Queen to start London Marathon (remotely from Windsor)

The Queen will set Sir Mo Farah on his way when he and 40,000 runners take part in next month’s London Marathon.

It is only the third time in the race’s history that royalty has acted as the official starter for the event, which launched in 1981 — and the first time the Queen has done so.

She will step onto a special podium in front of the Round Tower at Windsor Castle to push the start button for the runners on Sunday 22 April at 10am.

This will be relayed live on to screens for those on the start line of the 26.2-mile race from Blackheath to The Mall.

Sir John Spurling, chairman of race organisers London Marathon Events Ltd, said: “We are deeply honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has accepted the invitation to start the 2018 London Marathon, especially as this will happen 110 years after the 1908 Olympic Marathon was started at Windsor Castle by the then Princess Mary, grandmother to the Queen.”

However, this won’t be the first time the Queen has got the runners started in a marathon. In 1949, the then Princess Elizabeth fired a pistol to commence the Polytechnic Harriers Marathon, a 26-mile race from Windsor Castle to Chiswick Stadium.

The first royal to start the London Marathon was Princess Diana in 1988. Last year the Queen’s grandsons, Princes William and Harry, and the Duchess of Cambridge, acted as race starters for the event, which raised a record-breaking £61.5 million for charity.

Londoner Farah is bidding to become the first British male winner of the race since Eamonn Martin 25 years ago.