In just 22 years, the London Marathon has become the world's number one road running event and has attracted some of the biggest names in the sport.

From the first race on 29 March 1981 when Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen stepped over the finish line hand-in-hand, it was clear it would always be a very special race.

There have been 43 winners in the men and women's races in total and 475,441 runners have completed the gruelling ordeal since it began.