come to a standstill, great athletics, great

:24:53. > :24:55.performances and now the spirit of the London Marathon takes over and

:24:56. > :25:01.we will see plenty of the human spirit. People running for their own

:25:02. > :25:06.reasons, to prove to themselves they can do it. Lots of people raising

:25:07. > :25:12.money for charity. The Heads Together charity featuring

:25:13. > :25:18.prominently today but people out there running for other charities.

:25:19. > :25:23.Tomorrow's people, McMillan Cancer Research, worthy charities. All the

:25:24. > :25:29.runners from the Isle of Man are wearing ribbons in memory of Murray

:25:30. > :25:32.who passed away, Mr athletics on the island. He kept the sport going and

:25:33. > :25:44.these guys are paying tribute to him. Running for Cancer Research and

:25:45. > :25:50.great Ormond, whizz kids, plenty of people to. A few out there, David

:25:51. > :26:03.running for the chances for children appeal.

:26:04. > :26:12.Warwick Shepherd running for the children's heart unit in Newcastle.

:26:13. > :26:18.What a story in the elite race, still talking about Josh Griffiths,

:26:19. > :26:23.that was his first marathon, his debut, he ran a PB over the half

:26:24. > :26:27.marathon earlier this year, but what a way to start your marathon career.

:26:28. > :26:38.As he run his way into the British team? We think so. What a story that

:26:39. > :26:43.is. We have to give thanks to Derek Hawkins who was following the

:26:44. > :26:47.progression of Josh Griffiths and let us know he was moving strongly

:26:48. > :26:57.through the field. He joins Derek's Calum on the team. Many people

:26:58. > :27:09.coming through the ranks, Jamie is out there raising money and we hope

:27:10. > :27:15.he is going well. A couple of great races and a world record in the

:27:16. > :27:29.women's elite race. A fantastic race in the men's as well. Daniel Wanjiru

:27:30. > :27:33.beating Kenenisa Bekele. And victory for David Weir as well, a seventh

:27:34. > :27:44.victory in the men's wheelchair race. We will be rounding up all of

:27:45. > :27:49.the elite races in a few moments time but the Massey is still heading

:27:50. > :28:00.out towards Canary Wharf. -- the masses. The towers of Canary Wharf

:28:01. > :28:04.calling them in. Beautiful conditions were running today. It's

:28:05. > :28:10.getting warmer, certainly in our commentary box it is heating up. The

:28:11. > :28:16.sun is out and shining. Not much breeze around but I think it's

:28:17. > :28:23.enough, the ideal temperature running marathons about 15, 16

:28:24. > :28:29.degrees? Some prefer cold, cooler would be better temperatures, it's

:28:30. > :28:35.getting a bit warmer, I gave the masses a lot of advice, keep taking

:28:36. > :28:39.on enough fluids because once direct sunlight comes out, you have had the

:28:40. > :28:42.shelter from the breeze because a lot of people out there, at the

:28:43. > :29:12.start it perfect conditions but now it's getting a bit warm.

:29:13. > :29:19.As we mentioned, what a finish it was, David Weir outsprinting the

:29:20. > :29:31.favourite and defending champion Marcel Hug, what a way to win it. In

:29:32. > :29:35.the women's are very different story, a comfortable win for Manuela

:29:36. > :29:37.Schar, the Swiss athlete winning for the first time after being runner-up

:29:38. > :29:48.the past three years. History was made in the women's

:29:49. > :29:56.elite race, Mary Keitany breaking the record, two hours 17 minutes and

:29:57. > :30:02.one second. Tirunesh Dibaba chased home to become the third fastest

:30:03. > :30:08.female marathon runner of all time. A brilliant performance. And in the

:30:09. > :30:13.men's race, Daniel Wanjiru, not a name you will now recognise, the

:30:14. > :30:16.biggest day of his career, he has won the Amsterdam Marathon but it

:30:17. > :30:21.was his day in London as he held off the charging in any civic LA. He

:30:22. > :30:26.beat the greatest on what must be his greatest day. -- held off the

:30:27. > :30:39.charging Kenenisa Bekele. This is how they finished in the

:30:40. > :30:49.World Para Athletics marathon World Cup.

:30:50. > :30:57.And in the women's... A big victory, as expected, without Tatyana

:30:58. > :31:04.McFadden, a big victory for Manuela Schar. Amanda McGrory and Susannah

:31:05. > :31:12.Scaroni, those with a three expected to fill the top three spots. In the

:31:13. > :31:19.women's elite, that winning time, too: .01 becomes the fastest. Very

:31:20. > :31:28.tired athletes, but the British races won by Aly Dixon. Her,

:31:29. > :31:35.Charlotte Purdue and Tracy Barlow, they should be selected for the

:31:36. > :31:39.women's. The winning time for Daniel Wanjiru, but they won't get too much

:31:40. > :31:45.about that, not too far outside his personal best. Two hours, five

:31:46. > :31:50.minutes and 48 seconds, ahead of Kenenisa Bekele. A debut run from

:31:51. > :31:54.Karoki to take third spot. Joss Griffiths from Swansea was the first

:31:55. > :32:03.British athlete home and will be selected, we think, to join Callum

:32:04. > :32:11.Hawkins and Robbie Simpson. Those are the elite headlines from the

:32:12. > :32:17.2017 Virgin Money London Marathon. Thank you so much to our commentary

:32:18. > :32:21.team, we will of course be out with them on the course a little later.

:32:22. > :32:24.We will give them a moment to catch their breath and speak to two very

:32:25. > :32:31.impressive athlete who had a chance to catch their breaths. The winners

:32:32. > :32:35.of the men and women's elite races, Daniel Wanjiru and Mary Keitany.

:32:36. > :32:41.Mary, an incredible race for you to run, almost all of it on own. First

:32:42. > :32:45.of all, I want to say thank you for the opportunity and I want to say

:32:46. > :32:55.that it was a great day for me, since I ran all the way.

:32:56. > :33:03.I went along the route to the finish line, and I feel good. You did very,

:33:04. > :33:11.very well. It was the world record for a women only race, as well, and

:33:12. > :33:23.just outside two 17. To have two women finish under two and 18 was

:33:24. > :33:32.amazing. Yes, I was ready to run the best career time. The two of ask, we

:33:33. > :33:37.have run under 2.18. It was a great day for me today, because the

:33:38. > :33:48.weather was cool at the beginning when we were starting, it was nice.

:33:49. > :33:58.At least I've done my best, and the result, maybe I was thinking of

:33:59. > :34:04.running 2.17 something, but it is great. It is, when you consider you

:34:05. > :34:10.ran that most of that race is mostly on your own, and before you got to

:34:11. > :34:15.two kilometres, ahead of Paula Radcliffe's record.

:34:16. > :34:18.Daniel, your race was similarly world-record pace for so long. Did

:34:19. > :34:23.you expect it to go off at quite the pace it did? For me, what I can say,

:34:24. > :34:36.in the beginning the race was very fast. Inside world-record pace and I

:34:37. > :34:43.had prepared. You know, as the race is very fast, anything can happen.

:34:44. > :34:50.We helped each other from the starting. We were talking about the

:34:51. > :34:54.pace, and the pace we tried to maintain up to half of the race.

:34:55. > :35:00.From there the race was becoming tougher and tougher. We pushed, the

:35:01. > :35:08.other guys they pushed, they worked very well. From there, the sun was

:35:09. > :35:12.coming and the day was beautiful, but you know, in the race, we don't

:35:13. > :35:24.need too much sun. The race was good for me. I prepared to come and it is

:35:25. > :35:28.good pace. I know how it feels. Is it important to you to know you were

:35:29. > :35:33.within world-record pace and you felt comfortable there? Yes, for me

:35:34. > :35:42.I was very comfortable, because I knew the pace we were. If we were to

:35:43. > :35:50.maintain the pace, we would run a good time but there is always next

:35:51. > :35:54.time. You feel like that world-record is coming, it will be

:35:55. > :36:02.broken in the near future? Yes, to me anything is possible. Anything

:36:03. > :36:08.can happen in the future, I can say that. You both look remarkably well,

:36:09. > :36:12.sickeningly well, considering the paces you ran! You look incredibly

:36:13. > :36:15.refreshed already. Go and enjoy the rest of your afternoon and spare a

:36:16. > :36:19.moment for those who aren't coming quite as quickly as you two. They

:36:20. > :36:23.are getting this blazing sunshine as well. Congratulations to both of

:36:24. > :36:28.you. There are plenty more, thousands more people out help on

:36:29. > :36:32.the streets of London, who still have plenty of work to do. Those

:36:33. > :36:39.coming over the line are doing respectable times of two hours 30

:36:40. > :36:43.minutes. The atmosphere on the course is superb. The guys here

:36:44. > :36:46.mentioned, the weather has been brilliant, but it is getting warmer

:36:47. > :36:51.and that finish line will be a wonderful site. From now until three

:36:52. > :36:56.o'clock you can see them coming across it and we will put -- also

:36:57. > :36:59.focus on people like you and me, who might struggle more on the streets

:37:00. > :37:03.to finish this in a respectable time. They are completing one of the

:37:04. > :37:05.great challenges in sport and some of them have had some really tough

:37:06. > :37:21.personal challenges in life. My name is Tanya. Vincent, this is

:37:22. > :37:30.my wife Laura. Sorry, I'll start again! I am from Mexico. Ottawa,

:37:31. > :37:36.Canada. United States. Liz Avery, 32 from South Wales. I am running for

:37:37. > :37:42.my father who is unfortunately suffering from pancreatic cancer. I

:37:43. > :37:46.have a point to prove, having come back from a life-threatening

:37:47. > :37:52.illness. In memory of my dad who I lost a few years ago. A premature

:37:53. > :38:02.baby charity. I'm running because, frankly, I'm not six mag LAUGHTER

:38:03. > :38:05.-- I am nuts. This time last year I hadn't run more than five

:38:06. > :38:12.kilometres. People say over the hill and I'm not. Why not do it now? Now

:38:13. > :38:16.or never. I'm running just to show I can do this. I'm running because I'm

:38:17. > :38:17.type one diabetic. Stay healthy physically and mentally. Running

:38:18. > :38:35.together! Thank you. Good luck to all of those and all of

:38:36. > :38:39.these people on screen right now. What a sight, it has a story to tell

:38:40. > :38:43.and here are some of those people out there. They are at The Tower at

:38:44. > :38:48.the moment, so still half the marathon to run. A bit later on we

:38:49. > :38:49.will meet some very impressive people with some incredible stories

:38:50. > :39:02.to tell. Francesca Barron, she suffered a

:39:03. > :39:08.severe visual impairment. She's had it her whole life, but she now looks

:39:09. > :39:10.at life so positively, and we will hear all about her story a little

:39:11. > :39:24.bit later. The life changing story. The Westminster bridge attack was

:39:25. > :39:28.only a month ago, we meet an officer who was involved in the response,

:39:29. > :39:33.who is running for the police dependents trust.

:39:34. > :39:39.From the Olympics to living on the streets, Zamzam's story is one of

:39:40. > :39:43.disbelief but now hope. His last marathon today as well as his 37th,

:39:44. > :39:47.Brendan Foster picks out some of his best moment. We catch up with the

:39:48. > :39:50.Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and print Harry as their charity head

:39:51. > :39:56.together aims to make a difference. And we catch up with the British

:39:57. > :40:00.long jumper and a voice, Jazmin Sawyers, who will have news for us

:40:01. > :40:04.on the mini marathon. We will also have many short films on lots of the

:40:05. > :40:08.runners out there throughout the afternoon and meet and speak to many

:40:09. > :40:14.of the runners. There is so much to see and do. We will go round the

:40:15. > :40:20.grounds to our reporters. Ore Oduba, no dancing today, but plenty of

:40:21. > :40:24.atmosphere out there. A perfect ten! Gabby, you can never rule out the

:40:25. > :40:30.dancing! We will see. I have moved from the start to the halfway mark

:40:31. > :40:33.and the familiar landmark of beautiful London's Tower Bridge.

:40:34. > :40:38.Like you say, an incredible atmosphere created by people lining

:40:39. > :40:44.the route. We will try to speak as many of these people as we can and

:40:45. > :40:49.see if their marathon glasses half empty... Or half full. It was that

:40:50. > :40:56.guy? We will speak to him, next. At Canary Wharf we have Steve, you

:40:57. > :41:00.may have seen him presenting an country file also a former

:41:01. > :41:04.wheelchair rugby captain. You were involved in the 2012 Paralympics,

:41:05. > :41:09.how does the atmosphere today compare to that?

:41:10. > :41:14.Well, the London crowd is a London crowd. It is always fantastic. You

:41:15. > :41:18.know the British public come out in force when it comes to sporting

:41:19. > :41:22.events. Just as the skies are thinning, the cloud is disappearing,

:41:23. > :41:26.it is picking up here. We are at the 18 mile mark, another eight miles to

:41:27. > :41:32.go from here. You can see the smiles and people dressed as everything

:41:33. > :41:38.from which to ballerinas. It is all going on here! Which is to

:41:39. > :41:42.ballerinas, there is an image! And finally, at back Fryers keeping and

:41:43. > :41:48.I out for us is the one and only Colin Jackson. Great to see you hear

:41:49. > :41:53.it. The 37th year of the marathon and we have never seen you run this

:41:54. > :41:58.race, have we? I know, I know. As a child I had three things I wanted to

:41:59. > :42:02.do, flying Concorde, go on the QE2 and run the London Marathon. I've

:42:03. > :42:07.done two, so there's still time for the third. Don't write off! People

:42:08. > :42:10.are streaming passed fit and files. I have my running shoes on and I

:42:11. > :42:17.will be catching up with some of them shortly! Apologies, I'm sure

:42:18. > :42:20.you have a PB in you yet! We will be with those guys shortly but first

:42:21. > :42:24.let's focus on a young woman who's had a remarkable journey to get

:42:25. > :42:28.busier's London Marathon. Her name is Zamzam.

:42:29. > :42:38.Sport is a lot to me, it's really amazing. I never get tired when I'm

:42:39. > :42:39.running. I just want to keep going. I don't want to stop the whole day,

:42:40. > :42:54.to be honest. Five years ago I came to London to

:42:55. > :43:03.participate in the Olympics. Since that time I haven't been back to my

:43:04. > :43:06.country. I was born and grew up in Somalia, I was born in 1991 in

:43:07. > :43:16.Mogadishu. I started when I was five years old,

:43:17. > :43:22.playing football, then I started basketball and I ended up running.

:43:23. > :43:31.Where I lived it was an acceptable for ladies to do sport.

:43:32. > :43:36.It was really difficult, especially for the ladies. They knew I was

:43:37. > :43:55.sporty, so it wasn't safe. It was my dream to represent my

:43:56. > :44:02.country. I ran 400 metres. I was so happy. The whole nation was like,

:44:03. > :44:05.keep an eye on that race. It was a clear message showing that Somalia

:44:06. > :44:23.is still alive. What happened to my family wasn't

:44:24. > :44:32.really good. Sorry. Give me two minutes.

:44:33. > :44:43.They knew that even if I go back to Somalia, I wouldn't be safe, so it

:44:44. > :44:52.was good news for me and my family. Great Britain is different. It was

:44:53. > :44:53.another world to me. I ended up becoming homeless. It was hard to

:44:54. > :45:13.find where to live. Who I go with. Then I found a

:45:14. > :45:16.hostel. When I was in the hostel, I've met runners because they were

:45:17. > :45:22.working with the homeless. Zamzam is going to go first and we will walk

:45:23. > :45:26.in... I got Mike by motivation. They treated me the way I wanted to be

:45:27. > :45:35.treated, they helped me with the way I wanted to be helped. Britain is my

:45:36. > :45:40.country. Right now. It changed my life. It's where I feel safe. This

:45:41. > :45:47.marathon is my first time ever I'll run it. The reason I'm running is

:45:48. > :45:51.for the running charity, and to show other women who live around the

:45:52. > :45:56.world who don't get the chance that I get, to show them, do what you

:45:57. > :46:04.want to do. Follow your mind and your heart.

:46:05. > :46:12.As we have just seen that she has already been through so much before

:46:13. > :46:17.even getting to the start line, you are halfway through, how do you feel

:46:18. > :46:23.physically? It is amazing, I feel all right and I cannot wait to

:46:24. > :46:27.finish all the way. You must feel so emotional running through the

:46:28. > :46:33.streets of London, you are a proud Somalian but so much more as well,

:46:34. > :46:42.what are you trying to inspire? It surely nice, sport is amazing. I am

:46:43. > :46:48.proud of what I did and I am sending a message to the whole world that a

:46:49. > :46:52.woman can do, I am inspiring a lot of women who are not able to come

:46:53. > :46:59.out and do what they want to do. I am relieved proud of myself, it is

:47:00. > :47:06.overcrowded, people are cheating me on, it is amazing. You are inspiring

:47:07. > :47:11.people all over this course as we have just seen, you are right on

:47:12. > :47:19.track, well done and thank you. You are welcome, thank you, bye. There

:47:20. > :47:24.she goes, what a girl. How can you be so happy and smiley

:47:25. > :47:28.at that stage of the marathon? So many stories like that out there,

:47:29. > :47:35.you might recognise someone out there, and you might want to get in

:47:36. > :47:40.touch with your messages, Bridget, you may know harder. Harriet. He is

:47:41. > :47:46.not running, sorry it is a she, she is not running. Plenty of interest,

:47:47. > :47:50.you are probably looking out for your loved ones so let's get out

:47:51. > :47:55.with our commentary team, Steve, you know all the fast guys, all your

:47:56. > :48:02.friends are done already. COMMENTATOR: One or two have not

:48:03. > :48:05.made it I am afraid! I want to give a special mention, Paul and I have

:48:06. > :48:10.been working with Chris Evans and Children in Need, we saw him before

:48:11. > :48:19.and think he has just passed her free. Nina, clear, Stewart, Andy,

:48:20. > :48:23.Paul, Kim, they have donated so much money to Children in Need back in

:48:24. > :48:29.November and they are not only doing London they will do New York later

:48:30. > :48:34.in the year. But you're right, so many people out there, so many

:48:35. > :48:39.stories. Chris Martin they's daughter was diagnosed a year to the

:48:40. > :48:41.day with type one diabetes and is raising money for Diabetes UK. --

:48:42. > :49:02.Chris I am keeping an eye out for BBC

:49:03. > :49:07.radio golf correspondent Ian Carter. I phoned him on the computer, he has

:49:08. > :49:14.reached the halfway stage which is good. He is running for multiple

:49:15. > :49:18.sclerosis, his first London Marathon. He prefers to play golf

:49:19. > :49:23.but I know he was looking forward to this and he is on target for about

:49:24. > :49:30.five hours which I think is what he was hoping for. A shout out for

:49:31. > :49:48.packed gains worth aged 71 running her 20th marathon -- Pat Ainsworth.

:49:49. > :50:01.Raising money for Leeds teaching hospitals. Raising much needed money

:50:02. > :50:07.for the antenatal unit. Richard Wilson will be pleased, he is a

:50:08. > :50:13.Sunderland stroller like Alyson Dixon who won the British women's

:50:14. > :50:18.race. He is running for Saint Benedict 's Hospice, five marathons

:50:19. > :50:27.in five days starting today. He met Ben Smith who did the 401 marathons

:50:28. > :50:39.last year and he was inspired. Another one of my colleagues, Murray

:50:40. > :50:48.West running today for the daughter of another colleague who is confined

:50:49. > :50:51.to a wheelchair with a condition. I think she was looking forward to it,

:50:52. > :50:58.but certainly looking forward to raising money. Running for the

:50:59. > :51:10.cause. I have not found time for Marie but I hope she gets round, I

:51:11. > :51:18.know she will. Sean in the middle. Having a cracking day I hope out

:51:19. > :51:31.there. Doing well. Stephen running for Crohn's and colitis. Looking for

:51:32. > :51:34.a world-record doing a marathon bouncing two basketballs. A world

:51:35. > :51:38.record has already been broken up for the three ragged race last year

:51:39. > :51:45.and this year trying to break the world record for being raced as a

:51:46. > :51:51.nun. And her husband is dressed as a bishop, you cannot miss them. We are

:51:52. > :51:55.hearing from a few of these records at the start, including, I cannot

:51:56. > :52:02.believe these are official world record but they are, the fastest

:52:03. > :52:09.marathon dressed as animal J -- as an emoji. I don't know which one

:52:10. > :52:15.dressed as. The fastest marathon dressed as a love part. Apparently

:52:16. > :52:25.that is a thing. The fastest marathon in Wellington boots. The

:52:26. > :52:33.fastest marathon in a sleeping bag. I am assuming they are hopping round

:52:34. > :52:39.rather than doing a little caterpillar all the way around.

:52:40. > :52:44.There is a cut-off time for anybody, runners have two crossed the line by

:52:45. > :52:50.6:15pm to get a medal and appear in the official results. It does not

:52:51. > :53:00.get dark then does it? No, a long time after that. So many people not

:53:01. > :53:04.only with their own names on their jerseys but often the name of

:53:05. > :53:08.someone else they are raising money for or trying to remember. Gateshead

:53:09. > :53:13.Harriers, Brendan has left the commentary box but that is his old

:53:14. > :53:24.club. Still some club athletes. These guys at about 24 miles, not

:53:25. > :53:30.too far to go. Going well. Paula's telephone box. If you were using

:53:31. > :53:35.that as a mile to go and it was on the move it might give you a bit of

:53:36. > :53:45.bother! You might work out it's not a real telephone box, even as your

:53:46. > :53:53.mind fades. There is also a Scooby Doo machine out there. What is that?

:53:54. > :54:02.Is it the mystery machine because I would understand that. Yes it is.

:54:03. > :54:09.These people dressed up as people out for a walk! These crazy guys

:54:10. > :54:21.doing it for charity! Setting a for men dressed in well padded coats.

:54:22. > :54:27.Well done chaps. Oh dear. Brendan may have led the commentary box but

:54:28. > :54:32.Andrew is a welcome addition. This is coming back up to West Ferry

:54:33. > :54:35.Circus, the roundabout at Canary Wharf and a few have decided this is

:54:36. > :54:40.the first point they might have a little walk. Then you get some who

:54:41. > :54:47.are getting across, this is a good runner, a very good runner, you do

:54:48. > :54:53.not want any assistance because then it doesn't count, he is going to

:54:54. > :54:59.make it to the end. So many great running groups have been started

:55:00. > :55:03.because of London marathons, this is David, he is struggling but he is

:55:04. > :55:08.going to make it. Come on David, you can do it. At this point what he

:55:09. > :55:14.hasn't got to do is pick his legs up too much, just keep moving one step

:55:15. > :55:23.at a time. It's not that far, don't try and run, one step at a time. I

:55:24. > :55:27.think once you reach this stage, it's just over 200 metres to go and

:55:28. > :55:34.that's a long 200 metres I am afraid. He is down at the moment. We

:55:35. > :55:38.are willing him to the finish and the crowd well as well but he will

:55:39. > :55:42.get all the assistance they can but he will want to finish it on his

:55:43. > :55:49.own. He still a good runner, the time he is close to finishing in. He

:55:50. > :55:57.had been hoping, he was at one point well under three hours. We are just

:55:58. > :56:05.watching the clock at the top end, around two hours 50. Keep an eye on

:56:06. > :56:09.him, hopefully he will make it. They get to this last bit, and oddly

:56:10. > :56:14.enough it is when you struggle the most because you think I am there

:56:15. > :56:18.and then all of a sudden the energy disappears and this is about mind

:56:19. > :56:24.over matter, keeping going and this is what I love, the camaraderie.

:56:25. > :56:27.That Swansea Harrier will probably not know that Josh Griffiths has

:56:28. > :56:34.qualified for the World Championships and he is telling him

:56:35. > :56:39.he can do it. Brilliant. This is so hard. Every single part of his body

:56:40. > :56:43.shutting down but we are seeing the camaraderie and spirit of the

:56:44. > :56:50.marathon. How many of these guys on for personal bests. I don't know if

:56:51. > :56:54.they can help him all the way to the line but they can certainly

:56:55. > :57:00.encourage him. Let's hope he is OK and there is help waiting for him

:57:01. > :57:11.when he crosses the line. He has got about a metres to go and he can take

:57:12. > :57:20.his time. He has got help. -- about 150 metres to go. One of the sort of

:57:21. > :57:27.things we get used to seeing every year but it never fails to inspire

:57:28. > :57:28.you. Being helped by Matthew Rees from Swansea Harriers, well done

:57:29. > :57:43.Matthew. Incredible scenes, about a metres

:57:44. > :57:48.down from the finish and we are at the finish, I have got Chris Newton

:57:49. > :57:51.and James Cracknell who know about tough finishes whether it is on a

:57:52. > :57:56.bike or a boat and we have got the royals who have joined us, you can

:57:57. > :58:01.see Prince William and Prince Harry looking out in disbelief, the

:58:02. > :58:07.camaraderie which as Paula Radcliffe said is what the London Marathon is

:58:08. > :58:11.all about. Josh Griffiths is a team-mate who will be proud to see

:58:12. > :58:18.his fellow Swansea Harrier sacrificing what could be a PB to

:58:19. > :58:22.get this runner over the line. James, I know you have just run your

:58:23. > :58:28.own fantastic race but seeing that, it sums up what this is about. Yes,

:58:29. > :58:32.the selfless nature of other runners, I saw a couple of people in

:58:33. > :58:38.real trouble and give them a quick pat on the bomb to keep going so I

:58:39. > :58:50.feel a bit guilty and selfish. -- pat on the bottom. His name is David

:58:51. > :58:54.and he has had many minutes of airtime as he struggled to get to

:58:55. > :58:58.the finish but it is important he does not get medical help because

:58:59. > :59:02.otherwise his time would not count but are you pleased with your

:59:03. > :59:07.performance? Looking at that, it's amazing what people put themselves

:59:08. > :59:13.through to get to the finish. We all have our own goals, completing it,

:59:14. > :59:19.being sponsored, everyone is killing themselves to get to the finish and

:59:20. > :59:27.helping each other out is fantastic. What did you run today, just over

:59:28. > :59:36.45, I was chasing a PB but I went too quickly. Did you do a PB? I was

:59:37. > :59:40.going under two-hour and 50 and I was running with a guy from Medway

:59:41. > :59:49.Harriers and asked what time he was going for and he said 2.45, luckily,

:59:50. > :59:55.that is not poetry in motion is it? It is not Daniel Wanjiru going over

:59:56. > :00:00.the line but 2.43 for a man of your stature, what you did in the boat,

:00:01. > :00:04.you should not as a logically be doing that. In terms of size, I am

:00:05. > :00:09.lighter than when I was rowing but the one thing I have over a lot of

:00:10. > :00:12.other runners is that for ten years I did full-time in Jude and

:00:13. > :00:16.straining and you can't do that and have a job at the same time so I

:00:17. > :00:21.might be big but I have had the luxury of being able to train and as

:00:22. > :00:25.for blowing up, if we did at least we are sitting down, whereas if you

:00:26. > :00:30.are running you are on your own and it's a tough sport. Thank you so

:00:31. > :00:34.much for joining us gentlemen. We know you put really hard work into

:00:35. > :00:40.getting to the start and put your body spirit and you will appreciate

:00:41. > :00:46.what is going on out there today. So many people attempting this for the

:00:47. > :00:48.first time, some of them multiple London Marathon attendees like

:00:49. > :01:00.yourself James going for a quick times.

:01:01. > :01:07.In 1981 Steve Edwards ran his first marathon at the age of 18. Since

:01:08. > :01:11.then he's gone on to run an incredible 777 marathons, a rate of

:01:12. > :01:17.one every 13 days for the last 29 years. Steve is well on his way to

:01:18. > :01:21.his goal of running 1000 in a fastest average time. He is running

:01:22. > :01:26.the London Marathon for the 22nd time, on this occasion to raise

:01:27. > :01:32.money for Kate's home nursing, a palliative care facility in his

:01:33. > :01:36.hometown of North Gloucestershire. Patricia Shields thought she was

:01:37. > :01:39.unstoppable until April 2015 when she was diagnosed with breast

:01:40. > :01:45.cancer. She says she has channelled some of the determination should we

:01:46. > :01:49.did into her marathon training. At running to raise money for Cancer

:01:50. > :01:53.research and takes part alongside her friends from Newcastle running

:01:54. > :01:56.club in County Down. Yasser Choudhury is running his first

:01:57. > :02:04.London Marathon this year for a brain tumour charity. The trainee

:02:05. > :02:07.neurosurgeon at University Hospital experiences the devastating impact

:02:08. > :02:10.of such illness on a daily basis. He is driven by the need for more

:02:11. > :02:14.research into nonsurgical treatment for brain tumours and the work being

:02:15. > :02:19.done to improve the lives of all those that are affected. -Year-old

:02:20. > :02:23.Rachel Peel and her by boyfriend Darren Jackson running for them

:02:24. > :02:29.British royal region. They have just returned after a seven-month

:02:30. > :02:34.deployment for the Royal Navy. They have shown some serious dedication

:02:35. > :02:37.to their trading, competing with 700 personnel to use one of the four

:02:38. > :02:45.treadmills on-board and running up and down the 200 meter flight deck.

:02:46. > :02:50.Now for most people, being on dry land, if you have been at sea for a

:02:51. > :02:56.while, is a bit of a relief. For you Rachel, you didn't give yourself

:02:57. > :03:01.that option? No, we decided to train on a seven-month deployment, so it's

:03:02. > :03:04.been quite difficult. Unbelievable. Running the London Marathon

:03:05. > :03:09.different running on a ship and a treadmill ownership? We have four

:03:10. > :03:13.treadmills on the ship and the flight deck was 200 metres long. It

:03:14. > :03:19.was a bit of a challenge. Unbelievable. You guys are doing

:03:20. > :03:23.incredibly well. Darren, how are you feeling, how are the legs? I'd say

:03:24. > :03:29.the warm up phase is over, the fun started about a mile back, at 12

:03:30. > :03:32.miles. You are so close. And of course, running for the Royal

:03:33. > :03:37.British Legion. You want to race and big-money? Yes, we've raised just

:03:38. > :03:42.under ?4000 on far. Hopefully people keep sponsoring and donating. You

:03:43. > :03:46.are making friends along the route, all the best, we will see you at the

:03:47. > :03:53.finish. Thank you. Indeed, another half marathon to go.

:03:54. > :04:00.There you are, one o'clock now it says on Big Ben. Saint Stephens

:04:01. > :04:04.tower, to give it its proper name, is that right? Round the corner they

:04:05. > :04:08.go and not too far from the finish, where we saw the interview being

:04:09. > :04:13.done at Tower Bridge is about halfway. They will turn right, go

:04:14. > :04:19.down Canary Wharf. Grand scenes on site several are. Big Ben, parts of

:04:20. > :04:25.Westminster, the London eye. A stunning city, London. There you

:04:26. > :04:31.look towards the east, the shard, and beyond that, the financial

:04:32. > :04:39.centre of Canary Wharf. Where these runners are, I'm not sure. Stretch

:04:40. > :04:46.it out, stretch it out, Cal. Very colourful runners out there as well.

:04:47. > :04:53.There we are. Actually, this is 13 miles. Someone running in the spirit

:04:54. > :04:57.of Bernie Clifton. There is probably a record for that, running with a

:04:58. > :05:03.fake ostrich. Maybe that is a real one... You would be surprise, a

:05:04. > :05:07.colleague and I were at a lecture. A quiz asked some questions about if

:05:08. > :05:12.it was a real record in the London Marathon or not. There was one for a

:05:13. > :05:18.crustacean, which was false. There is no record for running as a shrimp

:05:19. > :05:21.or prawn. I didn't know they investigated such things. The

:05:22. > :05:24.friends and family of Michael Parker, we want to wish him the

:05:25. > :05:35.best, running for the Alzheimer's Society. We also have Hallam Hope

:05:36. > :05:43.running for mencap. Jackie Robson running for Coco. And Pete on number

:05:44. > :05:50.42, running 44 marathons. The faster ones on the right going back and the

:05:51. > :05:56.slower ones going out past The Tower of London. These runners here are

:05:57. > :06:03.getting closer to the finish, about three miles or so to go. Well, the

:06:04. > :06:08.clock is ticking slowly, not slowly, ticking inexorably towards three

:06:09. > :06:12.hours. I'm looking at the home straight, just gone three hours.

:06:13. > :06:16.People were turning and coming round the corner thinking, I can do it, I

:06:17. > :06:21.can do it, no, it's gone. That's really good running, three hours,

:06:22. > :06:25.eight minute mile, that sort of thing. You can see, Big Ben just

:06:26. > :06:34.gone to one o'clock. Three hours and 25 seconds since the start. Just

:06:35. > :06:40.quickly, the first Guinness world record, not in general terms but

:06:41. > :06:48.running a marathon, in fancy dress, the first was dressed as a swimmer.

:06:49. > :06:56.A swimming one! We also have Gary McKee who is finishing 100 marathons

:06:57. > :07:04.in 100 days today. There is Elf passing us in the charity commentary

:07:05. > :07:17.box. Chasing Santa They had a big falling out!

:07:18. > :07:25.Beautiful scenes over London today, and fantastic scenes on the Mall as

:07:26. > :07:30.the runners are coming in now, just over three hours. The first race to

:07:31. > :07:37.cross the finish line with the men's Elite Wheelchair racer a few hours

:07:38. > :07:42.ago, and this is how it finished. David Weir driving, getting those

:07:43. > :07:48.arms pumping, alongside and passing Marcel Hug. Does he have a response?

:07:49. > :07:52.He drives on. A seventh London Marathon victory is going to come

:07:53. > :07:59.for David Weir! The werewolf roars again. One hour and 31, David Weir

:08:00. > :08:06.has a victory number seven. He beats the defending champion, Marcel Hug.

:08:07. > :08:11.Well, it took a few years David Weir but he finally got it. You got the

:08:12. > :08:16.record, a record seven wins in the London Marathon. And of course, your

:08:17. > :08:22.fantastic mental and role model and a source of all sorts of inspiration

:08:23. > :08:28.sat next to you, the lady you were drawing level with an six. How does

:08:29. > :08:34.it feel? It's been... It's been great. It's been challenging since

:08:35. > :08:37.Rio, to get mentally focused and get ready for this race. To be honest,

:08:38. > :08:42.two or three months ago I didn't even think I would get on the start

:08:43. > :08:47.line, because I've been struggling a little bit, a little bit with

:08:48. > :08:51.depression, to be honest. So to get here and to race and to win, and to

:08:52. > :08:59.beat Tanni Grey-Thompson's record is honour. The last few years, where

:09:00. > :09:03.I've been struggling at the last sprint and thinking, maybe I'm too

:09:04. > :09:08.old now, maybe I'm past it, maybe I'm this and maybe I'm fat, it is

:09:09. > :09:13.just nice to outspend the fastest man in the world. An absolutely

:09:14. > :09:16.fantastic finish. To see so many of you contesting at the very end and

:09:17. > :09:21.to come as you did. He couldn't have timed it any better? It was

:09:22. > :09:24.absolutely perfect. I was glad I was only co-commentating because coming

:09:25. > :09:29.from the final bend I couldn't breathe. You just knew David within

:09:30. > :09:33.a really good position. To come past Marcel, whose top speed was

:09:34. > :09:37.incredible, to go past him and beat him by that much... I said on air, I

:09:38. > :09:41.think it's the best London I've seen you do, one of the best races I've

:09:42. > :09:46.seen David do. No pressure, but there's plenty more left to give. I

:09:47. > :09:49.was going to ask you, we spoke on Wednesday and you said you might

:09:50. > :09:51.have an announcement about your future on Monday. I'm not sure if

:09:52. > :09:59.that changes things for you, does it? Do you know what, I just want to

:10:00. > :10:02.take it all in. As I said, it's been a challenging four months, and after

:10:03. > :10:07.Rio as well, eight months of feeling really down and depressed and stuff

:10:08. > :10:14.like that. I need to savour the moment, take it all in. It's my

:10:15. > :10:18.seventh my 18th went year in a row. Is it the sweetest Montana one of my

:10:19. > :10:23.best victories ever. Because of the stuff that's gone on in my mind.

:10:24. > :10:27.It's definitely one of the biggest wins I've ever had in my career. Can

:10:28. > :10:35.you put into context for us, if you will, what he's gone through, David?

:10:36. > :10:38.In the last seven months or so? The disappointment and what must have

:10:39. > :10:42.been feelings of despair after Rio, to come and live himself for today,

:10:43. > :10:47.for something that seemed to be slipping further into the distance,

:10:48. > :10:51.the seven victory? It's hard to imagine the pressure David was

:10:52. > :10:54.under. On the back of London 12, the expectation of Rio and everything

:10:55. > :10:58.that happened there and beyond. It's not easy to come back and get back

:10:59. > :11:02.on the start line. That is the deepest field we have ever had in my

:11:03. > :11:06.memory of London. That's the most guys we've had in a sprint finish.

:11:07. > :11:09.There are a lot of people out there, eight Japanese in the race, who

:11:10. > :11:15.could have messed up the race for everyone. It's just totally amazing.

:11:16. > :11:21.Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson, you have a lot of influence with these

:11:22. > :11:24.things, so David Weir? The achievements that this man and what

:11:25. > :11:28.he has done for Paralympic sport over the decade is phenomenal. And

:11:29. > :11:33.this feels so justified today, doesn't it? I think when the number

:11:34. > :11:36.of people that have spoken to be in the last five years who watched

:11:37. > :11:41.David in London and before that, who now want to do wheelchair racing

:11:42. > :11:45.because of him and be involved in disability sport because of what

:11:46. > :11:50.he's achieved... He's just been an amazing ambassador for wheelchair

:11:51. > :11:55.racing and British sport. Such a long period of time, your 18th

:11:56. > :12:00.London Marathon Chris Wratt yes. To get yourself on the start line for

:12:01. > :12:02.18 occasions is astonishing. It was an amazing six and now it is an

:12:03. > :12:12.amazing seven. COMMENTATOR: What a performance by

:12:13. > :12:17.David Weir. A new course record for David Weir and his second win ever

:12:18. > :12:23.in the London Marathon. David Weir is going to win it for Great

:12:24. > :12:28.Britain... David Weir has done it, 1:30.50 one. David Weir WinZip, now

:12:29. > :12:35.three in a row. Fabulous from David Weir. David Weir, Paralympic

:12:36. > :12:42.champion on the track, going for gold, this could be victory number

:12:43. > :12:48.six in the wheelchair marathon. Equalling Tanni Grey Thompson's

:12:49. > :12:52.record. A seventh London Marathon victory is going to come for David

:12:53. > :12:56.Weir! 2012 was a magnificent year for you

:12:57. > :13:02.to win here, and the poster boy for London as well. Five years to get

:13:03. > :13:06.that record, it's been a long time coming. Congratulations, David. You

:13:07. > :13:10.are just going to savour this moment, I feel, for a long time and

:13:11. > :13:15.hopefully will help lift your spirits and attitude towards the

:13:16. > :13:18.sport. I hope so. Like I said, it's been challenging. Training has

:13:19. > :13:23.really sorted my mind out, when I've gone out and thought deeply about

:13:24. > :13:28.what I want to do in my life and in racing terms. I'm going to sit down

:13:29. > :13:32.with my team in the next week or so and decide what I really want to do.

:13:33. > :13:36.It would just be nice to have a break from the track, to be honest.

:13:37. > :13:42.I think that's what helped me, this winter. Managing your body? Managing

:13:43. > :13:46.my body, managing my mind, thinking, I've got to get ready for the World

:13:47. > :13:50.Championships after the London Marathon... You would like to see

:13:51. > :13:55.him in London, wouldn't you? I wouldn't... When you see a

:13:56. > :14:00.performance like that it's incredible, but it would be great to

:14:01. > :14:03.see what he could do that. No pressure, but I think there's still

:14:04. > :14:09.loads of potential that. Just got to put all the nonsense that's happened

:14:10. > :14:13.to him behind. My Twitter feed has gone ballistic with everyone saying

:14:14. > :14:18.well done, really proud of his achievements. It's incredible.

:14:19. > :14:20.Yes, I think so many people out there today are thrilled with what

:14:21. > :14:25.you've done. Sometimes when it takes a long time to come, it's even

:14:26. > :14:30.better and even sweeter. Savour the moment and congratulations. I will.

:14:31. > :14:36.Some say the bug of running never goes away. I've never tasted it,

:14:37. > :14:43.Dale has tasted at how many times? 37. 37 in London, how many in total

:14:44. > :14:49.Montana 100. The 100 Marathon you have run Montana yes, my 18th

:14:50. > :14:55.birthday. When you leave, we will sing happy birthday to you. Why do

:14:56. > :15:01.keep coming back to this? I have to do collect money for charity,

:15:02. > :15:05.correcting for Sense, a blind charity. And I have a new angle,

:15:06. > :15:10.that's why I have a crutch. You keep coming up with surprises. You are a

:15:11. > :15:15.superhero and we are very, very proud of you, keep it up. I promise

:15:16. > :15:21.to sing it... # Happy birthday to you

:15:22. > :15:25.# Happy birthday to Dale #. I'm going to stop.

:15:26. > :15:28.I have stopped you, you're about the only person who has to take a seat

:15:29. > :15:33.at the 18 mile mark, who are you running for? The Cystic Fibrosis

:15:34. > :15:37.Trust. It is a horrible disease and the trust are doing some fantastic

:15:38. > :15:42.work in the field. Doing good work with genetics and all that kind of

:15:43. > :15:46.stuff. The work they are doing means 50% people born with the disease are

:15:47. > :15:49.living until their 40s and older. A fantastic charity. The effort you

:15:50. > :15:54.are putting in their behalf running the marathon is a huge thing, well

:15:55. > :15:58.done to you for doing that. How are the British crowd truly renew on?

:15:59. > :16:02.Amazing, they make you feel ten feet tall. I don't like running, I hate

:16:03. > :16:07.it. The crowd are keeping me going. A crowd of jelly babies. We couldn't

:16:08. > :16:11.miss you in your bright yellow attire, why did you choose this

:16:12. > :16:15.Chris Wratt yellow to support the trust. Also a few people watching on

:16:16. > :16:21.TV and a few friends round the course. I thought I would stand out,

:16:22. > :16:23.why not? Why not! Let me take that microphone, and enough rest for you.

:16:24. > :16:28.Get on your way and enjoy the next eight miles.

:16:29. > :16:39.I have James and make... The whole team, two guys who have decided

:16:40. > :16:49.props were definitely worth bringing. To get on TV you get an

:16:50. > :17:04.extra... Extra ?100. We want ?50 each, get on our pages? You're doing

:17:05. > :17:10.a wonderful job, radon. Respect. You look wonderful, I have stopped due

:17:11. > :17:18.in a tutu, tell me about it? I just decided to where it. Get people to

:17:19. > :17:27.recognise me. It grabbed my attention. Any particular time?

:17:28. > :17:35.Three and a half hours was my goal. But I set off to fast, I think I

:17:36. > :17:39.will still do three and a half miles but I'm going to walk the last part,

:17:40. > :17:47.my legs have gone. Take your time, we wish you the best. Thank you, I

:17:48. > :17:52.am enjoying it anyway. I have the best of British with me,

:17:53. > :18:01.congratulations to Alyson Dixon, Charlotte Purdue and Josh, first of

:18:02. > :18:07.all I will deal with you, some hesitancy in commentary because you

:18:08. > :18:12.were not even with the Elite Men, you are running as a fantastic club

:18:13. > :18:18.runner, never ran a marathon before. It was my first marathon today, the

:18:19. > :18:21.goal was, I never even considered the British placings, it was to

:18:22. > :18:28.qualify for the current wealth games for Wales. That was in your mind,

:18:29. > :18:33.the Gold Coast. Yes, I felt good all the way through and kept working and

:18:34. > :18:41.it went to plan. So tell us about yourself, never ran a marathon, what

:18:42. > :18:44.had been running? I worked my way from cross-country, with the

:18:45. > :18:47.Commonwealth Games I thought I would give the marathon a shot. Did not

:18:48. > :18:52.know what I had in store but thought I would give it a go and everything

:18:53. > :19:03.went perfectly. Was due are picking off these international and working

:19:04. > :19:06.your way up the field what's going through your mind, are you looking

:19:07. > :19:08.at your time? Yeah, but I never considered the World Championships

:19:09. > :19:17.until I crossed the line. It felt great. I imagine everyone in South

:19:18. > :19:22.Wales was going ballistic, qualification to wear AGB shirt in

:19:23. > :19:31.August, you did not have plans did you? Definitely not! You would have

:19:32. > :19:35.to cancel the holiday if you did! And in the ladies race, for you

:19:36. > :19:41.ladies it was a Battle of Britain, so many strong female athletes and

:19:42. > :19:44.Charlotte you had Alyson in your sights the whole time, how much was

:19:45. > :19:49.going through your mind from last year where you missed out on

:19:50. > :19:55.qualification for the Olympics? Last June was disappointing but it was my

:19:56. > :20:00.first marathon. This is my third in a year. I am really happy to be

:20:01. > :20:06.going to the World Championships. You finished behind Alyson, did you

:20:07. > :20:12.sense she was coming? Yes, I was trying to use the crowd to sense how

:20:13. > :20:18.far close she was but the crowd was so loud you could not hear much. But

:20:19. > :20:25.today I just went for it, I wanted to see how fast I could go. You two

:20:26. > :20:31.perhaps indicative of what's going on in distance running for women, a

:20:32. > :20:35.strength in depth, Callum Hawkins has already qualified for the World

:20:36. > :20:41.Championships because of his ninth place in Rio but things are looking

:20:42. > :20:47.good. Yes, looking good for endurance, Laura Muir on the track

:20:48. > :20:50.side of things. It's nice to see an upsurge in performance from

:20:51. > :20:57.everyone. The more the top guys progress the next what come through

:20:58. > :21:02.and we are finally getting good strength in numbers. You are a

:21:03. > :21:06.relatively young in marathon terms, stepped up quite quickly, three in a

:21:07. > :21:13.year is going some. Not another one between now and the World

:21:14. > :21:18.Championships? No, but being only at 205I have about 12 years left in me

:21:19. > :21:27.so if I keep on proving who knows -- being only 25 I have about 12 years

:21:28. > :21:32.left in me. I think you have given many people hope out there, put your

:21:33. > :21:35.name down as a good club runner and you could end up in the World

:21:36. > :21:39.Championships, well done to all of you. I am sure Wales will be happy

:21:40. > :21:52.and the Commonwealth Games looks good as well.

:21:53. > :21:59.Terry from Huddersfield is running for a charity that supports people

:22:00. > :22:03.affected by alcohol, drugs and mental health problems. He

:22:04. > :22:07.transformed his life by stopping drinking in March 2014 and a couple

:22:08. > :22:13.of years later completed his first London man of them. He is back again

:22:14. > :22:17.this year. Three years ago 42-year-old Angela from Windsor was

:22:18. > :22:21.giving the devastating news she had in lung cancer. She is running the

:22:22. > :22:26.marathon for the cancer treatment and research trust and hopes to send

:22:27. > :22:30.out a positive and encouraging message to others facing adversity.

:22:31. > :22:36.In spite of her diagnosis she is determined to enjoy life with her

:22:37. > :22:39.husband and their two young sons. Natalie is raising money for her son

:22:40. > :22:44.'s specialist primary school Rodney house. Her six-year-old has autism

:22:45. > :22:49.and struggled to communicate before going to his new school. Thanks to

:22:50. > :22:53.the staff at the school he has gradually begun to talk and play.

:22:54. > :22:58.Natalie says it has transformed her little boy 's life. Scott is an

:22:59. > :23:05.officer in the West Midlands Police, he is running for police charity

:23:06. > :23:10.call for back-up. It is a peer support network police officers can

:23:11. > :23:13.draw upon in times of need. Scott says the police are open confronted

:23:14. > :23:16.by things people should not have two CR handle and it is good to know

:23:17. > :23:23.there is somewhere for him and his to turn.

:23:24. > :23:31.As we saw, Scott, 14 years in the force, second time doing the

:23:32. > :23:37.marathon, how does it feel? Much better, last time I pushed too hard

:23:38. > :23:41.to go under four hours but this time I am enjoying the occasion and

:23:42. > :23:45.raising money. Running the marathon can be a very stressful occasion but

:23:46. > :23:51.being a member of the police force, tell us more about the incredible

:23:52. > :23:55.work call for back-up do? Police often need help, we are they are to

:23:56. > :24:00.help members of the public but sometimes we take things home with

:24:01. > :24:06.us we cannot forget, physical scars mental scars. Sometimes police

:24:07. > :24:11.officers do not feel they can turn to their own force so call for

:24:12. > :24:16.back-up is there as someone to help, a shoulder to cry on, that bit of

:24:17. > :24:22.support somebody needs if they are not feeling 100%. Pick up the phone

:24:23. > :24:26.and give them a shout and they can help you. A wonderful support

:24:27. > :24:32.network and you are doing an inspirational thing, keep up the

:24:33. > :24:36.good work. Thank you. What a great cause and of course police men and

:24:37. > :24:41.women need support of all kinds when they do their job and it is not

:24:42. > :24:45.easy. The risk danger and confrontation on a daily basis and

:24:46. > :24:49.sadly a month ago we were reminded of that because on Westminster

:24:50. > :25:00.Bridge on one March afternoon five people would not return home after

:25:01. > :25:03.being killed in an attack going about their daily business and in

:25:04. > :25:05.this next film we meet someone who was part of the response unit that

:25:06. > :25:09.they running for the marathon for the Police Dependants' Trust.

:25:10. > :25:16.When invents were unravelling I was watching it in one of our rooms and

:25:17. > :25:19.I took a team of officers down and he kicked into the plan to find out

:25:20. > :25:24.what happened, who was responsible, making sure we knew everything we

:25:25. > :25:31.could to make sure we had the right people in the right place. I think I

:25:32. > :25:35.was on duty for about 27 hours so I went home, travelling home on the

:25:36. > :25:38.train when everyone else was coming into work and it was surreal, that

:25:39. > :25:42.everyone else could carry on as normal. And rightly so, they should

:25:43. > :25:46.carry on as normal but when you have been at the sharp end of what has

:25:47. > :25:53.happened it hard to transition back to normal if that makes sense. I did

:25:54. > :25:56.not know Keith or any of the injured officers but we are all on the same

:25:57. > :26:00.team and we have to stick together. You don't know what is around the

:26:01. > :26:03.corner, what will be on the end of the ball in the next call that comes

:26:04. > :26:09.in and you need to rely on each other. When bad things happen we

:26:10. > :26:13.have each other to rely on and pick up the pieces. I would like to do

:26:14. > :26:19.something to support my police family, my colleagues that have been

:26:20. > :26:24.injured. And officers injured in other incidents are killed on duty

:26:25. > :26:26.or have dependents who need support so I phoned the Police Dependants'

:26:27. > :26:31.Trust and saw they were raising money and bought this is great, an

:26:32. > :26:36.ideal opportunity to do what I can to raise money for these officers

:26:37. > :26:41.who need it more than I do. Brian was such an officer in need, he was

:26:42. > :26:48.in the Royal policing unit until an incident at work in 2009 left him

:26:49. > :26:53.with life changing spinal injuries. I always believed I would be back in

:26:54. > :26:57.full uniform are doing the job I loved doing. It took me a good four

:26:58. > :27:04.years to come to the conclusion that there is not a miracle cure. Without

:27:05. > :27:09.a miracle he had to get practical. His injuries restricted his mobility

:27:10. > :27:12.to a point where he needed to make changes to his home. The Police

:27:13. > :27:18.Dependants' Trust provided the help he and his family required. No man

:27:19. > :27:21.wants his wife are lifting him in and out of the shower, having to go

:27:22. > :27:25.up and down the stairs on your knees, it is not in the fight. As a

:27:26. > :27:31.police officer he could take on the world, but there are times in life

:27:32. > :27:36.you need help. I did some research and found the Police Dependants'

:27:37. > :27:41.Trust and my situation, two days later I got an e-mail saying they

:27:42. > :27:45.would fund everything. The difference is unbelievable because

:27:46. > :27:48.it's made my quality of life so much better. Without the Police

:27:49. > :27:53.Dependants' Trust I don't know where I would be. This lady running for

:27:54. > :28:02.them, fantastic, what a girl. I hope she does really well. I am really

:28:03. > :28:06.proud of working for the Met police and I am proud I am able to do

:28:07. > :28:11.something positive after what has been a horrendous time for a lot of

:28:12. > :28:14.people. It is a marathon for hope, it will be a cathartic experience

:28:15. > :28:24.for me and lots of other people who were there on the day.

:28:25. > :28:31.It will be good to see the best side of London because there are lots of

:28:32. > :28:38.amazing people that live and work in London and I am sure we will have a

:28:39. > :28:43.fantastic day. So many different reasons for everybody but as we know

:28:44. > :28:52.this is a particularly significant race for Julia, I saw you before you

:28:53. > :28:55.started having your nerves subsided? No, I am exhausted and I don't know

:28:56. > :29:02.how I have got here so quickly. But the crowd are amazing, so much

:29:03. > :29:09.support. They will carry me I am sure. I just feel really stiff. That

:29:10. > :29:14.will go at some stage. The next day or so, maybe. We know you were

:29:15. > :29:17.involved in the response for the Westminster attack, it's only a few

:29:18. > :29:24.miles round the corner, how will it feel running past that? It will be

:29:25. > :29:29.touching for everyone, whether you are a emergency service responder or

:29:30. > :29:36.a member of the public. It will be a powerful moment but I look forward

:29:37. > :29:43.to it. I hope to find my friend who is probably halfway to the finish. I

:29:44. > :29:49.am halfway. You are, you probably went past him and did not realise. I

:29:50. > :29:57.got passed by a giraffe. Welcome to the London Marathon! Keep up the

:29:58. > :30:02.amazing work. Batsman introduce yourself and tell

:30:03. > :30:12.us who you are running for. I am Frank and I am running for Sense,

:30:13. > :30:20.deaf and blind. I do lots of international marathons, I am doing

:30:21. > :30:23.Sydney as Batman. You get yourself 11 consecutive London marathons and

:30:24. > :30:31.you throw a few more in around the world. You are superhuman. I try my

:30:32. > :30:41.best and I am dedicating this to my dad who... Who passed away... In

:30:42. > :30:48.September... I am doing it for him. I just want to say thanks to my wife

:30:49. > :30:52.Angela and my son Brandon and my family in the UK Australia and South

:30:53. > :30:57.Africa who are all supporting me. I am trying to do my best. I am sure

:30:58. > :31:01.your father would be very proud of you I have no doubt and you have the

:31:02. > :31:06.support of your family and friends, I cannot keep you any longer,

:31:07. > :31:08.finishing your 11 London Marathon. All the very best and good luck.

:31:09. > :31:19.Cheers. I just asked Superman what else I

:31:20. > :31:33.should call in and he said. Clark Kent. And I said what else? My 302nd

:31:34. > :31:44.marathon. 302nd! My 31st London Marathon today Thomas Ince 1986.

:31:45. > :31:51.Sensational. I've hope to raise ?2000 for the London hospice. Do you

:31:52. > :31:57.still feel super? Definitely. Goodlad, off you go! Get inspired is

:31:58. > :32:02.BBC's Bob's campaign to help you get active. Get inspired is on the BBC

:32:03. > :32:06.sport website. You can find inspirational stories from people

:32:07. > :32:10.just like you as well as hints and tips and practical guides to help

:32:11. > :32:16.you give something a go. There is also an activity finder, to help you

:32:17. > :32:19.find something to drive near you. Just get up, get inspired and get

:32:20. > :32:29.active. Get inspired has everything you need

:32:30. > :32:33.to get involved in so many sports, including athletics, and it is on

:32:34. > :32:39.the BBC sport website. Durant have a look, lots of details to check out,

:32:40. > :32:46.whatever age, shape or size are. We have picked out a few celebrities

:32:47. > :32:50.and Phil Jones will tell you a bit more.

:32:51. > :32:55.Famous faces to spot on course today include... Much of the day to

:32:56. > :32:59.presenter Mark Chapman, for in a half hours is his aim. A similar

:33:00. > :33:05.target for his BBC colleague, Chris Evans,

:33:06. > :33:13.just under four hours is the goal of Quinton Fortune. Olympic champion

:33:14. > :33:17.rower Helen Glover is no duck out of water, three hours and 20 minutes is

:33:18. > :33:21.her target. A more modest five and a half hours would please ITV

:33:22. > :33:27.newsreader Nina Hossain. Our Olympic rower Pamela Relph has her eyes set

:33:28. > :33:32.on a time just over four hours. The professional TV viewer today becomes

:33:33. > :33:40.the viewed, Baasit Siddiqui is on a four-hour mission. Kevin Sinfield

:33:41. > :33:43.rugby great, his aim is four hours. Adam Woodyatt, EastEnders's Ian

:33:44. > :33:48.Beale is playing it safe with an estimated finish of around seven

:33:49. > :33:53.hours. It sounds like a stroll! TV presenter Sian Williams thinks she

:33:54. > :33:57.is in for our 20 shape. But let's face it, to finish at all is a major

:33:58. > :34:03.feat, whatever the time for our runners today!

:34:04. > :34:09.So that is where they are on the course at the moment. Helen Glover

:34:10. > :34:13.has already finished. I think I have just seen Sophie Raworth coming up

:34:14. > :34:17.the Mall. You can see out there, Adam Woodyatt is at the halfway

:34:18. > :34:23.mark. It will be a tough finish for him coming up. And a little bit

:34:24. > :34:28.further run, the likes of Nina Hossain and there, Mark Chapman, our

:34:29. > :34:30.colleague from BBC sport, who is due to present match of the day Limerick

:34:31. > :34:39.to this evening. A flock of these at Canary Wharf.

:34:40. > :34:45.You look like you are grateful for the rest. I am, thank you. I

:34:46. > :34:51.wouldn't have stopped, but once you put a chair down for me. How long

:34:52. > :34:55.can I stay? Not long, you only have about eight miles to go. I thought

:34:56. > :35:03.it was a bit less than eight. No, eight. It gets worse! Do you know

:35:04. > :35:06.what, it's amazing and horrific in equal measure. I don't know what

:35:07. > :35:13.else people have said, but it is really hot, not helped by the fact I

:35:14. > :35:16.have tights on and a long-sleeved top on, having trained in the winter

:35:17. > :35:22.in Manchester. But the support is unbelievable. I was fine until...

:35:23. > :35:29.You know when you go, you turn the runway at Tower Bridge, it always

:35:30. > :35:33.does me. Go the wrong way, down to the Isle of Dogs, stop for the

:35:34. > :35:39.toilet... By the way, I'm not making excuses! Someone had flushed blue I

:35:40. > :35:45.went in... That's enough of that! Lets stick to the race. I know it's

:35:46. > :35:50.lunchtime! But, I've walked a bit recently and I feel so guilty,

:35:51. > :35:54.because the support is unbelievable, but I am just absolutely shattered.

:35:55. > :35:57.I don't think it's about how fast you do it, it's about getting round

:35:58. > :36:01.in the first place and the charities you are running four, the work

:36:02. > :36:07.you're doing, they're not worried about how you do it. You have to

:36:08. > :36:11.remember I worked with a lot of sportsmen and women who do nothing

:36:12. > :36:15.but take the Mickey. Chris Sutton is adamant I won't complete it in under

:36:16. > :36:20.eight hours. I would love to do it... I wanted to do it in for and a

:36:21. > :36:24.half, which is still possible, I will blame sitting here for not

:36:25. > :36:31.doing it. I think if I break five? That's fast enough. I did two before

:36:32. > :36:36.when I was a lot younger. But Paddy Ryan Eisai, you've just got to keep

:36:37. > :36:42.in the mind... I'm doing it for Christie and what they did for my

:36:43. > :36:46.family, got to give my mind on that. Sounds like it means an awful lot to

:36:47. > :36:51.you. You carry on and try to get under five. There's no rush though,

:36:52. > :36:58.is there? I will see you later. Thank you. I think we will all tune

:36:59. > :37:01.in to see how he's looking tonight. Look at this, Sophie Raworth, who is

:37:02. > :37:07.about to cross the line in a time that will smash her PB. She went

:37:08. > :37:13.under three hours and 13 minutes. Somewhere in the late 40s or early

:37:14. > :37:18.50s today. Bringing that time down in the last few years. Look at her,

:37:19. > :37:20.she looks absolutely thrilled! We will probably catch up with her

:37:21. > :37:29.soon. She might be presenting the news. She looks absolutely thrilled

:37:30. > :37:32.with her time, and it really is hotting up out there. Conditions

:37:33. > :37:36.over the last few miles will have been a bit trickier for those

:37:37. > :37:39.runners out there. I'm sure Steve Cram will tell you that. We

:37:40. > :37:44.shouldn't underestimate, when the temperature rises and you've been

:37:45. > :37:46.out there already for three and half hours, the dehydration and risk of

:37:47. > :37:49.dehydration if you don't get the fluid on board and make sure that

:37:50. > :37:57.you keep replenished, it's so important. You are absolutely right.

:37:58. > :38:01.I often say to the guys who are out there for four, five, six hours, the

:38:02. > :38:05.elite runners have it easy, they are done in two hours. They don't have

:38:06. > :38:13.to content with rising temperatures and being out there as long as these

:38:14. > :38:17.guys. So yes, hydrating, taking on various gels, jellybeans were my

:38:18. > :38:21.favourites when I was doing long runs, but everyone has their own

:38:22. > :38:25.tipple! Brendan has just enjoyed a few cupcakes in the commentary box.

:38:26. > :38:32.I deserve them. I just had great pleasure watching Sophie Raworth

:38:33. > :38:35.running a personal best on the streets of London, looking very

:38:36. > :38:40.comfortable at the finish. Well done Sophie, fantastic performance!

:38:41. > :38:44.There's George, a friend of mine... Heading for around three hours and

:38:45. > :38:49.52. He's well on the way to doing that. George is a patron of the

:38:50. > :38:54.Bobby Robson foundation. He went to the same infant school as Bobby in

:38:55. > :39:01.Langley Park. And my niece, Sarah McLeod, running her first marathon

:39:02. > :39:06.at the age of 48, a charity for hearing dogs for the deaf. Well

:39:07. > :39:11.done, hope it's going OK! Jackie Robinson running for cocoa. Jim

:39:12. > :39:17.Whittington running for cardiac arrest, in memory of Jalan White,

:39:18. > :39:20.who suddenly died at Christmas this year. Emily Isaac running from the

:39:21. > :39:33.Serpentine running club. Annabel, my six-year-old

:39:34. > :39:37.granddaughter's teacher. The teacher told all the kids in the class to

:39:38. > :39:44.run a mile this weekend, which they've done. She is running for

:39:45. > :39:49.MacMillan Cancer Support. This is further down the course. We

:39:50. > :39:54.just saw the telephone box again, he is everywhere! Maybe not the same

:39:55. > :39:57.one. Approaching three hours and 33 minutes. Waiting for the first of

:39:58. > :40:04.the children in need runners to cross the line. Good contest. We

:40:05. > :40:09.think Paul might be in the lead... Chris Evans going well today. Good

:40:10. > :40:13.luck to all of them today. Chris is on target to get here before we go

:40:14. > :40:27.off air at three o'clock. A shout out to rob and Chris running for the

:40:28. > :40:31.Move charity. And Graham, aiming to run in under three hours. He is

:40:32. > :40:43.running for prostate cancer, in memory of his father. A number of

:40:44. > :40:46.MPs running today, 16 running today. No Liberal Democrats. The vast

:40:47. > :40:54.assembly, I think he gets a mention quite often, the fastest ever

:40:55. > :41:05.Matthew in 1985, two hours and 32 and 57 seconds. An incredible run.

:41:06. > :41:13.Aiming to run inside three hours, which is hopefully, washable. Wendy

:41:14. > :41:16.Archibald running for meningitis research. Mark running for the

:41:17. > :41:25.Norfolk Hospice, his wife Emma and daughter Judith are supporting him.

:41:26. > :41:31.The city runners, Paul, 50 marathons in 50 days and today is his 50th. He

:41:32. > :41:42.is running for cancer care and has a big sponsorship. Anthony Chapman in

:41:43. > :41:46.there, somewhere in there. He is running for well Child charity. He

:41:47. > :41:51.has some support. That is a tremendous effort. How do you get

:41:52. > :42:02.that home on the train or on the bus? Might not go under the start-

:42:03. > :42:05.finish entry. That man in the pink shorts, running in memory of his

:42:06. > :42:12.little girl who died suddenly of cancer. Running for diabetes

:42:13. > :42:16.research. Some of those in fancy dress, I was

:42:17. > :42:22.talking about the fancy dress world records, of which there are

:42:23. > :42:29.officially quite a few. Jo Spragg and ran 2.42, dressed as a swimmer,

:42:30. > :42:38.the fastest. 2.58, Ashley Payne said today. Fastest marathon dressed as a

:42:39. > :42:43.food item. And one more for you. The fastest marathon in film character

:42:44. > :42:49.costume, which seems a bit general, you can choose any film character,

:42:50. > :42:54.Rebecca set that record today, three hours and 16 minutes. I don't know

:42:55. > :42:55.what the character was, but well done for these tremendous and

:42:56. > :43:10.apparently official world records. Adele from BBC One crossing the

:43:11. > :43:19.line. For the Heads Together charity. Well done! A good time,

:43:20. > :43:27.3.37, a very good time from Adele. Some weary bodies coming down the

:43:28. > :43:32.Mall. Some have left a bit of time, others toiling to the finish.

:43:33. > :43:35.Someone on the right-hand side being helped the line. We saw some on

:43:36. > :43:45.being helped the line earlier by a Swansea Harrier.

:43:46. > :43:54.I saw a Kingston Harrier earlier on, as well. This is my last commentary,

:43:55. > :43:58.and this is my last official mention. I'm really happy about this

:43:59. > :44:03.one. A friend of mine, Morris, running with his son Sam. They are

:44:04. > :44:10.running for world Jewish relief, who brought his father then to the UK

:44:11. > :44:15.after the war in 1945. He survived the Holocaust and was brought to

:44:16. > :44:19.Britain aged 16 and ended up being captain of the Great Britain

:44:20. > :44:24.weightlifting team in the 1956 and 1960 Olympics. A bronze medal in the

:44:25. > :44:28.Commonwealth Games. His story was recently dutifully told on Desert

:44:29. > :44:33.Island discs. Good luck to Morris and his son Sam and best wishes to

:44:34. > :44:34.Ben, who is now 87. That is my last mention in the London Marathon.

:44:35. > :44:52.Thank you. Well done! The sun is blazing down over The

:44:53. > :44:58.Mall. This man has a very sunny smile indeed. Favourite son of rugby

:44:59. > :45:02.league, a legend of the sport, podium finisher in sports

:45:03. > :45:06.personality couple of years ago. Kevin Sinfield, first London

:45:07. > :45:11.Marathon? First marathon. Extremely tough. Delighted to finish. Some

:45:12. > :45:17.brave, brave people out there that are running. When you cross paths, I

:45:18. > :45:22.was on my way back, crossing at 13 and 14 miles, and I thought... I was

:45:23. > :45:26.delighted to finish. Very warm out there. Really enjoyable, I will be

:45:27. > :45:32.back. What was your time? Just under 3.30 one. I just wanted to be under

:45:33. > :45:38.four hours. Going into the unknown a little bit. At one stage I thought I

:45:39. > :45:42.might be under 3.30, but grabs hold of both hamstrings. I will be back.

:45:43. > :45:48.A great atmosphere, the crowd was brilliant. Every runner is dead

:45:49. > :45:53.polite and friendly. An incredible atmosphere out there. Tell us about

:45:54. > :45:56.who you are running for. I ran for Prostate Cancer UK, a charity pretty

:45:57. > :46:01.close to my heart. Some family and friends have been touched by it.

:46:02. > :46:04.Great to be out there today on their behalf. You mentioned the

:46:05. > :46:06.atmosphere, you are an inspiration and so many more, some fantastic

:46:07. > :46:12.stories out there. He's just a taster.

:46:13. > :46:16.This is the best marathon in the world, one of the best sites on the

:46:17. > :48:36.world of sport. has arrived right on cue, take it

:48:37. > :48:45.away, you have a song lined up. I am going to sing I'm a believer by The

:48:46. > :49:09.Monkees. Come on London! Here we go! Here we go!

:49:10. > :49:12.# And then I saw her face # And I'm a believer

:49:13. > :49:19.# Not a trace # Of doubt in my mind is

:49:20. > :49:22.# I'm in love # I'm a believer

:49:23. > :49:37.# I couldn't leave her if I tried! You are flying past, literally as a

:49:38. > :49:43.dragon, why? I am trying to do the world record for the fastest dragon

:49:44. > :49:51.to run a marathon. You are flying around so far. You are at the 18

:49:52. > :49:58.mile mark, how do you feel? It's good because I get to keep stopping.

:49:59. > :50:07.Who are you running for? Heads Together and Mind. Is this your

:50:08. > :50:12.first marathon? My second. I don't think I have ever seen a dragon do

:50:13. > :50:18.too well in a marathon, you have not got the right feet for it. You have

:50:19. > :50:24.not seen any ahead of me have you? I have not, looks like you are on

:50:25. > :50:32.track for the fastest dragon, all the best. Thank you! Do you regret

:50:33. > :50:37.this outfit? A little bit, but not far and it is all worth it, raising

:50:38. > :50:43.money for McIntire which helps disabled people in the community. I

:50:44. > :50:49.feel rude to ask but how much money are you raising? Hopefully close to

:50:50. > :50:56.?1000, I have been raising money throughout the year. All for a great

:50:57. > :51:01.cause. And next year would you have the same at tyre? Maybe not a

:51:02. > :51:11.dinosaur, maybe something a bit cooler. Not far to go, well done.

:51:12. > :51:21.Those crossing the line it coming in at three hours 45, that seems a long

:51:22. > :51:25.time ago to the three super one and I have along side me, Olympic gold

:51:26. > :51:33.medallist Heather Stanning and heather glover and could have been

:51:34. > :51:38.an Olympian with the times she is posting, Sophie, congratulations,

:51:39. > :51:45.fantastic PB, I know you were keen to take time off your PB. I took six

:51:46. > :51:54.minutes off, I have been training for so hard to do it and I get it by

:51:55. > :51:59.a minute so I am delighted. Brendan Foster was very pleased. He got me

:52:00. > :52:03.into running, ten years ago I did the Great North Run for the first

:52:04. > :52:08.time and this is his last London Marathon which I am sad about

:52:09. > :52:13.because I have his voice in my head, I can hear him commentating. The

:52:14. > :52:18.last 5K I thought this is his last one you have to do it so he

:52:19. > :52:25.motivated me so thank you to him. A lot of people say they think of him

:52:26. > :52:27.when they are coming up here so who knows who they will think about next

:52:28. > :52:39.year, Paul and Steve. Your times were also very impressive. I think I

:52:40. > :52:46.got 3.0 six. It all ended after a Myhill did it? Not even an mile, she

:52:47. > :52:51.left me after a kilometre. I think I came in at 3.32. Was it everything

:52:52. > :53:07.you thought it would be? The crowds are phenomenal. You are a

:53:08. > :53:14.runner in your day. Yes, I used to before I got into rowing but it was

:53:15. > :53:20.great, such an amazing atmosphere. The crowd and the athletes and how

:53:21. > :53:30.much money it raises is amazing. All running for a great causes, ie sure

:53:31. > :53:34.I saw you doing a kayak expedition with your husband. My shoulders were

:53:35. > :53:41.killing me from this 24-hour kayaking I did so I am pleased.

:53:42. > :53:45.Which was more painful? Last week was harder doing it for 24 hours but

:53:46. > :53:54.this was harder, the last three miles. Will you all do it again?

:53:55. > :54:02.Yes, of course. You want to get under three hours. That would be

:54:03. > :54:06.nice, maybe I will see how I feel. Who knows where it could take you.

:54:07. > :54:11.You might get World Championship qualifying times but this summer

:54:12. > :54:15.London again, these ladies know what it is like when London comes alive

:54:16. > :54:20.for a sporting event and there will be echoes of 2012 when the Alan

:54:21. > :54:28.Thicke Stadium comes to life again for the World Championship 's in

:54:29. > :54:37.August -- win the Olympic Stadium. Usain Bolt has done it! It's a new

:54:38. > :54:48.British record! And new world-record! What an effort!

:54:49. > :54:58.Olympic gold. It's huge! And new British record. She has smashed the

:54:59. > :55:11.British record. London is going to come to life with

:55:12. > :55:15.those World Championships in August and there will be some farewells,

:55:16. > :55:21.Usain Bolt and Mo Farah running on the track for the last time but new

:55:22. > :55:27.talent emerging, Laura Muir and Jazmin Sawyers who you might have

:55:28. > :55:30.seen on The Voice, British long jumper of some note, very talented

:55:31. > :55:38.lady so we put her to work at the mini marathon.

:55:39. > :55:50.I am more than just a girl who does Long Jump. That is vague. The jump

:55:51. > :55:57.of her life. # I like your style #

:55:58. > :56:02.. Taking the plunge and showing what you can do, that is what Britain's

:56:03. > :56:07.future Olympians and Paralympians were doing at the many London

:56:08. > :56:12.Marathon. You have got your war paint ready, how do you feel? I am

:56:13. > :56:20.nervous, my first time doing it but I think it will be good. You won

:56:21. > :56:25.last year, what are your hopes? I want to win again and hopefully

:56:26. > :56:32.break the course record. How do we feel? Nervous but excited. The

:56:33. > :56:38.centre of London and loads of people watching. How are you feeling about

:56:39. > :56:43.running here in London? I am excited, cannot wait to get out

:56:44. > :56:48.there. Excited to make an impression and right to be so, this has been

:56:49. > :56:52.the launch pad for several careers, Mo Farah and David Weir have won

:56:53. > :56:58.this race in the past and this lot are raring to go. How do you feel

:56:59. > :57:02.following them? Good, they have gone on to do amazing things so I hope to

:57:03. > :57:11.enjoy the experience and hopefully replicate what they have done. Who

:57:12. > :57:17.do you think is less keen? Probably me, this is a nightmare but good to

:57:18. > :57:21.see so many young people out here, I have spoken to a few of the athletes

:57:22. > :57:26.and they are looking forward to it. Some of them are nervous but it is

:57:27. > :57:32.good to see so many of them. The best young athletes were selected to

:57:33. > :57:35.run the last section of the marathon from Billingsgate to the famous

:57:36. > :57:48.finisher. Starting with the under 17 boys.

:57:49. > :57:55.Boys and girls wheelchair racers and an event featuring other Paralympic

:57:56. > :57:58.classifications were also held. I did it last year and I won, I want

:57:59. > :58:39.to see if I can get a personal best. Lets see your trophy. Well done,

:58:40. > :58:43.four races and the first win, how do you feel? It's a bit overwhelming of

:58:44. > :58:51.course but I have trained so hard for this all year. I spoke to you

:58:52. > :58:56.both before the race and you are both defending champions and have

:58:57. > :59:04.done it again, I was the race? Really tiring, I am dead now but

:59:05. > :59:09.happy I won. How do you think it went? Really well, close to my PB so

:59:10. > :59:15.I had to find out if it was one. I did not have a race plan, I was just

:59:16. > :59:24.going with the flow and it turned out well. I am happy. This is the

:59:25. > :59:33.role of honour. Congratulations to the winners and all who took part.

:59:34. > :59:40.The multitalented Jazmin Sawyers alongside me, you can turn your hand

:59:41. > :59:44.to anything, did you enjoy it? I had so much fun, and meeting all those

:59:45. > :59:50.kids going to run for the love I think I ever have inspired me. Did

:59:51. > :59:54.it take you back to doing junior events? Definitely, I think it's so

:59:55. > :00:00.important to take part in things like that as a youngster and enjoy

:00:01. > :00:08.it. You just said something to me something I always say, this is one

:00:09. > :00:10.of the best places in sport, this spot where you see the finishers,

:00:11. > :00:15.it's so electrifying and so encouraging and inspiring. It is

:00:16. > :00:19.making me happy to see everyone coming in, everyone raising their

:00:20. > :00:25.arms, they are so happy and I am happy for them, I get them. It is

:00:26. > :00:31.tangible. It is, I understand it and I feel it with them. Let's talk

:00:32. > :00:36.about you, you have just got back from warm weather training? Yes,

:00:37. > :00:40.back from Orlando yesterday, really good training camp with British

:00:41. > :00:48.athletics, some solid work done and I start the season next month saw a

:00:49. > :00:50.bit more work and I feel good. And building up towards the World

:00:51. > :00:54.Championships, got to get through what will be competitive qualifiers

:00:55. > :00:58.because British women's long jumping is in good state. A very good state

:00:59. > :01:03.and as much as that makes it harder it is a good thing because it pushes

:01:04. > :01:08.us. It means we can have four world-class long jumpers plus, you

:01:09. > :01:15.never know what will happen. The carrot dangling the home games be

:01:16. > :01:18.wonderful. Everyone wants to be there, I am desperate to be in

:01:19. > :01:22.London and whenever I think I should maybe these of I think I have to be

:01:23. > :01:28.in London and want to be on the team and it would be easy. It pushes me

:01:29. > :01:35.further. This sea of runners still coming in. They are giving it

:01:36. > :01:41.everything to get under four hours. 3.55 on the clock, some of them, you

:01:42. > :01:47.think how did you manage that? Styles and ways of running. It is

:01:48. > :01:51.incredible, some of the costumes. I am not sure I could run for four

:01:52. > :01:58.hours at any pacer let alone wearing a heavy costume.

:01:59. > :02:03.Don't you worry about that, when you have finished long jumping we will

:02:04. > :02:08.have you out there running the marathon. Best of luck for your

:02:09. > :02:10.training and preparation and the world athletics Championships. Thank

:02:11. > :02:14.you for joining us. Thank you for having me. Pleasure. Before we get

:02:15. > :02:19.out there to hear some more Marathon stories, some very sad news this

:02:20. > :02:26.week from the world of athletics. You may have heard on Thursday that

:02:27. > :02:30.Jermaine Mason died after a motorcycle crash. He was the silver

:02:31. > :02:35.medallist in Beijing, equalling his best of two metres and 34. His

:02:36. > :02:41.greatest achievement. He switched allegiance from Jamaica to represent

:02:42. > :02:46.Great Britain, a close friend of Usain Bolt and still holds the high

:02:47. > :02:58.jump record. Our thoughts go to his family and friends.

:02:59. > :03:05.Laura Jones has taken on the mammoth task of running a marathon on all

:03:06. > :03:09.seven continents in under a year, including the world's highest

:03:10. > :03:14.Marathon on Everest next month. 28-year-old Laura from Swansea wants

:03:15. > :03:18.to raise at least ?10,000 along the way for the Scout Association and

:03:19. > :03:22.the Jonny Wilkinson foundation, two causes close to her heart. London is

:03:23. > :03:30.her first marathon and the start of the entire challenge. David's

:03:31. > :03:35.daughter Hope was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. Having been given

:03:36. > :03:38.yorker after almost two to years of intensive treatment involving

:03:39. > :03:43.chemotherapy and radiotherapy the family received the devastating news

:03:44. > :03:46.the cancer had returned. Hope passed away in February last year, aged 14.

:03:47. > :03:50.David from East Yorkshire is running today for the charity that supported

:03:51. > :03:57.his family during their difficult time.

:03:58. > :04:01.Harry from Oxford is running for the adoption charity packed. After years

:04:02. > :04:05.of failed IVF treatment, Harry and his wife realise their dream of a

:04:06. > :04:09.family when they adopted three siblings last year. They will be

:04:10. > :04:14.cheering him on as he crosses the finish line today. In autumn 2015,

:04:15. > :04:19.27-year-old Matthew received the dreadful news that he had a brain

:04:20. > :04:23.tumour. Following a seven hour operation to remove it, the mass was

:04:24. > :04:27.identified as a malignant tumour and even with treatment, Matthew's

:04:28. > :04:30.prognosis was to live just 5-6 years more. Matthew from Birmingham is

:04:31. > :04:44.running for brain tumour research. Matt, you can't help but be affected

:04:45. > :04:49.by your story. Just tell us about your experience of your first London

:04:50. > :04:53.Marathon. Incredible, the support here is fantastic. The amount of

:04:54. > :05:00.people here, it's brilliant. The support of my family and friends and

:05:01. > :05:04.my fiancee Sarah. Matthew, Jack, Jade, Lauren, they are fantastic,

:05:05. > :05:08.absolutely brilliant. I'm saw Sarah has been on your mind for this half

:05:09. > :05:15.of the marathon so far. The she say anything before he went out today?

:05:16. > :05:20.We got Glastonbury tickets! Planning the wedding on my way round as well.

:05:21. > :05:24.Thinking about my suit. That's the kind of groomer I'm talking about,

:05:25. > :05:30.when is the date? 10th of August next year. Seriously impressive. I'm

:05:31. > :05:35.sure whether she's watching it right now, one last message for Sarah? I

:05:36. > :05:37.love you. See you at the finish. All so proud of you. Thank you very

:05:38. > :05:50.much. Another inspirational runner, like

:05:51. > :05:54.so many out there. If you are watching at home, don't forget you

:05:55. > :05:58.can go to the BBC sport website to get inspired, to see how you can

:05:59. > :06:01.join the local running club or any other sport you've been thinking

:06:02. > :06:07.about today. That is what today is all about. There you go, Big Ben

:06:08. > :06:16.about to strike two o'clock. I am here with big Brendan Foster. 37th

:06:17. > :06:21.and final marathon commentary today. We are all going to miss you. Before

:06:22. > :06:23.we chat about your incredible time here and commentating on these

:06:24. > :06:34.races, shall we listen to some of your best moments?

:06:35. > :06:51.The hand of friendship, and they tie.

:06:52. > :06:56.He's on his way to winning the 1984 London Marathon. He deserves it,

:06:57. > :07:03.he's run a great marathon today. What a triumph this is the

:07:04. > :07:10.Gateshead, first and second. As lives of Scotland and Great

:07:11. > :07:17.Britain comes home to win the 1996 London Marathon. Another great day

:07:18. > :07:22.for Britain but is that most accomplished distance runner, male

:07:23. > :07:25.or female. I'm terminally ill with breast cancer. I want to show

:07:26. > :07:29.somebody who might have a similar prognosis is that you can set

:07:30. > :07:33.yourself goals, it doesn't matter if it seems a bit impossible. I think

:07:34. > :07:40.she could be the star of this year's London Marathon. Absolutely amazing!

:07:41. > :07:45.It's going to be so close. Trying to force it, two hours and five minutes

:07:46. > :07:49.and 42 seconds is the time you need to watch for in the clock. He has

:07:50. > :08:00.his eyes set on the clock, and he wins it! Fantastic performance.

:08:01. > :08:03.Paula Radcliffe comes home to win the London Marathon, a brilliant,

:08:04. > :08:09.brilliant performance and London belongs to Paula. Today the debutant

:08:10. > :08:16.came good, came fantastic and ran like a real champion.

:08:17. > :08:23.Brendan Foster, just watching back, going down memory lane. One of your

:08:24. > :08:30.first comment was, doesn't it look great? Yes, white T-shirts, grey

:08:31. > :08:36.T-shirt, navy blue stuff. Look now, fluorescent yellow, blue. Incredibly

:08:37. > :08:39.colourful event. It is. This is a wonderful place to stand to see

:08:40. > :08:43.people coming through. People like Sophie, who gave you a special

:08:44. > :08:48.mention, who have been inspired to run a marathon and events like the

:08:49. > :08:54.great North run, they want to get out on the streets, what have you

:08:55. > :08:57.seen over those 37 years? The first London Marathon there were 6000

:08:58. > :09:01.runners. When I think about it, in the Olympic Games that year or the

:09:02. > :09:05.year before, there had only been about 2000 British people who had

:09:06. > :09:10.ever run a marathon. So we were commentating on that with only 2000

:09:11. > :09:14.aficionados knowing what it was like. Last time in Rio we were

:09:15. > :09:17.commentating on the Rio Olympic marathon, more than a million people

:09:18. > :09:22.in Britain had run the London Marathon. The audience grew up,

:09:23. > :09:28.because they know what it's like. The biggest movement, though, and

:09:29. > :09:32.this was David's great line, the hand of friendship after 26 miles.

:09:33. > :09:36.That sums it up, it's ways been like that, something special. It's been

:09:37. > :09:39.competitive, but they showed you it's about more than just

:09:40. > :09:45.competition. It's about the human spirit. Chris and John, when they

:09:46. > :09:52.founded this event, they asked, does London have the heart and hospital

:09:53. > :09:55.at -- hospitality? You just have to look at it, they have the heart and

:09:56. > :09:59.hospitality and this is the best marathon in the world. It's

:10:00. > :10:04.incredible. It is a national institution and been going over 30

:10:05. > :10:09.years. Most national institutions... Take longer than that. So many

:10:10. > :10:15.iconic landmarks, such beauty along the way. I remember the supermodel

:10:16. > :10:19.Christy Turlington saying in her post race interview said that for a

:10:20. > :10:21.star, every time she turned a corner, there is another fantastic

:10:22. > :10:26.building. We take it for granted sometimes, the beauty of this city,

:10:27. > :10:28.and we have a bad reputation sometimes in terms of friendliness

:10:29. > :10:37.but it's a wonderful city. A wonderful city. The BBC, the head of

:10:38. > :10:40.BBC sport said, I have an idea, I want to organise an event, a

:10:41. > :10:44.marathon, where people run around the streets of London, ordinary

:10:45. > :10:48.people. Alan was very brave that day and said, yes, we'll have a bit of

:10:49. > :10:52.that. The BBC with the London Marathon organisers have grown this

:10:53. > :10:57.from nothing to what it is now. London responds. The City of London

:10:58. > :11:02.responds, the sites respond, the weather responds. It does, it has

:11:03. > :11:10.been a glorious day today, he gave for fast times. The elite races,

:11:11. > :11:12.let's not forget that, sometimes in the sea of the human stories, the

:11:13. > :11:16.elite races go off. We had world-record here. More than one

:11:17. > :11:20.world-record here. You picked out Paula's debut for one of your

:11:21. > :11:23.highlights. Was that because it was so significant in her launching

:11:24. > :11:27.herself as a marathon runner? She became the Queen of the London

:11:28. > :11:30.Marathon and that was her opening. We knew she could do it but we

:11:31. > :11:35.didn't know she could do it as well as she could. She was fantastic for

:11:36. > :11:41.this event. It was opposed to finish with i-mate, Bekele winning the

:11:42. > :11:45.marathon. He teased and tested us. I can say this now, the winning race,