The event is a showcase for the biggest and best names in marathon running, most notably in recent years, Britain's Paula Radcliffe.
Radcliffe has broken the world record on London's streets in each of the last two years, and despite her absence, it could go again this year.
China's Sun Yingjie will be looking to improve on her 2003 best of two hours 19 minutes and 39 seconds, and will be pushed all the way by the likes of Margaret Okayo, Svetlana Zakharova and Gete Wami.
The men's world best will also be under threat with record holder Paul Tergat continuing his preparations for the Olympic marathon.
From its first running on 29 March 1981, when Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen crossed the finish line hand-in-hand, it was clear it would always be a very special race.
The latest chapter in the world's greatest marathon promises to be just as exciting as anything that has gone before.
| Year | Men | Women |
| 1981 | Dick Beardsley (USA) & Inge Simonsen (Nor) 2:11:48 | Joyce Smith (Gbr) 2:29:57* |
| 1982 | Hugh Jones (Gbr)
2:09:24 | Joyce Smith (Gbr) 2:29:43* |
| 1983 | Mike Gratton (Gbr)
2:09:43 | Grete Waitz (Nor) 2:25:29* |
| 1984 | Charlie Spedding (Gbr)
2:09:57 | Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor) 2:24:26 |
| 1985 | Steve Jones (Gbr)
2:08:16 | Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor) 2:21:06* |
| 1986 | Toshihiko Seko (Jpn) 2:10:02 | Grete Waitz (Nor) 2:24:54* |
| 1987 | Hiromi Taniguchi (Jpn) 2:09:50 | Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor) 2:22:48* |
| 1988 | Henrik Jorgensen (Den) 2:10:20 | Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor) 2:25:41* |
| 1989 | Douglas Wakiihuri (Ken) 2:09:03 | Veronique Marot (Gbr) 2:26:56* |
| 1990 | Allister Hutton (Gbr) 2:10:10 | Wanda Panfil (Pol) 2:26:31* |
| 1991 | Yakov Tolstikov (Eun) 2:09:17 | Rosa Mota (Por)
2:26:14 |
| 1992 | Antonio Pinto (Por)
2:10:02 | Katrin Dorre (Ger)
2:29:39 |
| 1993 | Eamonn Martin (Gbr) 2:10:50 | Katrin Dorre (Ger)
2:27:09 |
| 1994 | Dionicio Ceron (Mex) 2:08:53 | Katrin Dorre (Ger)
2:32:34 |
| 1995 | Dionicio Ceron (Mex) 2:08:30 | Malgorzata Sobanska (Pol) 2:27:43 |
| 1996 | Dionicio Ceron (Mex) 2:10:00 | Liz McColgan (Gbr)
2:27:54 |
| 1997 | Antonio Pinto (Por)
2:07:55 | Joyce Chepchumba (Ken) 2:26:51 |
| 1998 | Abel Anton (Spa)
2:07:57 | Catherina McKiernan (Irl) 2:26:26 |
| 1999 | Abdelkader El Mouaziz (Mor) 2:07:57 | Joyce Chepchumba (Ken) 2:23:22 |
| 2000 | Antonio Pinto (Por)
2:06:36 | Tegla Loroupe (Ken) 2:24:33 |
| 2001 | Abdelkader El Mouaziz (Mor) 2:07:11 | Derartu Tulu (Eth)
2:23:57 |
| 2002 | Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 2:05:38 | Paula Radcliffe (Gbr) 2:18:56 |
| 2003 | Gezahegne Abera (Eth) 2:07:56 | Paula Radcliffe (Gbr) 2:15:25 |
| 2004 | Evans Rutto (Ken)
2:06:18 | Margaret Okayo (Ken) 2:22:35 |
MMIX
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