Many of the top athletes competing at the Marathon this year, including the men’s defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Sammy Wanjiru, have had to make torturously long journeys to London via road, rail, air and sea.

Bedford though, said that this year’s marathon will still feature an all-star cast as planned.

He said: "We expect everyone to be here.

"Overall, it’s been an incredibly challenging week but that’s what we do.

"I believe on race day we will have one of the best fields we have ever had despite challenging circumstances."

Bedford also revealed that £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: "We would have got them here one way or the other.

"They would have been tired but they would have been here."

Meanwhile, Dan Robinson and Andrew Lemoncello, two of Britain’s top elite distance runners who will be competing in the race, have denied that they will have any advantage over their international rivals following the travel chaos.

While the Britons have had the relative luxury of a short journey to the capital, most of their international rivals have taken days to get to London.

Both runners however, have suggested that any advantage they have is completely irrelevant to their own preparations for one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world.

Robinson, who along with Lemoncello represents Britain’s best chance of success in the men’s race, told insidethegames: "Earlier in the week when I was being told that most of the top stars from abroad might not be able to make it to the marathon, it does cross your mind that you might have the chance to do extremely well.

"However, you soon forget about that and focus on your own game-plan because that is the only thing you have control over.

"Whatever time I run, it won’t be affected by who I am racing against so I just have to worry about myself.

"The other guys may have had to travel a long way in circumstances that are not ideal but I am sure they will still be at the top of their game and I know that I must be to if I want to achieve a good time.

"I am aiming for around 2:12:00 and anything under that would be a bonus.

"That will be a good marker for the European Championship later this year and looking further ahead for London 2012."

Lemoncello, who is making his London Marathon debut, added: “To be honest, you want the top guys to be there because you want to race against the best.

"You have to focus on yourself but I am glad that the organisers have done such a great job in getting the best runners here.”

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
April 2010: Private jet sent to Kenya by London Marathon to pick-up top runners