Image source, Getty Images

The men's race promises to be an emotional one today.

Tributes will be paid to last year's winner Kelvin Kiptum, the world and London marathon record holder, who died in a car crash in Kenya earlier this year.

Kenenisa Bekele, a legend of long distance running who is running today, says Kiptum will always hold a place in the hearts of marathon runners.

"Kelvin of course, all of us miss him," Bekele said. "Even within his short time, he has been setting an amazing history.

"The course record is also under his name and we are all remembering him.

"We put him in a special place in our heart because in a really within a short time he has done a lot for our sport."

Andrew Cotter
BBC commentator on BBC TV

David Weir will hope to stay in contact and hope for a strong sprint finish but it's coming down to Daniel Romanchuk and Marcel Hug.

Switzerland's Catherine Debrunner has pulled clear in the women's wheelchair race. She's reeling in some of the slower male racers.

Compatriot Marcel Hug and American Daniel Romanchuk are leading the men's race with David Weir a little further back.

There's about an hour left in those races.

The women's race has already broken up into three distinct groups.

The main contenders from Kenya and Ethiopia are at the front.

As it stands there are three pace makers across the front, setting a time that would be well inside that women's-only world record.

Image source, Reuters

There are hats and gloves on the start line among the women's elite runners. It's chilly.

Tigst Assefa, the world record holder, is the last to be introduced.

They're calling this the best marathon field ever assembled in the women's race. Could the women's-only world record fall?

Away they go...

The mass runners are starting to turn up ahead of their races starting around 10am.

There's already some fantastic outfits on show.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Anya Culling

Anya Culling's story is remarkable.

She ran the London Marathon for the first time in 2019 among the masses and did so in a very respectable four and a half hours.

Since then, however, the 25-year-old has knocked two hours off her personal best time and starts today alongside the world record holder in the elite field.

"I am blown away whenever I think about what I've done," she told BBC Sport. "I still think it's beginner's luck, but then lockdown was a long time ago.

"I just think about myself in 2019, the difference between me then and now. My brother would join me on runs and he'd have to wait at every single corner for me to catch up.

"I used to walk in cross country at school."

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
Six-time London Marathon wheelchair champion on BBC TV

Those chairs are very expensive. You're looking at around £30,000 and £6,000 for the wheels. These are the reasons why times are getting quicker.

Image source, Getty Images

Today's women's elite race should be a very exciting.

The field is led by Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, who broke the world record in Berlin last September.

She is aiming to beat the London women's-only record - the fastest time by a woman in a marathon that was not a mixed-gender event - of 2:17:01 set by Kenya's Mary Keitany in 2017.

But the start list also features Kenya's trio of Brigid Kosgei, Ruth Chepngetich and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, and Ethiopia's 2020 London Marathon champion Yalemzerf Yehualaw.

Kosgei, Chepngetich and Assefa are three of the four fastest women over the distance in history.

Sifan Hassan, who won the race so dramatically on her debut last year, has not entered.

Image source, Reuters

And their off...

Both the men's and women's wheelchair athletes speed off on their journey.

David Weir heads to the front right away.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, speaking to BBC: "We're much more like cycling than running. They probably like a couple more days but they're so used to travelling these days, it's not much of an issue.

"London is such a different course so it'll be a much more tactical race today. Maddy De Rozario is great in a sprint so they'll want to get her away from that kick."

On David Weir's 25th consectutive London marathon: "It shows how different wheelchair racing is to running. You don't do as much damage to your body as well. He's got the sprint finish. If Dave can hang on then Marcel Hug will be worried if it comes down to a sprint finish."

Great Britain's Eden Rainbow-Cooper comes into the women's wheelchair race 'fresh' from winning the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Madison de Rozario is the defending champion and the reigning Paralympic gold medallist.

The wheelchair athletes are on the start line. The racing will get under way very shortly.

Hardest Geezer Russ Cook, speaking to BBC One about his run across Africa: "I could only really sum it up by saying it was carnage from start to finish. I think we'll find out how badly the body is damaged today. I was in Brighton at about 3am one night decided to run 11 miles. It was that kind of journey that made me decide to start this journey."

McFly drummer Harry Judd said: "This guy is a total inspiration. I followed his journey and it was amazing."

Image source, Getty Images

Another you might recognise today is Hardest Geezer, AKA Russell Cook.

Less than two weeks after completing his challenge of running the length of Africa, Cook will be completing another marathon, this time on the streets of London.

He says this time he's running to help pace younger participants as part of his work for charity.

Speaking on JaackMaate’s Happy Hour podcast, he said it would help him keep his body “ticking over” while he plans his future.

“In terms of my next big challenge, it’s going to be a hard one to top. And I don’t really want to be away for another year,” he said.

Image source, Getty Images

More from David Weir on his new racing chair and battle with rival Marcel Hug: "It's basically a Formula 1 chair because it's made by Sauber (which has a Formula 1 team under the name Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber), it feels amazing to push.

"I'm very aero[dynamic], the chair's aero, it's a full carbon chair - it's great to be in.

"Marcel is on top of his game and is the master of the marathon distance at the moment, it's a special race for me because it's where I started my journey."