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Prince Harry arrives at London Marathon after Queen starts it off

Prince Harry arrives at the marathon - i-Images Picture Agency
Prince Harry arrives at the marathon - i-Images Picture Agency

Prince Harry has been spotted at the London Marathon, where he will be cheering on the runners who are still going.  The Queen, pressed the starting button, sending a tide of more than 40,000 runners through the capital.

She looked bright and cheerful in a coral pink outfit, and as usual matched her hat to her jacket.

Familiar faces were seen at the starting line, including the Telegraph's Bryony Gordon, who is running in her underwear alongside Jada Sezer in order to raise money for mental health charity Heads Together.

BBC Radio 2 DJ and former Top Gear host Chris Evans grinned as he posed for a picture before the marathon, as did television presenter Jenni Falconer.

Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah has been seen leading the pack, as he hopes to win this year. He has been training for the race in Ethiopa for the last few months.

The Queen officially started the marathon - Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images
The Queen officially started the marathon Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images

The 38th edition of the world-famous race may well be the hottest on record, with sweltering highs of 23C possible throughout Sunday.

The Queen has pressed the start button and is wearing a bright coral outfit - Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images
The Queen has pressed the start button and is wearing a bright coral outfit Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images

Runners have been advised to drop their goal-times and organisers have added more ice, water and run-through shower stations along the 26.2-mile course.

Tim P. Whitby/ Getty Images - Credit: Tim P. Whitby/ Getty Images
Bryony Gordon and Jada Sezer pose for a photo Credit: Tim P. Whitby/ Getty Images

Among this year's runners are firefighters who tackled the Grenfell Tower blaze, a police officer stabbed in the London Bridge terror attack and members of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

Sunday marks 25 years since the murder of the teenager, who was a keen runner.

Chris Evans posed at the beginning of the marathon - Credit:  Justin Goff/goffphotos.com
Chris Evans posed at the beginning of the marathon Credit: Justin Goff/goffphotos.com

Meanwhile almost 100 runners will attempt Guinness World Records - dressed variously in suits of armour, as mythical creatures, and wearing stilts and ski boots

Hundreds of police officers will be on duty to keep around 800,000 spectators and runners safe.

Sir Mo Farah makes his way past the video screen of Queen Elizabeth II  - Credit: Adam Davy/PA Wire
Sir Mo Farah makes his way past the video screen of Queen Elizabeth II Credit: Adam Davy/PA Wire

Competitors will start from Blackheath, south east London, running a snaking route along both sides of the Thames, finishing on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.

Last year, the event raised £61.5 million for charity, a world record for an annual one-day fundraising event, making the total raised since 1981 around £890 million, organisers said.

A record 386,050 people applied for this year's race - almost a third more than last year and the highest number for any marathon in the world.