Thousands of runners cross the finishing line of London Marathon

Thousands of runners have crossed the finishing line of the 45th TCS London Marathon, with celebrities, MPs and the fathers of two girls killed in the Southport attack taking part.

More than 56,000 participants are expected on the 26.2-mile course through the capital on a warm, dry day with temperatures of up to 22C.

Crowds of supporters, many holding banners, have lined the streets of the city to cheer on the runners and wave to their loved ones.

London could set a new record for the world’s biggest marathon, which is currently held by the TCS New York Marathon in November when there were 55,646 finishers.

Among the participants are David Stancombe and Sergio Aguiar, whose daughters Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were murdered in the Southport mass stabbing last summer.

They are raising money for projects in memory of their daughters and Bebe King, six, who was also killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July.

In a video message posted on X, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wished the pair “the very best of luck”.

He added: “This is an incredible way to honour the memory of your precious daughters and the entire nation is in awe of your courage and your resilience.

“We’ll all be with you, every single step of the way.”

In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Mr Stancombe said: “Even now it still blows me away that so many people know about it and you’re getting messages from the Prime Minister.

“I would love people to know I’ve seen their message, but I have genuinely read so many of them. It’s amazing.”

Two pro-Palestine activists jumped over the barriers separating spectators from the race course and threw red powder paint on to Tower Bridge in front of the men’s elite race, the group Youth Demand said.

An image shared by Youth Demand showed two people standing in the middle of the road wearing T-shirts bearing the words “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel.”

The pair were quickly arrested by City of London police, the group said.

Hugh Brasher, chief executive officer of London Marathon Events, said: “It’s very disappointing that two people attempted to disrupt the London Marathon which does so much good, raises so many millions for charity, brings so much joy and brings communities together.

“Our staff and the police intervened immediately and the event was not impacted in any way.”

Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa won the women’s elite race, setting a new women-only world record with a time of two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.

Sebastian Sawe, from Kenya, won the men’s elite race with a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds.

Many runners choose to complete wearing fancy dress, hoping their quirky outfits may boost their fundraising efforts for their chosen charities.

Notable costumes included a group dressed as a colourful caterpillar, a pair dressed as shower gel bottles and a telephone, while some carried items including a fridge and large teddy bears.

Ali Young, 51, who was attempting to break the world record of the fastest woman to run a marathon dressed as a bird, said her jaw “hurt from smiling” throughout the race.

The runner, from Amersham in Buckinghamshire, completed the race dressed in a black and white penguin costume and said the atmosphere at the event was “absolutely amazing”, she added.

“My jaw hurts from smiling, you just smile the whole way and so many people were shouting ‘penguin’, all the kids.

“I always say it’s like the best day ever, so much joy and love – it’s like joy on the streets of London for one day only.”

Ms Young is fundraising on behalf of Maggie’s Cancer Care in memory of her late father and is waiting for the Guinness World Record team to verify her attempt.

Many supporters chose light-hearted slogans for their banners, including one that bore the words “whine now, wine later”.

Six men, known as the ever presents, have ran every London Marathon since the race began in 1981, a total of 44 races.

Chris Finill, Malcolm Speake, Michael Peace, Jeffrey Aston, Bill O’Connor and David Walker were all participating on Sunday for the 45th time.

Celebrity participants include Emmerdale star Tony Audenshaw, who last ran the London Marathon in 2015 but has returned to fundraise for Pancreatic Cancer UK, the event’s charity of the year, after the death of his wife Ruth in April 2017 aged 43.

Audenshaw, who has played Bob Hope for 25 years, said “it just felt right” to take part on what would have been the couple’s 24th wedding anniversary.

Rivals actress Lisa McGrillis, who plays boutique owner Valerie Jones, is running for the British Heart Foundation with her best friend Mary Cann following the death of Ms Cann’s husband Nigel from a heart attack last year.

McGrillis, who suffered several injuries during training, told PA: “I’m just hoping that on the day I’ll just push through and then never run again.”

Comedian and TV presenter Romesh Ranganathan, McFly drummer Harry Judd, former England footballer John Terry and singer Alexandra Burke are also taking part.

Some 103 runners are attempting to break 87 Guinness World Records at this year’s event, including a duo dressed as a slinky dog and a firefighter wearing full kit.

Other record attempts include the fastest marathon dressed as a crustacean (male), fastest marathon dressed as a vegetable (female), and most pairs of underwear worn during a marathon (female).

Sixteen MPs are also among those running, including Labour’s Josh Fenton-Glyn, Conservative Harriet Cross, Liberal Democrat Tom Gordon and shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick.

Last year, TCS London Marathon raised a record-breaking £73.5 million, bringing the cumulative total raised since the first race in 1981 to more than £1.3 billion, according to organisers.