Editing London Marathon (section)

==Organisation==
The race is currently organised by Hugh Brasher, son of Chris, as race director and Nick Bitel as chief executive. Previously [[David Bedford (athlete)|David Bedford]] and Bitel had overseen a period of great change for the race, including amendments to the course in 2005 which saw the cobbled section by the [[Tower of London]] replaced with a flat stretch along the Highway.<ref>{{cite web | title=Flora London Marathon website: ''Marathon History: Course History'' | url=http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/marathon_history/index.php?page=2 | access-date=1 February 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509113902/http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/marathon_history/index.php?page=2 | archive-date=9 May 2006 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Dan Tunstall Pedoe]] was the medical director of the London Marathon for 25 years between the first one in 1981 until 2005. In 2003, Pedoe was shadowed by Sanjay Sharma from St George's Hospital (University of London) who took over the role in its entirety in 2006.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p8gDAAAAMBAJ&q=Medical+cover+at+London+marathon&pg=PA116 |title=Runner's World, Vol. 43, No. 12|page=116|date=Dec 2008 |author=Amby Burfoot|journal=Runner's World Magazine. 2016.|issn= 0897-1706 |publisher=Rodale, Inc.|access-date=1 October 2010 }}</ref> Medical cover is provided by 150 doctors. Also assisting were more than 1,500 volunteers of [[St. John Ambulance]], who organise over 50 first aid posts along the route, and three field hospitals at the finish. St John Ambulance also provide a number of healthcare professions for the event, including nurses, paramedics, ambulances with crews.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/london-marathon.html |title=london marathon |publisher=www.pponline.co.uk |access-date=1 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040813041721/http://pponline.co.uk/encyc/london-marathon.html |archive-date=13 August 2004 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[BBC]] covers the event, devoting rolling coverage for most of the morning. The theme music associated with this coverage, and with the event itself, is called "Main Titles to The Trap", composed by [[Ron Goodwin]] for the film ''[[The Trap (1966 film)|The Trap]]''.

[[File:London Marathon at Shooters Hill - wheelchairs - geograph.org.uk - 761541.jpg|thumb|right|Men's Wheelchair competitors at [[Shooter's Hill]], 13 April 2008]]
There are three separate groups of starters: Elite Women, Wheelchair (Men and Women), and Elite Men followed by Mass Race.<ref>[http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/accreditation/media/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407185258/http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/accreditation/media/|date=7 April 2012}}</ref>