The London Marathon was founded by former Olympic champion Chris Brasher & Welsh athlete John Disley in 1981. Sponsored by Vigin Money, it has grown to become one of the most popular road marathons internationally that has been held each year in London, usually in April. In addition to being one of the top five international marathons run over the traditional distance of 42.195 km (26 miles and 385 yards), the London Marathon is also a large, celebratory sporting festival, second only to the Great North Run in Newcastle, in terms of the number of participants. It is one of the World Marathon Majors, a two-year series of elite marathon racing that also includes the Boston, Chicago, New York and Berlin marathons. The London Marathon is now the largest annual fund raising event in the world - bringing the total amount raised for charity by runners, to a grand total of £315 million. Set over a largely flat course around the River Thames, the London Marathon is generally regarded as a very competitive and unpredictable event, and conducive to fast times. Spanning 26 miles (42 km) it is the only Marathon course in the world that is run in two hemispheres, both the East and West, as the full course crosses the Prime Meridian in Greenwich. The course begins at three separate points starting at Blackheath, on the south of the River Thames & then heads east through Charlton. The three courses converge after three miles in Woolwich, where the Royal Artillery Barracks is passed.

As the runners reach the 6-mile mark, they pass by the Old Royal Naval College and head towards Cutty Sark drydocked in Greenwich. Heading next into Surrey Quays in the Docklands, and out towards Bermondsey, competitors race along Jamaica Road before reaching the half-way point as they cross the Tower Bridge. Running east again along The Highway through Wapping, competitors head up towards Limehouse and into Mudchute in the Isle of Dogs via Westferry Road, before heading into Canary Wharf.

As the route leads away from Canary Wharf into Poplar, competitors run west down Poplar High Street back towards Limehouse and on through Commercial Road. They then move back onto The Highway, onto Lower and Upper Thames Streets.. Heading into the final leg of the race, competitors pass St Paul's Cathedral on Ludgate Hill and Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square. In the penultimate mile along The Embankment, the London Eye comes into view, before the athletes turn right into Birdcage Walk to complete the final 385 yards, catching the sights of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, and finishing in The Mall alongside St. James's Palace. This final section of the route will form part of the 2012 Olympic Marathon Course. Make sure if you are running the London Marathon you have all the running gear to help you look and perform your best. If you are running the London Marathon we’d love to hear from you - what’s your training plan, are you a first time runner, is this your first event - how is your preparation going? and send us a picture of you running to runningevents@prodirectsport.com