Mary Keitany, the defending champion, blitzed the first half of the race as she attempted to beat Paula Radcliffe's world record.

But she's the shadow of her former self as she wobbles over the finish line, almost dragging her tiny legs behind her, to finish five minutes behind the winner in 02:24:27.

Marathons are brutal.

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

Look at the smile on her face.

It hurt Vivian Cheruyiot to blow up last year as badly as she did by overcommitting in the first half of the race. You can see the effort she has put in to overcome that disappointment.

Brigid Kosgei finishes behind Vivian Cheruiyot to make it a Kenyan one-two.

She clocks 2:20:12 ahead of Tadelech Bekele of Ethiopia.

Superb.

After making her marathon debut last year at the age of 33, Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot has won her first title in London.

And she does it with a massive personal best of 2:18:31.

Just 600m to go for leader Vivian Cheruiyot.

She look tired but her legs are still pumping hard. Here comes the home straight...

There's about a mile to go in the women's race.

Leader Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya looks at her watch and sees she's heading for a sub two hour 20 minute finish.

Steve Cram
BBC commentator at the London Marathon

Farah heading for a British record, he hopes, but he looks tired all of a sudden and those legs look a little weary. There's not much bounce coming back off the road.

Image source, Reuters

The gap between leaders Eliud Kipchoge and Tola Shura Kitata back to Mo Farah is only getting bigger. It was just a couple of seconds but is now seven. Farah looks as tired as I've ever seen him in a race. The legs look weary and there's a big grimace on his face.

This is what a marathon does to you.

It was on 31 December, 2011 that Joanne Graham decided to make changes to her lifestyle after a conversation at a New Year's Eve party.

"Someone asked me what had happened to me," says 42-year old Joanne (that 'someone' being her best friend's mum).

"When questioned she said, 'you used to be thin'. For me, that was that; the next day I went out for a run."

Read more about Joanne's story and why she will be running the marathon for Children with Cancer UK.

Image source, Joanne Graham

Mr Behan: Just been for a run around Raynes Park in a pitiful attempt to beat my wife’s 5k time. Hats off to all the runners today.

Callum Ronan: Good luck to everyone doing the London Marathon today. I hope to do it in 2020.

Whittaker Moss Primary School: Good luck to our Year 4 teacher, Mrs. Harrison, who is running the London Marthon today. Best of luck from all at Whittaker Moss.

Mary Keitany is dropping even further back. She just hasn't been able to maintain that rapid early pace. Was there too much focus on breaking Paula Radcliffe's record?

Vivian Cheruiyot is still out in front and now fellow Kenyan Brigid Kosgei is into second place. Cheruiyot is about 30 seconds clear.

Image source, Reuters

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

Kipchoge looks in control and he is the man the other two are watching and learning from.

Mo Farah is doing the sensible thing of just sitting in behind and not wanting to push it too much.

Eliud Kipchoge is now pressing his foot on the gas, testing out Mo Farah. The crowds are getting behind Mo as they dip under the 17 mile barrier but the Brit has dropped 10 or so metres off the back of the leader.

Can he respond?

The Olympic champions are sticking together.

Marathon king Eliud Kipchoge finds track king Mo Farah on his shoulder.

At the moment, they're well within the world record place after the 15 mile mark.

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

I don't think Dibaba feels she has that much energy left. Last year when she stopped during a race it was just to be sick and then she got going again, but that looks like exhaustion.

Tirunesh Dibaba - last year's runner-up - has had to slow down to a walking pace. The Ethiopian is really struggling.

And now we have a new leader - Vivian Cheruiyot from Kenya. She's given the pacemakers a bit of a shock by rocking up on their heels.

Mary Keitany was keeping up with the marathon record pace at the front of the women's elite race but she's now at 5:20 per mile and that's way off Paula Radcliffe's marker.

The Kenyan's predicted finish is now 02:16:31 - a minute off Radcliffe's record from 15 years ago.

The male pacemakers ahead of her are telling her to hurry up.

If I was Keitany I'd be throwing him evils right now. NOT HELPFUL, DUDE.

Image source, Reuters

This is how Madison de Rozario claimed her first London title.