The London Marathon is hitting the streets of the capital on Sunday, with the elite athletes competing for accolades and prizes and the fun runners battling with their own willpower for charitable causes. With just over 26 miles of road, there’s plenty of opportunities for the public to cheer on the brave souls who are putting their bodies through this gruelling challenge. Here at dealchecker we’ve been scouting out the best spots on the route so get your pom poms out and join in!

by shining.darkness

If you’re after race excitement you have two choices. You can vie for space with all the other people heading to the Mall, near Trafalgar Square and try to get a glimpse of the finishing line in front of Buckingham Palace. Alternatively, you can grab yourself a spot on the notorious cobbled section by Tower Bridge and keep your eye out for any mishaps as the unsteady underfoot conditions and the rapidly approaching halfway point take their toll.

by kevgibbo

For somewhere pretty to stand, and a good chance of being in the sun (should it appear), Victoria Embankment is the perfect spot. The race will really be coming to a head, and you might just get to see someone kicking for home in a bid to win the race. In quiet times you can enjoy the River Thames, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye all from the lovely tree-lined pavement alongside the river.

by Martin Pettitt

To get right into the thick of the action, there is a fairly lengthy stretch of the course along The Highway where the route doubles back on itself. Admittedly it’s not the most glamorous of locations but you’ll get to see mile 13 as well as mile 21, which should give you ample opportunity to see what’s happening with the elite athletes and to give the fun-runners a proper shout of encouragement.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nakedcharlton/57223293/

by Jon’s photos

Finally, you can head for one of the iconic landmarks out in the East of the city. Cutty Sark is one of the best-known parts of the course, and as it’s quite early on in the race you can head to nearby Greenich Park for lunch and exert yourself with a climb to the top for spectacular views. Alternatively, the course winds through the financial district and its soaring skyscrapers, with Canary Wharf the most well-known of these. It’s a great spot for some fine dining or a sophisticated afternoon drink if you want to congratulate yourself on making the effort to cheer on all the hard work. Just spare a thought for the guy dressed as a sumo wrestler.

Top image by through my eyes only