London 2012: Olympic Park run official route announced

Seb Coe launched the entry process with athletes and celebrities

The route for a run - which will see members of the public being the first to cross the finish line in the Olympic Stadium - has been announced.

Runners from around the UK will take part in theNational Lottery eventon 31 March.

Their route will snake around the Olympic Park before finishing inside theOlympic Stadium.

More than 40,000 people applied from around the UK, and 5,000 participants won a random ballot to take part.

The runners' five-mile journey will start 300m away from London's newest landmark, the spiralling redOrbit Tower- with runners being the first to get close to Anish Kapoor's 115 metre-high landmark.

The runners will set off in waves alongside a number of former Olympic and Paralympic athletes, who will also be making history by being among the first to cross the Stadium's finish line.

They will pass through the Park's common areas for the first time, following the City Mill River and the River Lea before passing the Athletes' Village and the Basketball Arena.

The runners will then make their way past the Velodrome which has a 6,000 capacity and has won a British Construction Industry award.

They will then pass by the International Broadcast Centre, the Riverbank Arena - which is the venue for hockey and Paralympic football, and the Copper Box - the venue for handball, goalball and fencing.

Next up will be the Water Polo Arena followed by architect Zaha Hadid's Aquatics Centre.Olympic Park run route announced

The final leg takes runners through the official athletes' entrance and beneath the Olympic Stadium seating before entering the Stadium itself.

They will then run 300 metres before crossing the finish line, where they will be cheered on by up to 12,000 spectators.

The runners will receive a medal and souvenir pack and will be able to pose for a photograph.

"The route was chosen to ensure that those participating get to see the transformation that the Olympic Park has undergone and to get up close to all of the stunning venues," a National Lottery spokesperson said.

"The excitement has been building, with many runners registering onThe National Lottery Facebook pageto chat and share running tips between them.

"Athletes will also be located outside their different venues to help cheer runners on and inspire them to reach their final destination."