London Marathon 2021: Race attracts 80,000 participants

Runners in a range of costumes pounded the capital's streets in a record-breaking London Marathon.

The 26.2-mile race returned to London's streets for its first full-scale staging in more than two years, following the Covid-19 pandemic.

An estimated 80,000 runners took part in person and virtually via an app.

Marcel Hug and Manuela Schar won the wheelchair races in course-record times, and Sisay Lemma and Joyciline Jepkosgei won the elite races.

In a dominant performance Hug finished in 1:26.27. beating the previous course record by more than two minutes.

Eight-time winner David Weir took third place, competing in the wheelchair race for the 22nd consecutive year.

Hug's fellow Swiss athlete Schar finished in 1:39.52, shaving five seconds off her old record set in 2017.

Jepkosgei won the women's elite race with a comfortable lead in a time of 2:17.42.

World record holder Brigid Kosgei finished just outside the podium places, after winning the two previous races.

Charlotte Purdue crossed the line in 10th place, setting the third-fastest time ever for a British woman with 2:23.26.

After the race Purdue spoke about the safety of women while out running after the sentencing of Sarah Everard's murderer this week.

She said: "My parents have always told me never to run outside alone at night. My dad used to drive the car with me when I was younger.

"Even now I wouldn't run outside alone. I've never felt safe doing it. It is sad."

Lemma won the men's elite race after finishing third last year. His time of 2:04.01 was the sixth-fastest ever for the course.

Kenya's Vincent Kipchuma was second in 2:04.28 and Mosinet Geremew third in 2:04.41.

Olympic BMX silver medallist Kye Whyte got the race started just after 10:00 BST.

It is 889 days since the colourful charity spectacular in front of cheering crowds last took place.

A number of changes were in force this year to try to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus.

Those running in central London had to show a negative lateral flow test for Covid-19.

Several world records have been broken in this year's race, including fastest marathon wearing Wellington boots and fastest dressed in rugby kit.

Sarah Dudgeon and Max Livingstone-Learmonth, dressed as a dog, set the fastest time in a two-person costume with a time of 03:17.12.

A group of friends recorded the fastest time for a six-person costume, dressing as a Colin the Caterpillar cake.

Benjamin Taylor, Edward Holderness, Oli Tipping, Guy Dixon, Charlie Mason and Digby Walker completed the race in 04:34.52.

Mr Dixon, who ran at the tail end of the costume, said the race "tested our friendship" but they were "incredibly proud of their achievement".

The group, who met at Durham University, raised £30,000 for six different charities.

David McGillan a veteran of 30 previous marathons, described this year's race as "the most special one".

He said: "Seeing the crowds today really restores my faith in humanity - people cheering you on when they don't know you from Adam."

Mr McGillan ran alongside his son, who was running his first marathon, "which was a source of pride", he added.

Paul McGregor ran the race remotely in Glasgow - first of eight marathons he plans to run in eight days across eight cities.

He said: "I would have loved to have been there today, but it's really nice to know there's a lot of people out there running coming together to raise some money, particularly given the last 18 months."

Mr McGregor will complete his challenge, raising money for mental health charity Beyond, on 10 October - which is World Mental Health day. His final route will finish at the memorial bench in Hadley, Essex, dedicated to his father, who took his own life.

Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell called the marathon "a real testament to what people have done over the last year" when runners were forced to do "most of their training on their own".

Cracknell, who completed the race in under 2:50, said: "It really is the best thing about being British; people coming and supporting their mate, their partner, their charity, then staying and clapping everyone else. It's really good."

Further coverage of the race is on the Red Button and the BBC Sport website app.