2012 Olympics: Bid to move marathon finish to the Mall

Organisers of the London 2012 Games want the finish of the marathon moved to the Mall from the Olympic Stadium.

The original route would have seen competitors run past many of the city's major landmarks before heading east to the stadium in Stratford.

But concerns have been raised that miles of the route would be outside the city centre, lack spectators and give a dull backdrop for television coverage.

The proposed new route would take several loops around central London.

Runners would pass landmarks such as the House of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral and Tower Bridge before finishing in the Mall.

A London 2012 spokeswoman said: "We have not yet confirmed all the details of the marathon route, we are in the process of finalising all the details and we hope to announce an approved route shortly."

Any change to the route will have to be agreed by a number of bodies including the International Olympics Committee, the international athletics body IAAF and several London councils.