Emily Wood:, external It's #motime! Smash that British record @Mo_Farah - would be an awesome achievement

Dave Sproston: , externalCome on Mo prove the doubters wrong

Paula Radcliffe
Women's marathon world record holder on BBC TV

"The road was something that I always loved to race on and always loved to run on my own. My style though was suited to road running. My mental style of running was also suited to the road so I didn't see it as a big transition.

"If you are known as a racer on the track, do you have to think about changing something on the road, or your mental outlook? Some like Haile Gebrselassie took a while to make that transition. It just depends on the runner."

Paula Radcliffe
Women's marathon world record holder on BBC TV

"Yes, it's challenging but I think he will be relishing that fact that it is a new stimulus for him. The marathon is a battle against the people you're racing against and yourself.

"You really do have to run your own race and, as well as that, you have to be aware of what others are doing, but you have to do what's right for your body and do what suits you best and that's tricky when you come into it and haven't run one before.

"He won't be able to go in and run exactly how you would race a 10,000m, He would have to manage things a lot better and make decisions about whether to go with breaks earlier because breaks happen easier on the roads than they do on the track."

Steve Cram
BBC athletics commentator

"The New York race [where Farah collapsed at the end] wasn't ideal preparation and it didn't go to plan and he had to go and refocus for London, but maybe there was too much made of it.

"I'd be surprised if any of the elite runners had ideal preparations coming here. This for Mo is a race for the future and will help him decide what he will do over the next few years as he looks ahead to the next Olympics in Rio."

Image source, AP Photo

Miriam Quick: , externalMy wish for today's men's race: Gebreselassie breaks rank, sprints to end to win one for the pacemakers.

Gavin Tillott:, external Good luck to all the heroes running the London Marathon today. Looks like a great day for it

We have just 15 minutes to wait until we hear the crowd roar at the first sight of double Olympic and world champion Mo Farah.

But Farah's decision to run less than a month after collapsing at the end of the New York half-marathon has been questioned by three of his rivals.

Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai, who beat Farah to win in New York, said: "To handle sickness is not easy - perhaps I would relax and prepare for another time."

The leaders of the women's elite racers have picked up the pace and the familiar names are in the leading pack - Priscah Jeptoo, Tiki Gelana, Edna and Florence Kiplagat and Tirunesh Dibaba.

Here are some facts for you about the London Marathon. I'm going to sing it to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas, but you don't have to join me: At today's London Marathon there will be 37,500 medals, 279 road signs, 45 ambulances, 2,000 plasters, 200 bottles of baby oil (erm...), 40,000 foil blankets, 23 water stations, 500 stretchers, 40,000 apples, 1,200 volunteers, 52 first aid stations and 1.250 portable looooooos. And breathe...

Paula Radcliffe
Women's marathon world record holder on BBC TV

"The athletes in the women's elite race have perfect conditions to race in and they need to decide soon if they are concentrating on the time or just on racing."

The women's elite runners have gone through the three-mile mark and although to the untrained eye it looks as if they're approaching top speed, they haven't even begun racing yet.

If you want to simply focus on the elite women's race you can watch the competition unfold on the Live Coverage tab at the top of this page.

Rower and Olympic champion Anna Watkins who is running with fellow rower Katherine Grainger: "Rowers aren't built for running marathons. But the mental toughness will help and I may have to call on that! We are looking forward to the inspiration from the crowd."

There are a number of familiar faces, external at the start line; actors, former athletes, chefs, famous hairdressers. You name the 'celebrity' occupation and there's a representative in Blackheath.

You want names? There's double Olympic rowing gold medallist James Cracknell, former England striker Michael Owen, CJ De Mooi (the guy from Eggheads), chef Michel Roux and Amy Willerton. You know Amy Willerton. Yes, that one, the British model who won the title of Miss Universe Great Britain in 2013. Looks and stamina.

Tanni Grey-Thompson
Six-time London Marathon winner on BBC TV

"The other racers are trying to make things difficult for Dave Weir at the moment but he is racing very smart and letting other people take the lead."

The elite men wheelchair athletes are making their way around the Cutty Sark, the famous tea clipper build in 1869, which means they have completed 6.5 miles. David Weir, dressed in fluorescent yellow bib for the day, is in the pack. Only about another 20 miles to go...

There are whoops and howls for the elite women as they smile and wave to the crowd before the klaxon roars. And, then, off they go, some wearing shades, some smiling, all bobbing into an open road. "An incredible line up," says BBC commentator Brendan Foster.

Ria Trent:, external Richard Whitehead. Utterly amazing.

Ex-childrens TV presenter Baroness Floella Benjamin: , externalUp early to watch Marathon. Got butterflies as it brought back memories of me doing 10 of them. Good luck to all the runners xx

Priscah Jeptoo (Kenya) PB: 2:20.14 - The 29-year-old enjoyed a year to remember last year, winning the London and New York Marathons, as well as the Great North Run. In nine races over 26.2 miles she has won five of them and finished second three times.

Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia) PB: 2:18.58 - The Ethiopian is the fastest lady in the field (on paper). Last year she collided with wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy and ended up finishing 16th.

Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) PB: 2.19.44 - She is only one of three women in the field to have run sub 2.20 and is in form, setting a new half-marathon world record of 65.12 in Barcelona in February.

Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) PB: 2:19.50 - The marathon world champion has finished second in London in each of the last two years so will, no doubt, be hoping to go one better this year.

Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) PB: (Debut) - Dibaba's list of achievements on the track seem to be never ending - five Olympic and five world championship medals - but, like Farah, she is stepping into the unknown today.

Mo Farah isn't the only athlete entering unchartered territory because the greatest women's distance runner of all time, Tirunesh Dibaba, untouchable on the track having never lost a 10,000m race, is also making her marathon debut.

Like Farah, the Ethiopian - who has three Olympic and five World Championship titles over 5,000m and 10,000m - has a tough field to contend with, but says she is prepared.

Image source, Getty Images

The 28-year-old is the bookies' fourth favourite to win, external but says: "I've trained intensively for five months. It makes me quite confident for this marathon. I am ready." An athlete with a belly full of fire. I like it.

Helen Phillips:, external Excited about #bbcmarathon - elite and casual, all train so hard! Have a great day, wish I was there, sofa is no match to that atmosphere!

Tasha Masters:, external Gutted I can't be there to watch this year. Brilliant weather - even more brilliant atmosphere - good luck to everyone running!

Marathon Man Richard Whitehead is among those who have just set off in the IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup. The British Paralympian, who ran 40 marathons in 40 days last year, has settled in at the back and is so content he waves to the cheering crowd.