Olympic Games places are up for grabs at the London Marathon; Benedict Cumberbatch hosts sports awards and Jordan Spieth is back in the saddleThe streets of the capital will again be filled with sweat-stained fancy dress next Sunday as the 36th London Marathon winds its way from Greenwich to The Mall (BBC1 from 8.30am). While the amateurs chase charity money,the elite will be trying to nail down places at the Rio Olympics. Among the British athletes, Scott Overall, or Callum Hawkins,Sonia Samuels (above) and Alyson Dixon start with the advantage of having already sprint the qualifying time; top-two finishes will ensure their places on the plane to Brazil. In the men’s race the stakes for the Kenyans – led by the defending champion, Eliud Kipchoge – and Ethiopians will be heightened by the fact some serious contenders for gold in August will not even qualify, and because of the weight of competition from compatriots.
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Source: theguardian.com