Elite international athletes, fun-runners with nipple-rash and exhibitionists in chicken costumes rub shoulders once again in London's annual voyage into pleasure and pain. There's no Paula Radcliffe as the world record-holder and three-times London winner has a toe injury, but the women's line-up still includes World Marathon Majors champion Gete Wami of Ethiopia, reigning Chicago champion Berhane Adere, Romania's record-holder Constantina Tomescu-Dita and veteran Russian Svetlana Zakharova. In Wami, Tomescu-Dita and the Kenyan Selina Kosgei, this year's race includes the runners who finished second, third and fourth in 2007. As for the men, world half-marathon record holder Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya and US champion Ryan Hall line up alongside world and Olympic champions Luke Kibet and Stefano Baldini, plus former world record holder Paul Tergat and defending champion Martin Lel. Tergat is more than a minute quicker than the rest of the field but Hall and Wanjiru both made sparkling marathon debuts in 2007 and have chosen London to begin their build-up to Beijing. With the Adidas Mini-Marathon, the wheelchair events and, of course, more than 30,000 runners doing it to raise money for good causes, this remains one of London's most inspiring and enjoyable sporting days out. Andrew Shields
