23 April 2023 , 04:30
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The most famous marathon in the world returns to its April slot today (Sunday) as 50,000 runners take to the streets of London.
Every vantage point in England's capital city will be packed with the spectators, willing to roar runners around the 26.2-mile course. But whilst hoards of spectators will take to the streets, millions more will be following from the comfort of their own homes.
The elite wheelchair men's and women's races will be first to get underway at 9:15am. The elite women's race will begin 10 minutes later, while the elite men's race and general public competition will start at 10am - lasting until around 4pm in the afternoon.
The event is airing across the BBC and coverage kicks off at 8.30am on BBC One, later to switching to BBC Two at 2.15pm, with coverage concluding at 3pm. The latter channel with then show hour-long highlights of the action at 6pm.
Viewers can also follow the runners via the Red Button with commentary on all the action as it unfolds. The historic race will also be available to stream on BBC online and iPlayer between 1pm and 6pm and once the live coverage has concluded, it will be available for those who missed it on demand.
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That means that those not near a television can utilise i-phones, i-pads, or any internet device that allows them to access BBC sites. It won't be so easy for those trying to follow from abroad without a television though, as a valid VPN will need to be downloaded. ExpressVPN have been one company to advertise watching events via their service.
(PA)And for those unable to access any kind of live coverage, there is always social media for back-up. @LondonMarathon on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter will provide the latest news, information and live videos in the build-up and during the race, and there will also be ample content from entrants and spectators who include the hashtag #LondonMarathon in their posts.
On average, between four and five millions viewers usually tune into the London Marathon. And this year it is back in the spring, having been moved to the autumn in 2022 due to delays caused by Covid-19.
Even whilst watching at home or online, people can still track the progress of their loved ones. The official event app will update the progress of individual entrants at five kilometre checkpoints around the course.
Have you got London Marathon fever? Why not pop in to the ASICS London store to see their Exhibition for Eilish, which charts McColgan's journey from beginner runner to gold medallist. Visitors to the store will also be challenged to match Eilish’s record-breaking half marathon pace on a treadmill for as long as possible. The exhibition runs until Monday.