Tens of thousands set off on London Marathon

Runners have set off on the 45th TCS London Marathon, with celebrities, MPs and the fathers of two girls killed in the Southport attack taking part.

More than 56,000 participants are expected on the 26.2-mile course through the capital on what is forecast to be a warm, dry day with temperatures of up to 22C.

With the elite wheelchair, men’s and women’s race well under way, the participants in the mass race have also set off.

Thousands of supporters with banners have lined the streets of the capital to cheer on the runners and wave to their loved ones.

Many runners have chosen to compete in fancy dress (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

Participants, including a pair dressed as shower gel bottles, could be seen taking selfies and checking their watches as they set off.

London could set a new record for the world’s biggest marathon, which is currently held by the TCS New York Marathon in November when there were 55,646 finishers.

Among the participants are David Stancombe and Sergio Aguiar, whose daughters Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were murdered in the Southport mass stabbing last summer.

They are raising money for projects in memory of their daughters and Bebe King, six, who was also killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July.

In a video message posted on X, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wished the pair “the very best of luck”.

He added: “This is an incredible way to honour the memory of your precious daughters and the entire nation is in awe of your courage and your resilience.

“We’ll all be with you, every single step of the way.”

In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Mr Stancombe said: “Even now it still blows me away that so many people know about it and you’re getting messages from the Prime Minister.

“I would love people to know I’ve seen their message, but I have genuinely read so many of them. It’s amazing.”

Two pro-Palestine activists jumped over the barriers separating spectators from the race course and threw red powder paint on to Tower Bridge in front of the men’s elite race, the group Youth Demand said.

An image shared by Youth Demand showed two people standing in the middle of the road wearing T-shirts bearing the words “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”.

The pair were quickly arrested by City of London police, the group said.

This year, around 55.3% of registered participants of the UK race are male, with some 44.5% female and 0.15% non-binary.

More than 56,000 people are taking part on Sunday (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

The youngest participant is Lucy Jones, who turned 18 on Sunday, while the oldest runners are Mohan Kudchadker, 84, and Mary Jo Brinkman, 83 – both of whom are travelled from the US for the event.

Six men, known as the ever presents, have ran every London Marathon since the race began in 1981 – a total of 44 races.

The runners, Chris Finill, Malcolm Speake, Michael Peace, Jeffrey Aston, Bill O’Connor and David Walker, will all be participating on Sunday for the 45th time.

Celebrity participants include Emmerdale star Tony Audenshaw, who last ran the London Marathon in 2015 but has returned to fundraise for Pancreatic Cancer UK, the event’s charity of the year, after the death of his wife Ruth in April 2017 aged 43.

Audenshaw, who has played Bob Hope for 25 years, said “it just felt right” to take part on what would have been the couple’s 24th wedding anniversary.

McFly drummer Harry Judd was a London Marathon finisher in 2024 and he is among the celebrities taking part again on Sunday (John Walton/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - John Walton

“I gave myself a year to train because it’s a long time since I’ve done a marathon,” he told the PA news agency.

“Running at 60 is very different to running at 40.”

He added: “Too many runners overthink it too much, they worry about this and that and the other. Just go running. Get out, get running, do it, put the donkey work in and you’ll get the reward at the end of it.”

Rivals actress Lisa McGrillis, who plays boutique owner Valerie Jones, is running for the British Heart Foundation with her best friend Mary Cann following the death of Ms Cann’s husband Nigel from a heart attack last year.

McGrillis, who suffered several injuries during training, told PA: “I’m just hoping that on the day I’ll just push through and then never run again.”

Comedian and TV presenter Romesh Ranganathan, McFly drummer Harry Judd and singer Alexandra Burke are also taking part.

Eilish McColgan is among the competitors in the women’s elite London Marathon (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

Some 103 runners are attempting to break 87 Guinness World Records at this year’s event, including a duo dressed as a slinky dog and a firefighter wearing full kit.

Many participants hope their quirky attempts to break records will help boost their fundraising efforts for their chosen charities.

Other record attempts include the fastest marathon dressed as a crustacean (male), fastest marathon dressed as a vegetable (female), and most pairs of underwear worn during a marathon (female).

Sixteen MPs are also among those running, including Labour’s Josh Fenton-Glyn, Conservative Harriet Cross and Liberal Democrat Tom Gordon.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick is taking part for the first time after sparking rumours of a leadership challenge after accidentally adding 600 people to a WhatsApp group while trying to fundraise for the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.

The hottest marathon day recorded was in 2018 when temperatures peaked at 24.2C, while the coldest was in 2004 with highs of just 5.3C.

Last year, TCS London Marathon raised a record-breaking £73.5 million, bringing the cumulative total raised since the first race in 1981 to more than £1.3 billion, according to organisers.