London Marathon 2023: How to follow BBC coverage as Mo Farah competes
- Published
Tower Bridge is a significant landmark along the famous marathon route
TCS London Marathon |
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Date: Sunday, 23 April Times: 09:15 BST wheelchair races, 09:25 elite women, 10:00 elite men and masses |
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app from 08:30 with coverage of the finish line on digital services until 18:00 |
The London Marathon is back in its traditional spring home and you can watch live on the BBC as thousands of runners join Mo Farah on the start line on Sunday.
After taking place in October for three years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the marathon returns to its April date.
Some 45,000 runners are expected to tackle the 26.2 miles, raising millions of pounds for charity.
Coverage starts on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and online at 08:30 BST.
Presenter Gabby Logan will be joined by special guests and celebrities throughout the day, with commentary provided by Steve Cram, Andrew Cotter, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Paula Radcliffe.
There will also be uninterrupted coverage of the elite races on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport mobile app as well as finish line cameras so you can watch your loved ones complete their marathon.
You can also follow live text updates on the BBC Sport website and app and send your messages of support to #bbcmarathon on Twitter, external or Instagram., external
Who are the elite stars running?
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Men's race
Mo Farah missed the 2022 London Marathon with a hip injury and will be competing in his first full marathon since 2019.
The four-time Olympic champion, who announced in January that 2023 was likely to be his final year of competitive racing before retirement, comes into the race off the back of a lowly seventh-place finish in the Port-Gentil 10km in Gabon.
The 40-year-old Briton will be up against four of the five fastest marathon runners in history, including Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele and Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum. In addition, defending champion Amos Kipruto and world champion Tamirat Tola will also run.
Women's race
Kenya's marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir and 2022 winner Yalemzerf Yehualaw all compete in a formidable women's line-up.
Genzebe Dibaba, owner of the 1500m world record, and reigning Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion Sifan Hassan also take part.
Eilish McColgan, whose mother Liz won the London Marathon in 1996, has been forced to pull out of what would have been her first marathon because of a knee injury.
Wheelchair races
Defending champions Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland lead the wheelchair racing fields.
Britain's eight-time winner David Weir returns for his 24th consecutive London Marathon, while Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who finished third last year, is joined in the women's race by two-time winner Shelly Woods.
What are the start times?
All times are BST
09:15 - Wheelchair races
09:25 - Elite women
10:00 - Elite men and masses
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What's the route?
The marathon begins in Greenwich Park and ends in the Mall.
It takes in some of London's most iconic landmarks such as Cutty Sark (seventh mile), Tower Bridge (13th mile), Canary Wharf (19th mile), the Tower of London (23rd mile), the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben (26th mile) and Buckingham Palace (26.1 miles).
Huge crowds line the streets and create a carnival atmosphere to support the runners throughout the 26.2 miles.
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Coverage details
All times are BST and subject to change.
Sunday
Network TV coverage:
08:30-14:15 - BBC One
14:15-15:00 - BBC Two (not available in Northern Ireland)
Additional coverage
Watch on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport mobile app
08:55-12:55 - elite races
12:30-18:00 - finish line cameras
Highlights:
18:00-19:00 - BBC Two