Once the fianl Mini Marathoners had gone by there was a little lull in the proceedings and as the crowd continued to grow we looked forward to the fantastic athletes who would be flashing past in the next hour . .

. . first there were the wheelchairs . . 6 strong men still battling it out with just a mile to go . . with the women more spread out at this stage . .

. . then it was the turn of the elite women . . which included the race by at least four British women who were striving to beat Jo Pavey's New York Marathon time and thus gain selection the final place in the British Olympic Marathon team . .

. . and then the men, clearly led by Wilson Kipsang, surrounded by motorcycles (do the bikes have filters to prevent petrol fumes irritating the runners?) . .