Weather conditions and choice of footwear could be deciding factors in the outcome of the historic 40th Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday morning, 4 October 2020. This will be the first-ever elite only London Marathon (apart from major championship events) as the masses are excluded due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The weather is likely to be cool with a gentle west southwest breeze – perfect for fast running – but there is a high probability of what forecasters delight in referring to as 'precipitation'. Well, it's autumn in Britain after all. 

First away for 19.6 laps of St James's Park at 7:15am is the elite women's race. The elite men go at 10:15am and men and women wheelchairs start together at 1:10pm. All the action will be shown live on BBC from 7:00am until 3:20pm, with an hour of highlights on BBC Red Button at 7:00pm and BBC Two at 11:35pm.

The TV is the only way to catch the action as the entire course – which is flat, smooth, and has world record written all over it – is a spectator-free 'biosecure bubble' for competitors and essential organisers and officials. Some extraordinary COVID-secure measures are necessary to enable the race to go ahead, including the use of UK robotics company Tharsus to provide a 'Bump technology system' to implement smart social-distancing during the build-up and at the elite events. 

The women's race could provide the perfect platform for defending champion Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) to improve her own world record (2:14:04) set in Chicago last year. Kosgei's toughest opposition will come from 2018 London champion Vivian Cheruiyot and London debutante Ruth Chepngetich, both from Kenya.

The men's showdown between defending champion and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) and the world's second-fastest marathoner, Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) has been likened – with some justification – to an Ali v Frazier or Federer v Djokovic moment in sport.

On paper, the enigmatic Kenyan looks impregnable with four London titles already to his name. He will run in the latest edition of the controversial Nike Alphafly Next% shoes he first auditioned in his successful INEOS 1:59 time trial in Vienna last year. Meanwhile, Bekele will lace up a trusted pair of the Nike Vaporfly Next% that carried him to his world record near-miss in Berlin last October. 

With the world record one-hour track runner, Sir Mo Farah, as the perfect foil in a pacemaker role, anything could happen on Sunday morning. Perhaps the two main protagonists will burn each other out and someone like last year's runner-up, Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia) could come flying through the debris to achieve a shock victory? We are all set for a fascinating race!

Full race information at VMLM website here