Keep on running!

This 1960s chart hit is often played to celebrate the London Marathon. It's got a carnival spirit that has returned to the streets in the spring, following closures for Covid. It's a lovely event---maybe less so for some of the exhausted runners, although even they should be satisfied by completing the challenge. More than 50,000 people take part, including many elite runners but mainly charity fundraisers. There's also the handful of celebrities; the comedian Romesh Ranganathan and the newsreader Sophie Raworth are reported to be in the mix.

To get there, I become a sardine on the Jubilee Line, which disgorges me with relief at Bermondsey station. This spot is on the edge of the southern arm of London's docklands. It's not quite half-way along the route and a strategic place to watch, less frenetic than both the starting point at Blackheath and the finishing line in Hyde Park.

For people-watching, the spectators are at least as interesting as the participants. Some runners, knowing where their friends will be along the route, take time out to be greeted. Others, knowing they're goal is not to win but just to finish, communicate remotely. As the day wears on, people are reduced to a walking pace but still receive refreshments along the way. The watching crowd have other ideas!Read more