London Marathon holds against all odds

“We expect everyone to be here,” Bedford said. “Overall it’s been an incredibly challenging week but that’s what we do. “I believe on race day we will have the best fields we have ever had in challenging circumstances.” Bedford said £150,000 had been spent on emergency travel arrangements, including £110,000 on a jet to transport […]

“We expect everyone to be here,” Bedford said. “Overall it’s been an incredibly challenging week but that’s what we do.

“I believe on race day we will have the best fields we have ever had in challenging circumstances.”

Bedford said £150,000 had been spent on emergency travel arrangements, including £110,000 on a jet to transport runners from Kenya and Eritrea to Spain.

He said organisers had decided that Madrid and Barcelona would be the best place for runners to gather. If the airways had not been opened this week, they would have been taken to London by coach.

“We would have got them here one way or the other,” Bedford said. “They would have been tired but they would have been here.”

Race officials said the pollution levels as a result of the volcano were being constantly monitored but no problems were anticipated.