:00:12. > :00:25.We have seen in London today what is destined to become one of the great
:00:26. > :00:31.events in British sport. Jo Pavey, debut marathon.
:00:32. > :00:38.One of the greatest pieces of running that we have ever seen.
:00:39. > :00:47.Shoulders burning, fingertips pushing!
:00:48. > :00:51.Eliud Kipchoge, one of the fastest marathons of all time.
:00:52. > :00:58.A sight to behold, every single year.
:00:59. > :01:05.Hello and welcome to this year's coverage of the Virgin London
:01:06. > :01:08.Marathon, in less than 24 hours' time thousands of runners will take
:01:09. > :01:13.to the streets of London to run the 26 point two miles behind me over
:01:14. > :01:16.there. From great elite athletes to good club runners and the ordinary
:01:17. > :01:20.folk who have decided they want a challenge. They are all going
:01:21. > :01:22.through last-minute preparations, and each and every one of them have
:01:23. > :01:46.a very different reason for running. But before the runners can take to
:01:47. > :01:49.the streets on Sunday, they have to come here, to the Expo, to pick up
:01:50. > :01:53.race numbers in some last-minute tips if they need them. Over the
:01:54. > :01:56.next half are so we're going to hear some inspirational stories, of some
:01:57. > :02:01.of those taking part at the weekend. And there is one very special
:02:02. > :02:02.non-running guest coming along to open the 2017 London Marathon
:02:03. > :02:25.ex-beau. Every year, the London Marathon has
:02:26. > :02:28.an official charity, and this time it is the Heads Together campaign
:02:29. > :02:31.spearheaded by the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. It is to
:02:32. > :02:34.spearheaded by the Duchess of encourage people to open up the
:02:35. > :02:38.conversation around mental illness, and this time everyone in the
:02:39. > :02:42.marathon is encouraged to wear a blue headband to think about mental
:02:43. > :02:47.illness. It is a campaign really close to the young royals' parts,
:02:48. > :02:50.and this is way. A lot of people with mental health
:02:51. > :02:55.issues hide it so well. You wear a mask day-to-day.
:02:56. > :02:59.People assume the depression is all about being sad, but it is not, it
:03:00. > :03:04.is mostly feeling absolutely nothing, feeling completely hollow.
:03:05. > :03:07.For ten runners lining up in Greenwich tomorrow, being on the
:03:08. > :03:12.start line is a huge achievement. Earlier this year, they were set a
:03:13. > :03:14.challenge by the Heads Together campaign, led by the Duke and
:03:15. > :03:17.Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
:03:18. > :03:23.Good to see you again, how are you? They started training to run London
:03:24. > :03:27.Marathon despite suffering from a range of mental health issues. It is
:03:28. > :03:30.estimated that one in four people will seek professional help for
:03:31. > :03:35.their mental health at some point in their lives, it is a huge and
:03:36. > :03:38.growing problem. Talking about mental health is best
:03:39. > :03:42.for everybody, it doesn't matter who you are.
:03:43. > :03:45.None of the group had run before and the aim was to show how exercise can
:03:46. > :03:51.be a healthy part of treatment. One of the ten runners is Rhiannon
:03:52. > :03:53.Burke, her mental health issues began five years ago when her son
:03:54. > :04:00.George tragically died from pneumonia. Then five days later, her
:04:01. > :04:06.husband committed suicide. When I heard that he had also passed
:04:07. > :04:14.away, my life as I knew it was over. Me, as a person, changed forever.
:04:15. > :04:17.The effect it has on you as a person, I used to be very bubbly and
:04:18. > :04:22.confident, but actually inside I feel dead myself.
:04:23. > :04:28.For Rhiannon and the other runners, taking part has given her a well
:04:29. > :04:32.needed focus, and there has been plenty of support from the charity's
:04:33. > :04:38.founders. This is an important and personal calls.
:04:39. > :04:41.I think you're very strong and how you're managing to do this, it's
:04:42. > :04:46.incredible. When your mum passed away, you're
:04:47. > :04:50.older than my children, but I obviously worry about them. They
:04:51. > :04:54.will be OK, won't they? They will be absolutely fine. You
:04:55. > :04:59.never get over it, such an unbelievably big moment in your
:05:00. > :05:06.life. It never leaves you. You just have to deal with that. You will
:05:07. > :05:13.provide a blanket of stability and understanding that they need. And I
:05:14. > :05:19.can tell you enough, you doing this is an incredibly big positive step.
:05:20. > :05:23.Harry, tell us a little bit about Heads Together, and your aims for
:05:24. > :05:27.the charity? The aim is for the charity, well, I
:05:28. > :05:33.think last year the aims were very different to what they are now,
:05:34. > :05:37.because this campaign is literally blowing up in the conversation
:05:38. > :05:41.around mental health. Every year, the momentum has built and built,
:05:42. > :05:48.and now we have realised that not only is there a more appetite, but
:05:49. > :05:54.the appetite is enormous, especially over this last week. It has really
:05:55. > :05:58.picked up, the momentum, and we all believe and know because of the
:05:59. > :06:01.statistics, that the country is at a tipping point, and the conversation
:06:02. > :06:07.has brought us to this tipping point where change needs to happen. The
:06:08. > :06:11.stigma needs to be removed, and we need to set the foundations for
:06:12. > :06:17.every generation, especially the younger generation, to be able to
:06:18. > :06:20.talk about their mental fitness. You, your brother and the Duchess of
:06:21. > :06:24.Cambridge, when you got together and decided this was a cause worth
:06:25. > :06:27.having a conversation about, were putting on this huge stage, the
:06:28. > :06:31.London Marathon in particular, there must have been something that
:06:32. > :06:35.resonated with the three of you. Was there a conversation you had where
:06:36. > :06:39.you realise the importance? Yes, it's the first time the three
:06:40. > :06:42.of us have come together for one cause, one campaign. Mental health
:06:43. > :06:48.was popping up in the news all over the place, and the topics at -- of
:06:49. > :06:53.conversation across the UK in certain areas was really aware IIs,
:06:54. > :07:01.this was something that needed to be talk to about. The London Marathon
:07:02. > :07:05.was an end goal something to aim towards to bring people together.
:07:06. > :07:11.And the three of us, whether it be that rings, young people are
:07:12. > :07:15.homeless people, the conversation is always linked back to mental health.
:07:16. > :07:19.We were getting frustrated that people were suffering in silence. It
:07:20. > :07:23.did not seem to make any sense to us, so if the three of us can come
:07:24. > :07:27.together and put our heads together and start this conversation and
:07:28. > :07:34.encourage the rest of the UK to talk about and have a conversation, then
:07:35. > :07:39.that was an easy do for us. It was a team effort.
:07:40. > :07:44.What would you hope to see in three years' time? What is the endgame,
:07:45. > :07:49.the result? For all of us, the result is to be
:07:50. > :07:54.removing the stigma. I would like to think that we have removed the
:07:55. > :07:58.stigma with the London Marathon. The next steps have to happen. All we
:07:59. > :08:01.can do is create the environment where the whole of the UK is saying,
:08:02. > :08:07.right, something needs to be done, so let's do it. That is our job, our
:08:08. > :08:11.role. I think it has been proven that the appetite is there, so let's
:08:12. > :08:16.do it, let's unite the whole country and bring in the right changes,
:08:17. > :08:19.where changes are needed, and make it easier for people to receive
:08:20. > :08:26.help. The point we're trying to make is not everybody will need that
:08:27. > :08:28.help, because if you can remove the stigma, the conversation that
:08:29. > :08:31.happened earlier on in that process will mean you will not need help
:08:32. > :08:36.necessarily down the line. You catch it early. Talk about something when
:08:37. > :08:41.it is a small issue before it snowballs. Of course, there are
:08:42. > :08:44.other hereditary issues, but for a lot of these issues if we can
:08:45. > :08:50.encourage the younger generation to talk about their issues more, when
:08:51. > :08:54.they grow up those issues will not be there, and they will be a happier
:08:55. > :08:58.and better person for it. The whole country has come together and will
:08:59. > :09:02.come together, and we need to drive the rest of the way until everything
:09:03. > :09:06.is good. Good, see you on Sunday. Not
:09:07. > :09:11.running, of course. Not running, but we will be there
:09:12. > :09:13.for many hours standing in the freezing cold.
:09:14. > :09:17.for many hours standing in the You look like you have got a
:09:18. > :09:22.marathon in you, you could do a three error?
:09:23. > :09:25.Maybe five errors in a costume. The marathon is not from me. -- five
:09:26. > :09:33.Alice. People have got their reasons for
:09:34. > :09:37.doing it, and crossing that line is going to be really emotional for
:09:38. > :09:42.people. The London Marathon is also an elite
:09:43. > :09:45.race, and from any of the British athletes that means trying to secure
:09:46. > :09:50.qualification for the World Championships in London in August.
:09:51. > :09:56.And hoping to get a place there is former European champion Jo Pavey.
:09:57. > :10:06.Come on, Jo Pavey! Way she goes! A glorious run! It is gold for Jo
:10:07. > :10:11.Pavey. We have not seen you for a little
:10:12. > :10:14.while, how have you been? Just putting in the training,
:10:15. > :10:18.keeping it going and having this focus of the London Marathon has
:10:19. > :10:22.kept me motivated, wanting to put in the miles. I have really enjoyed the
:10:23. > :10:28.change in emphasis and really looking forward to it.
:10:29. > :10:32.When did you make the decision? I presume the World Championships was
:10:33. > :10:38.something you did not want to miss. Exactly, I would love to compete in
:10:39. > :10:41.London 2017 on home soil, such an amazing opportunity, and fond
:10:42. > :10:45.memories of London 2012, that home crowd, I know what that feels like.
:10:46. > :10:50.Definitely that is motivating. The marathon felt like a new challenge,
:10:51. > :10:53.something that would really keep my motivation going, such fond memories
:10:54. > :11:03.of competing in it before. Really wanted to give it another go.
:11:04. > :11:06.Jo Pavey could, another marathon. I definitely learned the hard way,
:11:07. > :11:12.you have got to pace yourself, so important. I thought I was
:11:13. > :11:16.listening, but as soon as the gun went off, I went for it, I wanted to
:11:17. > :11:20.try to be competitive and was not ready to be put those top girls. It
:11:21. > :11:25.felt like the last 40 minutes of the race, I felt delirious. Pushing
:11:26. > :11:27.myself to that finishing line, thinking I had run this really
:11:28. > :11:34.badly. Last year's winner has failed a
:11:35. > :11:39.test. What does that do to the credibility of the field?
:11:40. > :11:43.I think it's a shame that you have got a winner testing positive,
:11:44. > :11:48.because they are just ruining the sport. We are glad that she has been
:11:49. > :11:50.caught, but it is a shame for the sport that there are still people
:11:51. > :11:54.out there are cheating the system and ruining the name of the sport,
:11:55. > :11:57.because you want to believe a good performance, you want be looking at
:11:58. > :12:01.athletes winning Olympics and big events and admire their performance,
:12:02. > :12:05.and people like her are ruining the sport because every time you see a
:12:06. > :12:11.good performance you're wondering, is that for real or not?
:12:12. > :12:14.A brave, brave run from Jo Pavey which should have been rewarded with
:12:15. > :12:21.a medal. What a performance from Joel!
:12:22. > :12:24.You mentioned retrospective testing, are you expecting a medal in London?
:12:25. > :12:30.I hope I am going to be awarded the are you expecting a medal in London?
:12:31. > :12:34.Bronze medal from Sachar, it is a bit bittersweet to get a medal ten
:12:35. > :12:37.minutes late. When I think back to the big disappointment, it should
:12:38. > :12:41.have been a moment where I got to stand on the podium being probed to
:12:42. > :12:47.get a medal for my country, and that moment was gone. But instead I am
:12:48. > :12:53.thrilled to finally get a medal. How do you approach the marathon?
:12:54. > :12:57.I am getting older but I still think the marathon is an event where
:12:58. > :12:59.potentially I could do well. The build-up I have had has been
:13:00. > :13:03.consistent, I have trained really hard. I have had more illness than I
:13:04. > :13:10.would have liked, but any busy parent can relate to that, the
:13:11. > :13:13.little ones bringing home the bugs. Think it is just dealing with the
:13:14. > :13:16.ups and downs of what you have to do, really.
:13:17. > :13:22.Jo Pavey is one of many British women hoping to get a qualifying
:13:23. > :13:27.time for London. It is a stack trace, but one name stands out. The
:13:28. > :13:31.triple New York and London winner. In the men's elite race, if you're
:13:32. > :13:38.going to win that, you're going to have to beat Olympic royalty.
:13:39. > :13:42.In a world where the world -- word great can be overused, Kenenisa
:13:43. > :13:47.Bekele is deserving of the tribute. great can be overused, Kenenisa
:13:48. > :13:52.He is the stellar name in the men's elite field. On the track, the
:13:53. > :13:56.Ethiopian long-distance runner was a dominant force. He went really big
:13:57. > :14:04.titles, five world titles, and broke both the 5000 and 10,000 metre world
:14:05. > :14:09.records. His 2014 transition brought him victory in his marathon debut in
:14:10. > :14:13.Paris, in a course record time. Only just returning from injury, this
:14:14. > :14:18.time last year, Kenenisa Bekele he still managed to finish third in his
:14:19. > :14:22.London Marathon debut. He controversially missed selection for
:14:23. > :14:26.Ethiopian's Olympic team, only to deliver the perfect response will
:14:27. > :14:32.stop triumph in the Berlin Marathon in the second fastest time ever.
:14:33. > :14:37.Today, he will have Eliud Kipchoge's course record in mind. And he may
:14:38. > :14:42.even further cement his legend with a new world record under two hours,
:14:43. > :14:43.two minutes and 57 seconds. Only true greats can afford themselves
:14:44. > :14:57.such rarefied opportunity. Here at the Expo there are so many
:14:58. > :15:04.great things to do, you can get nutritional tips or amass such, work
:15:05. > :15:08.out your place, it may not be record pace but Barry Smith is here to tell
:15:09. > :15:17.you how to get that feeling of that. We can get up to the average speed
:15:18. > :15:21.for the men's. I meant the world record. What is the difference
:15:22. > :15:27.between this and the normal treadmill? This has a flexible floor
:15:28. > :15:33.so if you fall you won't hurt yourself. People have come through
:15:34. > :15:41.the doors, have they all given it a go? Yes. Only if you haven't done
:15:42. > :15:46.that. I will not make you do it. Martin yelling is a marathon expert,
:15:47. > :15:51.he knows what it takes to run a Martin yelling is a marathon expert,
:15:52. > :15:58.decent Marathon. Can we crank the pace up to world record? Let's do
:15:59. > :16:07.it. You can tell us what it feels like. It's definitely getting fast.
:16:08. > :16:16.This feels really quick. This is 12.7 miles an hour. I'm not sure how
:16:17. > :16:22.this is possible for 26.2 miles. Don't forget you will be injecting
:16:23. > :16:26.pace at various points, slowing down, this is just the average.
:16:27. > :16:33.Reach out for a drink from the drinks station. It's amazing how
:16:34. > :16:40.people achieve these kind of places for that distance. I did think
:16:41. > :16:46.you're quite done a lot there. This is 400 metres. You're quite a
:16:47. > :16:56.masochist putting people through this. But all very safe. Very safe,
:16:57. > :16:59.yes. We're not sure if there will be a world record on Sunday but it will
:17:00. > :17:05.not come from one of these famous faces.
:17:06. > :17:11.Famous faces to spot include Match of the Day presenter Mark Chapman.
:17:12. > :17:16.Four and a half hours is his aim, a similar target for Chris Evans, read
:17:17. > :17:27.you to's now regular Marathon entrants. Four hours is the aim for
:17:28. > :17:34.Quinton Fortune. Rowe Helen Glover is no duck out of water. Five and a
:17:35. > :17:41.half hours would please I TV newsreader Nina Hussain. Pamela
:17:42. > :17:59.Ralph has an eye on a time just over four hours. Baasit has his aim on
:18:00. > :18:04.for hours. East End's Ian Beale is aiming for seven RS, sounds like a
:18:05. > :18:10.stroll. Sian Williams thinks she is in for our 20 minute shape but to
:18:11. > :18:16.finish it all is a feat whatever the time for runners today.
:18:17. > :18:21.They are just some of the celebrities who will be pounding the
:18:22. > :18:23.streets of London, raising so much money for charity. The London
:18:24. > :18:30.streets of London, raising so much Marathon brings together people from
:18:31. > :18:35.different backgrounds and one of those is Francesca from near Wigan.
:18:36. > :18:39.She has lived her whole life with a visual impairment and training for
:18:40. > :18:47.the Marathon has given her so many positives.
:18:48. > :18:59.I have hereditary hasta Geac and glow coma bright lights are very
:19:00. > :19:11.painful and it makes me Nightline. The glow coma is from that, it's the
:19:12. > :19:18.detail. -- might blind. I felt really out of control and that is
:19:19. > :19:23.when I developed my eating disorder bod year ten and the bullying
:19:24. > :19:35.continued. It made me stronger, I am who I am and I wouldn't be here
:19:36. > :19:41.without the experience. I like the thought of it for the last two or
:19:42. > :19:49.three years, with my site deteriorating I wanted to do with
:19:50. > :19:56.while I still had good site. Needing someone to guide me, they directed
:19:57. > :20:03.me to the British Blind Sport database. I run with a tether with
:20:04. > :20:06.her at the side of me and she indicates that there is an incline
:20:07. > :20:14.coming up for any undulating ground ahead. It became a friendship within
:20:15. > :20:19.weeks, we got to know each other and we chat most days now so it's
:20:20. > :20:26.definitely a French shop. I get anxiety and it holds up but once you
:20:27. > :20:31.start running it falls away and he feel free, and you are running with
:20:32. > :20:39.someone you know you can trust. Once you get the running but, some people
:20:40. > :20:44.do don't have it and some do and it's the feeling of doing something
:20:45. > :20:48.you enjoy, it's painful but that achievement and the metal is
:20:49. > :20:53.probably one of the best you can get. A lot are runners will say they
:20:54. > :20:59.do it for the goody bags and the medals. Best of luck to Francesca,
:21:00. > :21:04.do it for the goody bags and the I'm sure she'll have a fantastic
:21:05. > :21:08.experience and for one lady last year it was a one in a million
:21:09. > :21:15.experience, the lady who crossed the line as the millionth runner ever in
:21:16. > :21:21.London Marathon history. Did you know immediately you were that one
:21:22. > :21:26.in a million? It took weeks to find out and then a phone call when I was
:21:27. > :21:35.at home. Did you remember the campaign? We got to tell you that
:21:36. > :21:41.was you, and I wanted to scream and cry. Everybody had to cross the
:21:42. > :21:49.line, you have that gorgeous picture. Not quite a! I was a broken
:21:50. > :21:53.woman by the end of it so when they have done any promo pictures they
:21:54. > :22:01.haven't shown me doing the marathon. And you're back for more punishment.
:22:02. > :22:06.You'll also serving Metropolitan Police officer and in the light of
:22:07. > :22:10.what happened with the attacks in Westminster, a margin for you and
:22:11. > :22:16.colleagues that will be fantastic to see London back in full colour and
:22:17. > :22:23.the streets alive. It's the best place to be an marathon day. Having
:22:24. > :22:27.worked it in the past and run at last, the crowds were amazing. A
:22:28. > :22:32.couple of weeks ago London was a horrible place to be working but a
:22:33. > :22:39.couple of weeks later it's back to London again. Best of luck, I hope
:22:40. > :22:49.you enjoy it. Remember to look up to the camera. If I finish it! So many
:22:50. > :22:53.people will be out there, some of those veterans of the course but one
:22:54. > :23:04.runner has not competed in London before. The sport is a lot to me,
:23:05. > :23:08.really amazing. I never get tired when I running, I just want to keep
:23:09. > :23:18.going. I don't want to stop the whole day. Five years ago I came to
:23:19. > :23:28.London to participate for the Olympics. Since that time I haven't
:23:29. > :23:41.been back to my country. I was born in Somalia, in 1991 in Mogadishu. I
:23:42. > :23:46.started when I was five years old, playing football, then started
:23:47. > :24:00.basketball and now ended up running. Where I live was unacceptable for
:24:01. > :24:04.ladies to do sport. It was really difficult, especially for the
:24:05. > :24:13.ladies. They knew I'm sporty so it wasn't safe.
:24:14. > :24:31.It was my dream to go to Britain, Iran 400 metres. I was so happy. It
:24:32. > :24:36.was, the whole nation was keeping an eye for the race so it was a clear
:24:37. > :24:43.message showing the Somalian seen alive -- it was my dream to
:24:44. > :24:48.represent my country. What happened to my family wasn't really good.
:24:49. > :25:08.So... They knew that even if I go back to
:25:09. > :25:15.Somalia, I wouldn't be saved, so it was good news for me and my family.
:25:16. > :25:22.But Britain is different. It was another world to me so I ended up
:25:23. > :25:34.becoming homeless. It was hard to find where to live. Who I go with.
:25:35. > :25:42.Then I found the hostel. When I was in the hostel I met the running
:25:43. > :25:53.charity because they were working for homeless. I got my motivation.
:25:54. > :25:57.They treat me the way I wanted to be treated, they helped me the way I
:25:58. > :26:07.wanted to be helped. Britain is my country right now, it changed my
:26:08. > :26:15.life, it's where I feel safe. This marathon is the first time I run it.
:26:16. > :26:19.The reason I've run it is to show the other women who live around the
:26:20. > :26:25.world who don't get the chance that I'd get, to show them, do what you
:26:26. > :26:37.want to do, follow your mind and your heart. A remarkable story. Best
:26:38. > :26:42.of luck to her on Sunday. Another great athlete performing in 2012 was
:26:43. > :26:48.David Wear, a legend of the London Marathon. Love meeting in the
:26:49. > :26:55.massage area. How many marathons will this be? This will be my 18
:26:56. > :26:57.year NRO computing in the London Marathon. Can you believe you've
:26:58. > :27:04.been doing this for a this long at Marathon. Can you believe you've
:27:05. > :27:12.this level? When they told me it was my 18th year in a row, I felt old, I
:27:13. > :27:17.did think I'm getting slower so as long as I can compete with the guys
:27:18. > :27:24.at the end I will be happy. Will this be the year to get that
:27:25. > :27:29.magnificent seven? I'm just happy to be in good shape, I don't put that
:27:30. > :27:35.pressure on my shoulders, I'm in pretty good shape and happy with my
:27:36. > :27:40.performance. It's been an illustrious career with so many
:27:41. > :27:47.victories. Is the end close? We'll see. I've enjoyed the trimming, I've
:27:48. > :27:54.enjoyed being back in the park so we will see on Sunday. I hope you have
:27:55. > :28:04.a fantastic race. Have a great race anyway. Thank you.
:28:05. > :28:12.Best of luck to David and all the competitors across the elite races,
:28:13. > :28:17.the good club runners and ordinary folk starting the marathon for the
:28:18. > :28:23.first time. Coverage starts at 8:30am on BBC Two but we will leave
:28:24. > :28:27.you with a look at what is coming up on this board platforms and it's
:28:28. > :28:42.fair to say that it's a Marathon sporting weekend. It's a site that
:28:43. > :28:58.never fails to inspire. Very neat! That's what it means to him. Adam
:28:59. > :28:59.Peaty! That guy is unstoppable. Sure scores, the black and whites are