Image source, Emma Bishop

There is currently no cure for mother-of-two Emma Bishop's illness - but she is not prepared to let that stop her.

Bishop was diagnosed with stage four EGFR Mutant non-small lung cancer in April 2022, by which time the disease had spread to both her lungs, lymph nodes, spine, ribs, pelvis and liver.

She has since been treated by The Royal Marsden, with targeted therapy successfully shrinking the cancer.

The 38-year-old now wants to give back to say thank you to those who have helped her - and has raised more than £65,000 so far for the The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

"As hard as it is to come to terms with the fact that I have a life-threatening, currently incurable disease, I am doing my best to live a normal life for my husband and children, as well as support the discovery of new treatments that might extend my time with them," says Bishop.

"It may be that, even with cancer, by training for the London Marathon, I could be in the best shape of my life!"

Sadly there won't be any record amounts of sunshine today...

Charlotte Drinkald: Good luck to my sister Sara, niece Abi and Arabella running today in memory of their son, brother and boyfriend who we lost suddenly only a week before he was due to run the marathon in 2022. You’ve got this girls, we’re all so proud.

Beehatch: Good luck to Matt Badcock who's running today for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance who saved his Dad Bruce's life. Go Badders!

Deanie: Well done Ashleigh Dorrington-Harvey, raising money for Havens Hospice in honour of your Dad. Keep going, you’re doing amazing!

There's a lady on BBC One running the marathon dressed as a duck.

"It is great weather for ducks," she says.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

A group of our colleagues at BBC Sport are running the marathon for charity today. They have each explained their journey to the start line:

Like a number of my BBC Sport colleagues, I’m running the London Marathon for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young to help raise money for more heart screenings in younger people.

We found out at the start of the year we had secured a place and training since then has gone… okay. This will be my second marathon after running the Amsterdam one in October, and I didn’t realise just how big a difference training in the summer compared to the winter would be – it is certainly more of a mental challenge to keep getting out for training runs when it is chucking it down or freezing outside!

Despite that, I’m feel pretty happy with how things have gone and on the big day the atmosphere definitely helps to give you that 10-15% extra.

The best advice I have had is to not think of a marathon as being over 40km long and instead break it into manageable chunks. I initially think of it as a 10 mile race, focus on getting that done, and then once I’ve knocked that off think of it is as just the same to go again, plus a little extra. Granted, six miles is a bit more than a little extra but 20 miles in I found that it was close enough to the finish to give me the motivation to keep going.

Hopefully that will still work for me today anyway!

Don't forget you can watch uninterrupted coverage of the finish line camera by clicking the thumbnail above.

I've just flicked it on to see this legend in the wig helping a fellow runner over the line.

If anyone recognises him please let us know.

Rocco: Adele Roberts is a legend.

Steven: Such an inspiring lady Adele Roberts.

The TV cameras have just picked out Adele Roberts giving a thumbs up to the camera.

She is well on course to set a new world record for the fastest marathon by a female with an ileostomy.

Inspirational.

Image source, Getty Images

Adele Roberts felt "in the shape of her life" when symptoms, including bloating, first developed and initially delayed seeking medical advice due to the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic on the NHS.

Following a potentially life-saving conversation with her father, she was eventually tested and underwent treatment for stage two bowel cancer a few weeks later in October 2021.

"I wasn't ready for it," Roberts says of her diagnosis. "I remember thinking in that moment, 'am I going to die?' That was the first thought in my mind.

"That's why I want to talk about cancer as much as I can. I want to let people know that if you're diagnosed early, like I was lucky enough to be, you can get through it."

Today she will run the London Marathon for the first time since her diagnosis...

Read more here

Running is not about speed or distances, just being outside and enjoying the time.

Join millions of others who have started running with Couch to 5k - just because you don't doesn't mean you can't.

BBC Sport and Public Health England's Couch to 5k smartphone app will get you confidently running 5k in just nine weeks.

Couch to 5k builds you up with time and effort, so you'll always be impressed with what you can do.

Click on this link to find out more.

Carol

Sandra

Dad and Pongo

Men's winner Kelvin Kiptum set a new course record earlier, running the second-fastest time in marathon history.

He has been speaking to BBC One.

"I am so happy with the result," he said. "I don't know what to say right now, I am just grateful!

"The course felt good, there was a bit of rain around halfway but it was OK.

"I enjoy doing the marathons, it is good preparation for me. I loved it, I am very happy."

Image source, Sam Hammond

Royal Marine Sam Hammond is attempting to set a new world record today - the fastest marathon carrying a household appliance (white goods).

He will race with a fridge weighing 26.3kg on his back.

Sam has already done a half-marathon carrying the fridge, which he has named Fridget Jones, and is raising money for armed forces charity SSAFA.

The time to beat is five hours, 49 minutes and 37 seconds.

"I'm used to carrying the fridge for miles at a time," he said.

"It's the time pressure that's really going to make this a challenge. I'm aiming to come in a fair amount under [the record], hopefully under the five-and-a-half hour mark."

Becky Grey
BBC Sport journalist

A group of our colleagues at BBC Sport are running the marathon for charity today. They have each explained their journey to the start line:

After I finished the Paris marathon last year, the first words out of my mouth were, “I’m never doing that again”.

I was inspired to sign up for that one after covering London for the BBC Sport website the year before. I realised then that a lot of the participants were once just casual runners like me who had put in many, many hours of training.

So, plenty of not-always-pleasant rainy and windy runs along Manchester’s canals later here I am.

I’ve learned that if you make time for the training runs, you can eventually cover distances that previously seemed unimaginable. The extra time outside in winter and all the food you have to eat to refuel is pretty fun too.

I am definitely, definitely not running another marathon after this though.

Image source, Getty Images

At least this guy is sheltered from the rain...

Poppy Smith: So proud of you dad (Andy Smith) keep pushing you are smashing it, absolute legend!

Theresa Eckersley: Go, Ben, Go! Ben Eckersley running his 4th of 4 marathons in April 2023 for Evelina's Children's Charity. Proud of you!

Rosemary: Well done to everyone taking part! And so proud of my brother Matthew Williams, running for Alzheimer’s Society.

Sophie & Luke Kitcher on BBC One: "It feels so surreal being here. We spent six months in the hospital and it is just amazing to be here together.

"Sam knows what we went through and there is no better cause than Great Ormond Street. They did so much for us, they go above and beyond.

"It is a sad place, but they make it happy. The staff are incredible. Ralphie was able to walk out of the door and the new cancer centre will mean more children are able to."

Image source, Getty Images

If you've been watching on BBC you've have just seen the story of Luke and Sophie Kitcher, who lost their son, Huxley, aged just three days old in 2021.

Born with undiagnosed Down's syndrome, Huxley was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for an emergency operation, but it was too late.

A year later, in October 2022, the couple celebrated the birth of Ralphie. However, at three weeks old, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia - a type of blood cancer requiring immediate treatment.

Admitted to Great Ormond Street, after four rounds of chemotherapy Ralphie was given the all-clear. On 19th March 2023 - Mother's Day - Luke and Sophie, having taken turns to ensure he was never left alone, were at last able to take their son home.

At the London Marathon, Luke's best friend Sam will run in honour of Ralphie and Huxley to raise funding for Great Ormond Street's dedicated children's cancer centre.

"[It will be] my first and only marathon," jokes Sam. "I have seen first hand just how incredible Great Ormond Street Hospital have been for Sophie, Luke and Ralphie and I really wanted to show my appreciation."

Image source, Karl Fitzpatrick

Karl Fitzpatrick may be one of the more recognisable runners to spot today.

He is running the marathon for Jersey Hospice Care, doing so while dressed as a shoe.

His fundraising mission, which has already raised nearly £8,000, is in tribute to the father of a close friend who was supported by the charity before he died.

Mr Fitzpatrick said he has a "love, hate relationship with the shoe" which weighs 5kg.

"It's heavy and it gets heavier when it gets wet. It's chafing and it's uncomfortable."