By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent
The London Marathon has started with the elite women race, with runners wearing a black ribbon to remember the victims of the Boston bombings.
Runners have also been asked to observe a 30-second silence as a mark of respect to victims of Monday's attack.
Virgin London Marathon has pledged to donate £2 for every finisher to The One Fund Boston, which was set up to raise money for the victims of the explosions.
Meanwhile, Mo Farah's preparation for the London Marathon did not go quite as well as he might have hoped this morning: the London 2012 double champion overslept.
The 30-year-old said, laughing: "I'm late! I woke up late! I'm going to miss the bus!"
Every participant is being given a black ribbon to wear during the race Security has been beefed up for the event, which takes place less than a week after the Boston Marathon ended in tragedy.
Richard Inchley, who has been registering runners for the marathon, says events in Massachusetts have not deterred competitors from taking part in the 26.2-mile challenge.
"People are more determined than ever to take part, and I can't think of a single person who wasn't eager to wear the ribbon," he said.
"One German runner was in tears as he showed me video footage of him crossing the line in Boston as the bomb went off behind him. But I think running in London will be a kind of therapy for him."
British runner Jack Cummings, who ran in the Boston Marathon, said he would also run again today.
"My wife and daughter were across the street from the second blast. It was very unnerving as people at the finish line didn't know what was happening," he explained.
"I was very apprehensive about running today. I felt so empty after what happened in Boston, but I didn't want to disappoint the charity and today I'm running for all those in Boston that got hurt or died."
The police presence during the London race is being stepped up by 40% Three people, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed at the Boston Marathon bombing, and scores were injured, some seriously.
Even with one of the suspects dead and the other one captured, hundreds of extra police officers have been deployed to reassure the runners and spectators.
The Met is in close contact with the FBI and Boston Police, and there is nothing to suggest any link with the bomb attacks.
Malcolm Baker, a former Police Counter-Terrorism Officer, told Sky News: "The main objective of the police is to provide reassurance and public safety for both the runners and spectators, and secondly it will be to deter any copycat attacks."
Despite the 40% increase in police presence, the marathon will maintain its carnival atmosphere.
Hundreds of runners will turn out in fancy dress for the winding route from Black Heath to Buckingham Palace past some of the capital's most famous landmarks.
Mo Farah says he overslept ahead of the race Half a million people usually turn up to watch the spectacle.
Farah, the Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion, is running half of today's race.
The build-up to his participation in the event has been shrouded in controversy as he will be paid a reported £425,000 for taking part in the 2013 and 2014 events.
But Farah, who won the mini-marathon event three times in a row between 1998 and 2000 as a west London schoolboy, has said the race brings back plenty of happy memories.
One volunteer race official, Lesley Inchley, said: "I think there will be even more people than usual coming to watch. Spectators will want to lend their support to the runners and send a really clear message that we won't be frightened by bombers."
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