In Pictures: 40th London Marathon starts, featuring elite runners without spectator access

Britain's Lily Partridge and Stephanie Twell with Australia's Ellie Pashley and runners during the elite women's race of the London Marathon. Postponed from its usual April slot on the sporting calendar, the rejigged 2020 edition of the London Marathon finally took place today.

Pacemakers and race leaders run past Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria Memorial into the Mall during the London Marathon. Athletes are competing on a 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) closed-loop course consisting of 19.6 clockwise laps around St. James' Park. The traditional course along the River Thames was scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic and only elite men and women are competing and no spectators are permitted.

Elite women's pacemakers and leaders run in the rain early in the women's race of the 2020 London Marathon in central London. Staff and athletes in Sunday's London Marathon must wear social-distancing technology around their necks. The Bump device, which makes an audible alert when the wearer is too close to others, will be worn by the 100 elite competitors and 500 event coordinators.

Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and winners of the first London Marathon Dick Beardsley of the United States and Norway’s Inge Simonsen during the London Marathon in London. This year's rescheduled event will only feature elite runners who have prepared for the event within a biosecure bubble in an 'athletes only' hotel outside of London

The race marks the first major event of the year for the majority of runners taking part on Sunday, with the big talking point a rare and much-anticipated match up between world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge and 2019 Berlin Marathon winner Kenenisa Bekele. Above, Britain's Lily Partridge and Stephanie Twell with Australia's Ellie Pashley and runners during the elite women's race of the London Marathon.

A pacemaker leads the two leaders Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich (L) and Kenya's Brigid Kosgei (R) in the women's race of the 2020 London Marathon.

A runner picks-up their water bottle at a drinks station during the London Marathon.

Britain's Steph Twell runs in the rain early in the women's race of the 2020 London Marathon in central London.

Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich runs in the rain early in the women's race.

Race marshals wearing 'bump' social-distancing technology around their necks walk on the course before the London Marathon in London.

Britain's Lily Partridge runs in the rain early in the women's race of the 2020 London Marathon.

Kenya's Brigid Kosgei celebrates as she wins the elite women's race of the London Marathon.

British 1-2, Britain's Natasha Cockram (L) and Britain's Naomi Mitchell (R) at the finish of the women's race of the 2020 London Marathon in central London on October 4, 2020.