The answer is, unfortunately, no. The simple fact is the television rights for the Paralympics were awarded to Channel 4 by the London organisers, Locog. We've known about this since January 2010 and my colleague Roger Mosey blogged about it at the time.

So, the reason is not that we think the Paralympics doesn't deserve all-embracing coverage. On the contrary, the BBC has had a long standing commitment to the Paralympics and indeed a proud tradition of covering disability sport - one that's valued by sports governing bodies here in the United Kingdom and envied around the world - so it would be bizarre for us to make such a decision without cause.

Despite this, the BBC still has a major stake in the success of the Paralympics. BBC Radio 5 live and Radio 5 live sports extra will be the home of live commentary and reporting from the Paralympic Games. As we did so successfully during the Olympics, it will be our privilege to showcase the main events, feature the key athletes and personalities and conduct the national conversation surrounding the Games.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson won 11 gold Paralympic medals between 1992-2004. Photo: BBC

Legendary Paralympic athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and swimmer Marc Woods will be at the heart of our programmes presented daily from the Olympic Park. John Inverdale will be hosting coverage through 5 live Drive and 5 live Sport, whilst Shelagh Fogarty will present her 12-2pm show from Olympic Park. Other shows such as Breakfast will also, at times, be presented from the Park.

The BBC network of 40+ local radio stations, including BBC London, will also feature those athletes making an impact on the Games. They have reported on their progress in the months leading up to the Games and their unrivalled reach will ensure the stories and achievements of our athletes can be reported back to every corner of the UK.

It will also be a priority for our BBC TV News outlets and local television stations to report the stories of the Games. In common with other non-rights holders, we have no access to venues and limited access to the Olympic Park. Plus, we are also restricted in the amount of footage we can use to illustrate any reports and interviews. Nevertheless, we will, with the co-operation of Paralympics GB, get opportunities to interview athletes after they have competed and we are committed to featuring their exploits across our network and regional news programming.

We are also making a strong digital commitment to the Paralympics. There will be dedicated Paralympics sections on our web and mobile sites, where you will be able to find all the latest news, results, medals table, schedule and photo galleries, as well as following the action throughout every day via our ever-popular live text commentary page.

You will be able to listen to live action at bbc.co.uk/5live while we will also showcase the best bits of 5 live - commentary highlights, interviews, video clips - via one easy-to-use page. You will also be able to visit the BBC 2012 portal to find the best of the BBC's online offering across News, Sport and Regions in one place.

As you can see, we are fully committed to reflecting the Paralympics across the BBC despite the absence of live TV sports coverage. The Paralympics is one of the landmark events of 2012. It will be the biggest ever and we fully recognise that this is a big opportunity to continue to build the profile of the Paralympics and disability sport with our audiences, as the BBC has done so successfully for many years.

It's not just self-confessed 'anoraks' like me who have succumbed to Olympic fever; anticipation is definitely growing. We've seen the unprecedented demand for tickets and the resulting controversy; the first test events have taken place and we'll be marking 'one year to go' tomorrow (Wednesday 27 July).

More attention is focused on our athletes too as they compete in major events this summer for the last time before the Games next year. Over the next few months, we can look forward to events such as the World Athletics and World Rowing Championships (with World Swimming going on now) where results and performances will be judged in the light of possible medal prospects in London next summer.

The BBC will be looking to highlight those who have the potential to join Team GB next summer and make an impact on the global sporting stage. There will be great, compelling stories between now and the Games from across all 26 sports and we will be featuring them in our programmes and on the BBC Sport website.

It also means that at sports where there are multiple fields of play such as Tennis from Wimbledon and Badminton from Wembley, there will be coverage whenever there is play although we will not necessarily show the action on every court as there will be a huge demand to showcase all the other sports at other venues.

Today, we take the first step in translating our promise into a reality with the publication of our day by day, session by session website guide to what we're showing online during the Games. It's easy to use and a chance for you to start planning your Olympic diary and how you can watch the Games online.

We'll update it over the next 12 months as we get more information such as which teams will feature in competitions such as Football and Volleyball, competition draws and when and where British teams will play.

All of that information, the selection of British competitors, medal prospects and overall editorial priorities will help us decide what will be featured on the main tv channels and red button. Those decisions will be made far closer to the Games.

In the meantime though, this is an opportunity for you to begin planning your own Olympic schedule. From the start of the early morning action until the end of competition just before midnight, there will be live online coverage via the BBC Sport website of every sport from every venue where it's happening.

You can look at the big picture each day, planning for those not to be missed events. If you want to spend all day watching the water polo or fencing or taekwondo or swimming, or any combination of the 26 sports, for the first time you can. The choice is yours rather than ours!

Dave Gordon
BBC Sport Head of Major Events

More attention is focused on our athletes too as they compete in major events this summer for the last time before the Games next year. Over the next few months, we can look forward to events such as the World Athletics, World Swimming and World Rowing Championships where results and performances will be judged in the light of possible medal prospects in London next summer.

The BBC will be looking to highlight those who have the potential to join Team GB next summer and make an impact on the global sporting stage. There will be great, compelling stories between now and the Games from across all 26 sports and we will be featuring them in our programmes and on the BBC Sport website.

It also means that at sports where there are multiple fields of play such as Tennis from Wimbledon and Badminton from Wembley, there will be coverage whenever there is play although we will not necessarily show the action on every court as there will be a huge demand to showcase all the other sports at other venues.

Today, we take the first step in translating our promise into a reality with the publication of our day by day, session by session website guide to what we're showing online during the Games. It's easy to use and a chance for you to start planning your Olympic diary and how you can watch the Games online.

We'll update it over the next 12 months as we get more information such as which teams will feature in competitions such as Football and Volleyball, competition draws and when and where British teams will play.

All of that information, the selection of British competitors, medal prospects and overall editorial priorities will help us decide what will be featured on the main tv channels and red button. Those decisions will be made far closer to the Games.

In the meantime though, this is an opportunity for you to begin planning your own Olympic schedule. From the start of the early morning action until the end of competition just before midnight, there will be live online coverage via the BBC Sport website of every sport from every venue where it's happening.

You can look at the big picture each day, planning for those not to be missed events. If you want to spend all day watching the water polo or fencing or taekwondo or swimming, or any combination of the 26 sports, for the first time you can. The choice is yours rather than ours!

Dave Gordon
BBC Sport Head of Major Events

As BBC Sport's head of major events, I get very excited - as my colleagues will testify - at the prospect of looking for those events and moments that are likely to capture the audience's imagination during the Games.

Since Barcelona in 1992, I've been planning the detailed television sports schedules and my approach has always been to look for the stories each day. Who are likely to be the stars of the Games? Can our heroes of four years before repeat their successes? Where will the dramatic action take place? Will history be made? We'll shape our plans accordingly.

What follows are some first thoughts which inform our plans but are equally relevant when deciding which tickets to try to buy. On which days should you try to get the unique experience of being there? Which are the days to spend 15 hours on your sofa watching all the action, without missing a moment?

It's your choice, of course, but we'll benefit both ways with full stadia and large TV audiences creating a great atmosphere for both spectators and viewers at home.

The Aquatics Centre, seen in a computer-generated image, will be home to much of the early London 2012 action

Wednesday, 25 July (Day minus-two)

The Olympic Games literally kicks off two days before the opening ceremony with the start of the women's football competition. You should expect live network TV coverage of Team GB's first match; one of six being played around the country at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Coventry and Glasgow.

Note that all the matches will be covered and shown live. We have made a public promise to show all the sporting sessions at the Games, ticketed or otherwise (such as those events on the roads of London), across our platforms.

Thursday, 26 July (Day minus-one)

The next day, it's the turn of the men. Once again we will offer live network coverage of Team GB's first game; it will be one of eight matches taking place at Cardiff, Coventry, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle.

Friday, 27 July (Day zero)

No agonising to be done here. The focus of the day will be the opening ceremony.

Whatever the creative proposition behind what we expect will be a spectacular event, it will draw a worldwide TV audience measured in billions rather than millions. Tickets will be much sought-after, but there is a potential consolation for those unsuccessful in securing one.

We will be following the progress of the torch right around the country from the moment it arrives on 18 May next year. On this day, it makes its final journey through the streets of London. Good pictures for us and a great opportunity for you to view it first-hand - and it will be free!

Saturday, 28 July (Day one)

The first day proper with the action starting just after eight in the morning and finishing around midnight; 16 hours which sees the first 12 gold medals of the 302 that will be won across the next 16 days.

The actual first gold medal will be in shooting at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich - the women's 10m air rifle. However, the first morning will be dominated by rowing and swimming heats; an early chance to assess the form of British crews at Eton Dorney and a glimpse, perhaps, of the legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps as he begins his campaign to be a multi-medal winner again.

There are free views not just on the streets of London but out as far as Box Hill in Surrey as the six-hour men's cycling road race dominates the middle of the day. Starting at ten, we expect the winner - could it be Britain's Mark Cavendish? - to cross the line in front of Buckingham Palace (that bit is ticketed) between three and four.

The evening will be dominated by the first four swimming finals, but two more sports that I will be looking out for are the start of the tennis and the men's team archery. That's simply because they take place at two of the world's great iconic sports venues: Wimbledon and Lord's Cricket Ground. Let's not forget that Horse Guards Parade stages the start of the beach volleyball, too.

Sunday, 29 July (Day two)

A memorable day four years ago as Britain's Nicole Cooke won the first of Team GB's 19 gold medals in Beijing. Our focus in 2012 will be on her event - the women's road race. Shorter than the men's, it starts at 1200 but finishes around the same time.

There are more rowing and swimming heats in the morning, in which we'll hope that Rebecca Adlington can emulate her success in 2008. The women's 400m freestyle has heats in the morning and the final in the evening.

The hockey competition starts in the Olympic Park with six women's preliminary matches, while Wembley stages its first games of the football tournaments.

We'll also be paying close attention to the sailing, which gets under way at Weymouth. Britain has been the most successful nation at the last three Games and the pressure will be on to make it four in a row. The good news, for spectators and the TV coverage, is that there are good land-based vantage points to watch the action close-up.

Monday, 30 July (Day three)

This is the first of Tom Daley's two dates with destiny. Expect to see him and his partner today in the final of the men's 10m synchronised diving. That starts at 3pm, followed soon after by the first of the artistic gymnastics finals: the men's team, which takes place in the magnificent setting of the O2 Arena (or as it will be known at Games-time, the North Greenwich Arena).

Nearby, Greenwich Park stages the spectacular cross-country phase of the equestrian three-day event. Watch out too for the rowing men's four heats, with the British crew trying to win the event for the fourth Games in succession, and the evening peak-time attraction will again be the action in the swimming pool.

Tuesday, 31 July (Day four)

The spotlight falls again on Greenwich Park with the climax of the three-day event - the show jumping phase. Team and individual medals will be awarded, with Team GB hoping to improve on bronze in both events in 2008.

It's the turn of the women's teams in gymnastics and there's more swimming and rowing too. However, we'll also be watching out for some more dramatic water-based sport. The first canoe slalom medals will be awarded at the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Broxbourne.

Finally, Britain's women's football team can secure a quarter-final place today.

Wednesday, 1 August (Day five)

The day starts with attention directed towards the rowing. The first of four days of finals features three gold-medal events, including the prestigious men's eight and the women's quadruple sculls, in which Team GB have had to settle for silver in the last three Games.

There's more cycling action when the women's and men's time trials are staged at yet another iconic venue, Hampton Court Palace.The men's all-around gymnastics champion will be crowned in the early evening, followed by four more swimming finals. We'll also find out if Britain's men's football team have reached the quarter-finals.

Thursday, 2 August (Day six)

Team GB won a grand total of seven track cycling gold medals in Beijing, alongside another three silvers and two bronze. No wonder we, you and the team itself will look forward to the first day of events in the Velodrome.

Medals will be won in the women's and men's team sprints. Also in the late afternoon/early evening slot is the women's all-around gymnastics. There are three more rowing and four more swimming finals, along with the final day of canoe slalom.

Heptathlete Jessica Ennis will be the focus of British aspirations within the Olympic Stadium at London 2012

Friday, 3 August (Day seven)

The Games go up a gear today with the start of the athletics. Just think of the pressure Jessica Ennis will feel - she is the current world champion and favourite for the heptathlon; 100m hurdles and high jump in the morning, followed by the shot put and the 200m in the evening.

It's a big day too for Rebecca Adlington, who will be hoping to defend her 800m freestyle title this evening during the penultimate night of swimming.

There's only one more day of rowing to go, while the first badminton final - the mixed doubles - takes place at Wembley Arena. Lord's stages the final day of Archery, in the shape of the men's individual event. Meanwhile, semi-final places are at stake in the latest round of women's football matches.

Saturday, 4 August (Day eight)

We'll probably call this a 'super Saturday' with 25 gold medals to be won and the action relentless from morning through to night.

The women's triathlon, based around Hyde Park and beyond, kicks the day off. Jessica Ennis is back in action in the long jump and javelin in the morning athletics session, with the gruelling climax - the 800m - to come at the end of the night. It's also the day you can catch a first look at the sensational sprinter Usain Bolt.

The rowing ends with the men's four and lightweight men's double sculls finals - both British gold medals in 2008. It's the last day of swimming, day three of the track cycling, the women's singles tennis final and the men's football quarter-finals.

This is simply an outstanding day's sport from beginning to end, with a great day to follow tomorrow. If you can't get a ticket, this might well be the weekend to stay at home and let us offer you the best seat at the Games!

Sunday, 5 August (Day nine)

After super Saturday, this could be sensational Sunday. Just imagine the scenes in the Mall if Paula Radcliffe wins that elusive Olympic marathon title. The race is off at 11am with a finish after 1pm.

What if Ben Ainslie can take a fourth successive sailing gold medal at Weymouth? The first sailing finals get under way at 1pm, as does the men's singles final at Wimbledon; a date with destiny for Andy Murray perhaps?

Can Usain Bolt repeat his Beijing success at 100m and break the world record in the process? The evening's athletics finishes shortly before 10pm with that final. Earlier that evening it's the women's 400m final, which Christine Ohuruogu won in style four years ago.

Twenty-three gold medals are at stake today, including the final two in the badminton competition at Wembley Arena. There's only one gold medal to be won at the track cycling but it will require a superhuman effort to win it, as today is the climax of a new event, the men's omnium: six disciplines over two days. Watch out, too, as history is made with the Olympic debut of women's boxing in the afternoon session.

Monday, 6 August (Day 10)

A quieter day after the weekend's excitement, but this is one with plenty of potential to create headlines. Keep an eye on the sailing at Weymouth - the Lasers are decided today.

By this stage, matches in team competitions are becoming ever-more crucial. For instance, today sees the final round of women's preliminary hockey with semi-final places at stake. Hopefully Team GB's women's football squad will have already secured a semi-final berth; the games are at Wembley and Old Trafford.

In track cycling, the women's omnium gets under way in the morning session and in the late afternoon the highlight will be the men's sprint final. Could Sir Chris Hoy repeat his Beijing triumph? Earlier in the afternoon, Greenwich Park stages the team show jumping final and we hope Beth Tweddle will feature on the second day of the gymnastics apparatus finals, on the uneven bars.

It's a busy night in the Olympic Stadium, ending with the men's 400m. Meanwhile, the second night of men's boxing quarter-finals follows the afternoon's women's quarter-finals; all winners at this stage are guaranteed a bronze medal at least.

Tuesday, 7 August (Day 11)

It will be an early morning start for Usain Bolt as he begins the defence of his 200m title. Watch out, too, for a first sight of Beijing silver medallist Phillips Idowu in men's triple jump qualification.

The men's triathlon gets under way at 11.30am in Hyde Park. The finish is followed by the final artistic gymnastics session of the Games, ending with the women's floor. It's also the final day of track cycling with the women's omnium decided ahead of the men's keirin and women's sprint - titles won four years ago by Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton.

This is also the third day of sailing finals, with the windsurfers competing for gold - remember that Team GB won four golds, one silver and one bronze last time and have a proud record to defend.

The men take to the semi-final football stage at Wembley and Old Trafford and there's a full programme of athletics in the evening, as well as the men's and women's semi-finals of the beach volleyball on Horse Guards Parade.

Wednesday, 8 August (Day 12)

The first medal of the day will be won at Eton Dorney. This time, it's the sprint canoeing and the K1 1000 metres - an event won by Britain's Tim Brabants in Beijing.

It's a crowded afternoon: women's boxing semi-finals feature in the Excel Arena; basketball action has transferred from the Olympic Park to the North Greenwich Arena, where it's men's quarter-finals day; the individual show jumping final take place at Greenwich Park; and women's hockey has reached the semi-final stage.

In the evening, it's the women's beach volleyball finals; the last night of men's boxing quarter-finals; and four more athletics titles are decided in the Olympic Stadium. Finally, it's the last chance to see any table tennis - the finals of the men's team competition - and a first opportunity to savour BMX, with the seeding runs.

Thursday, 9 August (Day 13)

No doubt that worldwide attention this evening will be on Usain Bolt in the men's 200m final, while British hearts will be willing on Phillips Idowu to men's triple jump gold. However, there's much more quality sport to savour today.

The women's 10km open water swim is the lunchtime attraction in Hyde Park while Coventry stages the women's football bronze-medal match. There's also more BMX and the men's hockey semi-finals.

The first-ever women's boxing finals will be fought over in the late afternoon followed by the women's football final at Wembley. Once again, but for the final time, beach volleyball - the men's finals - ends the day.

The temporary Basketball Arena hosts basketball preliminaries and handball finals during the Games (computer-generated image)

There'll be no shortage of drama today as the relays are the focus of the evening athletics session, and there are bound to be thrills and spills at the BMX as Britain's Shanaze Reade goes for gold.

It's the turn of the men to have that lunchtime open-water swim in the Serpentine and there's plenty of team competition to savour. As well as the women's hockey medal matches, there are men's basketball semi-finals to enjoy and the men's football bronze-medal match is staged at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

It's a crucial day at Excel with all the men's boxing semi-finals, and it's the third of four days of taekwondo action. However, all eyes in the evening will be on teenage diver Tom Daley as he competes in the men's platform preliminaries.

Saturday, 11 August (Day 15)

It should be a terrific evening at the last night of the athletics, featuring all the excitement of the sprint relays followed by the men's 10m diving final - that second date with destiny for Tom Daley.

He must first come through the morning's semi-finals, which share top billing with the last day of canoeing, where all the finals feature the new 200m sprint distance. It's the final day of sailing, too, with the new women's match racing class.

The early afternoon is taken up with the women's mountain biking at Hadleigh Farm, but the centrepiece of the day is the men's football final at Wembley. A 3pm kick off, and defending champions Argentina will be unable to make it three in a row as they have failed to qualify.

In other team action, there are the men's hockey and women's basketball and volleyball finals. A total of 32 gold medals will be won today. Five of those will be won in the first boxing finals session, which starts at 8.30pm, including the middleweight division won by Britain's James Degale in 2008.

Sunday, 12 August (Day 16)

Before the end-of-Games party can begin, after tonight's closing ceremony, there are still a further 15 gold medals to be won.

The first event to start and the last to finish will be the women's modern pentathlon, in which Team GB has done so well at the last three Games; 8am for the fencing, followed by swimming and riding, and ending with the combined running and shooting phase which starts at 5pm.

In between there's the men's marathon, which gets under way at 11am. Wouldn't it be a fairytale finish if the legendary Haile Gebrselassie could crown his career with a victory today?

That's followed by five more boxing finals, the men's mountain biking and team finals in men's basketball, handball, volleyball and water polo.

All that remains is a closing ceremony to celebrate a feast of sporting achievement and draw the XXX Olympiad to a close. The flame will be extinguished and the Olympic flag passed on to Rio. There'll be many memories to treasure, with some eight million people having had the chance to experience the Games at first hand.

For those who can't, the BBC plans to offer the next best thing with our most comprehensive Games coverage ever across TV, radio and online. Plans are well under way so there's no need to panic. Suddenly, though, the Games seem a lot, lot closer!

With the Opening Ceremony taking place next Saturday, Beijing is ready for Paralympic fever to take over. No sign yet of Paralympic souvenirs but the first tangible signs were the replacement a few days ago of all the Olympic banners that line the streets of the city with the Paralympic versions. Street signs have changed too with directions to Paralympic venues instead. For 'Olympic Village' read 'Paralympic Village'.

When the Olympic medal table is swapped for the Paralympic version, it's a near certainty that China will again top the table. They did so four years ago in Athens, so for the rest of the world, it's a question of who will come second. Great Britain has come second for the last two Games. In Athens they won 35 Golds with a medals total of 94 and have been set a Beijing target by UK Sport of winning 112 medals. A stiff challenge! With Team GB having exceeded their Olympic medals target and achieved their best performance for a hundred years, one wonders how much extra pressure this puts on Paralympics GB.

In particular, the spotlight will be turned on athletics and swimming. Swimming have been set a lower target this time around, 41 as opposed to 52 medals won four years ago. The opposite is the case for Athletics who are expected by UK Sport to win 13 more medals than their Athens achievement of 17. They are hoping stars like David Weir can become multi-medallists and returning champions such as Danny Crates can repeat their Athens success. In swimming, David Roberts will be hoping to add to his tally of gold medals and beat Tanni Grey-Thompson's record of 11 gold medals. The pressure, however, will be on all 206 athletes competing in 18 sports to deliver. Public interest and expectation will again be high with London 2012 on the horizon; a challenge for the team and for the BBC.

Following the successes of our Olympic coverage, our aim across all of the BBC's output must be to put in a 'Team BBC' performance that does full justice to those of the athletes. We aim to feature the achievements of Paralympics GB and many of the other performances by the world's top Paralympians; athletes such as South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius and swimmer Natalie Du Toit. Three distinguished former Paralympians join the BBC team for the Games - 11 time Paralympic Gold medallist Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, wheelchair basketball bronze medallist Ade Adepitan and swimmer Marc Woods along with familiar faces and voices such as Clare Balding, Steve Cram, Paul Dickenson, Eddie Butler, Nick Mullins and Bob Ballard.

BBC television coverage will be more extensive than ever before with six hours a day of live coverage, starting at 1000 BST, being streamed on the red button and broadband each weekday with a one hour highlights show on BBC Two at 1900 each night. At weekends, the coverage starts on the red button/broadband and then switches to BBC One or Two for the afternoon. All BBC One and Two output will also be simultaneously shown on the BBC High Definition channel. Both the Opening and Closing ceremonies will be broadcast live including the London handover moment on the final day.

BBC Radio 5 Live will also have a dedicated team in Beijing to provide news and commentary throughout the Games with the BBC's award winning Disability Sport (currently renamed Paralympics) website providing news, features and blogs alongside live streaming. There are also teams from News and Nations & Regions providing specific content for all the BBC local tv and radio stations.

We're looking forward to a great Games; another terrific sporting spectacle. As always, we'll endeavour to convey the drama and excitement of world class sporting competition to audiences back home. We make no apologies for it but the BBC is ready to convey 'Paralympic fever' to the UK.

This week, though, the only crowd "demonstration" we expect our cameras to capture are pictures of passionate and enthusiastic support for the 35,000 runners of the London Marathon. Some of whom are putting their reputations on the line while many more are raising millions of pounds for charity.

There will still be an Olympic feel to our output with much of our attention focused on those who can get an Olympic qualifying time and compete for those elusive team places in Beijing.

We will also spare a thought for the centenary of the Marathon distance - 26 miles and 385 yards first run between Windsor and White City in the 1908 Olympics and how the Italian Dorando Pietri become a legend. Overall though, this is an event to capture the imagination as we marvel at the exploits and courage of all those taking part whether their target is qualification, a world record or just simply getting round.

Five-and-a-half hours of live TV coverage get under way at 0830 BST on BBC One. Sue Barker presents the programme with Steve Cram, Brendan Foster, Paul Dickenson and Tanni Grey-Thompson in the commentary box. Reporters on the course are Jonathan Edwards, Rob Walker, Phil Jones, Jake Humphrey and Lizzie Greenwod-Hughes.

Peter Elliott and Richard Nerurkar will, as usual, follow the elite races from their close-up vantage point on a motorbike. The sound from their microphones is beamed up to a circling plane and two helicopters and then passed on to receiving points in Television Centre.

Our four motorbike cameras and two cameras in the helicopters follow a similar path. Overall, we will have 43 cameras out and about along the route.

While the main BBC One programme will focus on the best of everything, our interactive service will, once again, concentrate on covering the men's and women's races initially - Ed Harry and Veronique Marot with the women, Mike Gillingham and Mike Gratton with the men - followed by continuous coverage of the finish and a replay of the mini-marathon finishes.

John Inverdale will host Radio 5 Live's race day coverage, ably assisted by Mike Costello, Allison Curbishley and the 1984 Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Spedding. There's also the comprehensive service of news, views, guides, tips, and our 26-week training diary on bbc.co.uk/athletics.

It promises to be an inspirational day on the streets of London and BBC Two will return to the London marathon at 1840 BST for highlights of the day and more stories of individuals determined to reach their goals and help others in the process.

Planning has been under way since Athens but it's now time to sharpen our focus and hone our plans for coverage of the 'Greatest Show on Earth'.

We are planning some 300 hours of Olympic output on BBC One and Two over the 17 days of the Games and all of this will be simulcast on the BBC HD channel. In addition, via the red button, there will be an extra six digital interactive channels offering Olympic action 24/7 for the entire Games; an extra 2450 hours. All of this output will also be available on broadband in the UK.

As many events will climax during the working day, because of the seven-hour time difference, this will make it easier for those at work to access the key action. Overall, we will be doubling our TV output compared to Athens. Radio Five Live and its sister station Radio Five Live Sports Extra will also be offering round the clock coverage and a dedicated team will serve the Nations and Regions with news, interviews and features specifically designed for local consumption.

Of course, all the sports action being available on broadband is in addition to everything else that you have come to expect from the BBC Sport website: news, features, interviews, statistics etc. Indeed, we have just launched a revamped Olympic sub-section on the site with separate sections for all sports and the capability to embed video. This will become our default platform in the run up to the Games for preview material and will feature the latest news on British team selection.

It's too early for the majority of sports to finalise their squads but we were delighted, for example, to hear that we qualified a record four amateur boxers for Beijing, after the recent world championships, with a possibility of one or two more to come. This compares to one in Athens - Amir Khan. Clearly, the more British interest the better and that will also bode well for London 2012.

Now is also the time for us to put together our talent teams, sort out the logistics of getting everyone to China and accommodating them and making sure our own temporary production facilities are in place.

Every Games has its unique problems to solve and this one is no different. However, co-operation with the host broadcaster Beijing Olympic Broadcasting has been very good and we are happy that we will have the right facilities in place for whatever stories the sport throws up and all the other political, cultural and environmental issues that we will be reporting too.

We are committed to portraying a three-dimensional picture of China and the Games and giving our audiences that vital context to enhance their appreciation of events.

This will be a Games that will involve many areas of the BBC and not just Sport and one in which we can use the latest multi-platform digital technology to reach as many people as possible. The Olympics available how, where and when you want it. By contrast, it's difficult to imagine how the Olympic news was conveyed 100 years ago. Yes, there's a centenary to celebrate too and one with a special resonance here at the BBC.

We are very proud that the Olympic flag flies alongside BBC Headquarters in West London. Our base here in White City was the site of the London Olympics 100 years ago and I am sure we will also take a little time this year to reflect on that first historic Games held in London and some of the epic competition that took place.

Indeed the story of the 1908 Marathon and how it came to be run over 26 miles, 385 yards is one of the greatest in Olympic history. We look forward to chronicling the exploits of the legendary Dorando Pietri. Irving Berlin even wrote a song dedicated to the Great Dorando. As we welcome the New Year, let's also raise a glass to Paula Radcliffe and hope that a remarkable victory in next summer's marathon provokes another great songwriter into action.

Everyone on the BBC team is moved by the endeavours of those taking part and moved by the stories which are uncovered. The world's biggest half marathon is so much more than just a 13.1 mile journey; not only a time for marvelling at the excellence of the elite runners but also celebrating the achievements of thousands of unsung heroes raising millions of pounds for charity. We can also admire the many famous names taking part who are putting their reputations on the line.

However, there is one famous name who stands out this year. She'll be that Pied Piper leading the masses down the course, focusing absolutely on the task at hand. Yes for Paula Radcliffe, this is a huge challenge as she races for the first time in nearly two years and for the first time since she gave birth to baby daughter Isla.

With her sights set on the Olympic marathon in Beijing next summer, Paula Radcliffe begins her comeback on a course she knows well. She's won the race twice before - in 2000 and 2003 setting a course record of 65 minutes 40 seconds in the process - she is a great favourite on Tyneside. "I love the Great North, have many happy memories and always get such great support there".

The commentators will be Steve Cram, Paul Dickenson and Brendan Foster who was the inspiration behind starting the event back in 1981. Sue Barker introduces the coverage on BBC ONE, which will start at 9.30am.

Early on, we'll hear from Paula Radcliffe and some of those celebrities taking part such as James Cracknell, Ben Fogle, Carol Vorderman, Ray Stubbs and England Football manager Steve McLaren.

The race is being started by one of Steve's predecessors and a north-eastern legend, Sir Bobby Robson. Also running again is Sir Chris Chataway. He had been planning to miss it this year for his son Adam's wedding. Tragically, though his fiance Vicky was killed when she was knocked down cycling to work at Chelsea Football ground.

Sir Chris, Adam and 190 friends of Vicky are running in her memory hoping to raise £250,000 for a water project in Ethiopia which was dear to her heart. Our cameras followed Chris to Ethiopia when he went to visit the project and meet up with Haile Gebrselassie.

This is just one of many inspirational stories. We will feature others both before and after the elite races. Our reporters will work on the principle that everyone has a story to tell so they will be working hard to capture them.

Jonathan Edwards will be at the start, Phil Jones at the finish, Carol Malia is at the six-mile point and three miles further on will be Rob Walker. We will also be inviting viewers to text in with good luck messages as well and we will aim to fit in as many as possible before we go off air at 1.30pm.

Later on at 6.05pm, Jonathan Edwards will return with highlights of the elite races and more interviews with some of the 50,000 'stars' of the day.

There will also be regular reports on Radio Five Live courtesy of Mike Costello and Allison Curbishley and results and reports on bbc.co.uk/athletics.

However, this is not just a one-day affair. The Newcastle/Gateshead quayside is the centre of events the day before with elite runners competing over one mile and 3000m. Watch out for Becky Lyne, Mo Farah and Craig Mottram from Australia. The Great North Miles is live at 1.00pm on BBC ONE.

Before then, Sportsround on BBC TWO at 11.45am is also live on the quayside following the exploits of some of the junior runners. There'll be a feature within Sunday's coverage too where we'll put the spotlight on the 250 strong team from the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith.

We'll try and embrace the spirit of Great North Run weekend and even if the BBC team can't run and share the exhiliration of taking part, we will be aiming to produce the best coverage possible. We're determined to play our part in inspiring tens of thousands to take part each year, hundreds of thousands to dig deep into their pockets for charity and millions to watch at home.

Who were your athletes of the Games?

I suppose Tyson Gay's three gold medals, including the 100/200 double, put him in pole position. Indeed the American team did very well with the likes of Jeremy Warriner and Allyson Felix reaffirming their undoubted talent. Female athlete of the Games? Well Sweden's Carolina Kluft must have a good claim but Jamaica's Veronica Campbell impressed too.

It's churlish though to dwell on that. After all, with three athletes achieving ninth places and numerous personal and season's bests set, there do seem to be grounds for genuine optimism for Beijing next year. It's also worth saying, as Trevor suggested in his post to my last blog, that if you look at the IAAF placings table, which gives points for top eight finishes, we rise to sixth in the table.

Back to Christine Ohuruogu. Judging by all your comments and the press reaction, the issue really divides opinion. We found it tricky to get the balance right. Yes, we wanted to celebrate her outstanding achievement, becoming World Champion in such dramatic circumstances, but also knew that we had a responsibility to put the story in context by highlighting all the facts surrounding the case.

For example, our commentators and presenters explained that she was being tested continuously both before and during her ban and had indeed taken many tests; something that was not clear from some of the more hysterical media headlines. We also got the informed views of our pundits Michael Johnson and Colin Jackson and heard again from Christine herself as she was trying to digest what had happened in the aftermath of the race.

We also interviewed Simon Clegg, the Chief Executive of the British Olympic Association, who joined us the day after the race; ultimately it will be the BOA will decide in October whether she is allowed to compete in Beijing. Overall though, you will all make up your own minds about Christine's Gold medal performance and it will be interesting to see what level of public support she has when it comes to the voting for BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December.

There was really no contest as to which BBC team member provoked the most comments during Osaka! While you were keen to tell us what you thought of all of them, with the majority of comments being very positive, it was Michael Johnson who topped the popularity poll. You said "his no-nonsense comments …are brilliant", he is "articulate and perceptive" and it was an "astounding privilege to hear him on British television". Praise indeed and I can promise that he will be in Beijing as part of the BBC Sport team for the Olympics next year.

We were also pleased with the viewing figures too despite the awkward time difference. The daytime figures for the evening sessions were favourable as were the evening highlights shows. Over the weekend too, we had good peak audiences at lunchtime with over two million watching both the Men's 4x100 and the Women's 4x400 relays.

We've not reached the end of our Athletics season yet. There are Golden League meetings to report on radio and the website, the Hydro-Active Women's Run and World Athletics Finals to be featured on television as well, plus the Great North Run weekend to savour across all our output.

However, following Osaka, it's definitely the Beijing Olympics which are uppermost in my mind and in those of the BBC team - only 338 days to go and counting!

It has been a busy weekend for our teams in Osaka and London, with many impressive performances to feature and stories of success and failure to report.

Congratulations in particular to Britain's sole medal winner Kelly Sotherton, and the six athletes who have so far achieved top-eight-in-the-world status - Jo Pavey, Jessica Ennis, Marlon Devonish, Phillips Idowu, Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruogu.

Only two more medals and seven more top eight finishers to reach the target for the championships set by UK Athletics!

Unfortunately, we are in the hands of the host broadcaster in Osaka for coverage so, like you, we were very frustrated with the climax of the women's 10,000m, when the cameras failed to feature Pavey's battle for bronze properly. Our commentary team of Steve Cram and Brendan Foster did their best to describe what was happening out of camera shot but inevitably it was unsatisfactory.

We do strive for perfection, but inevitably there will be the odd glitch over 50 hours of broadcasting. Commentary generally is a very difficult art - trying doing it yourself the next time you watch - so please bear with us when we occasionally mispronounce a name, make a mistake or the commentator of your choice is not on air. We appreciate your preferences and do listen to your comments.

We have had several viewers complaining that there is too much studio chat and not enough action.

I absolutely understand that point of view but we are trying to cater for all groups of viewers - from the aficionados who understand all the nuances of the sport and follow it regularly to those who have come to the championships because they enjoy the major sporting occasions.

The latter group, and the majority we think, need far more context and interpretation than the former. These are the people who tell us they really appreciate having the expertise of former athletes such as Michael Johnson, Colin Jackson and Denise Lewis on hand.

Athletics will always be difficult with so many things going on at any one time so I ask you to bear with us and promise you that we will ensure that all the key action is seen.

A handful of you are concerned that the tone of the coverage is too jingoistic. Again, this is a difficult balance to strike but one we are very conscious of.

I promise you that there are all too many broadcasters around the world who take a very myopic view, concentrating only on their own country's athletes. We do pride ourselves on taking a broader approach, although you cannot expect us not to spend some time celebrating and criticising the achievements of home country competitors. It's what our audience, in general, expect.

That said, you may have seen that Sunday night's highlights programme did start with the men's 100m final story rather than the heptathlon, in which Britain won its first medal. We acknowledged that the men's 100m is a blue-riband, iconic event in the sport and it was rightly the first thing in the show.

We are also trying to interview key non-British athletes whenever possible, and you will have heard Phil Jones speak to people such as Carolina Kluft, Tyson Gay and Veronica Campbell over the last three days.

I was also asked in my last blog whether we would consider covering the Golden League and other grand prix meetings in addition to domestic meetings.

The answer is yes because we are constantly looking at our portfolio of sports rights. As head of athletics, I am always fighting my corner for the sport, although I know it is always a difficult juggling act to get maximum value from the limited budget and resources at our disposal.

One final thought for you - and it's a real bete noir of mine.

I am really enjoying seeing all the athletes at these championships wearing their home country strips. I think what we see at Golden League/grand prix meetings at home and abroad, though, is nothing short of ridiculous.

At a time when the sport is striving to attract a new generation of spectators and television audiences, it seems foolish to make identification almost impossible in races where it is not unusual to see six or more athletes all wearing the same coloured strips. It makes you wonder whether the kit companies run the sport!

The London Marathon organisers, to their credit, recognised the issue and solved it. Come on IAAF and UKA, take a stand and instantly make the sport a better spectacle!

Nobody can accuse UK Athletics of not being ambitious and they have set a target for the team of 14 finalists (top eight) and three medals. However, that has to be achieved by a team badly affected by injuries and without potential medal prospects such as Paula Radcliffe. The team have been acclimatising in Macau at the preparation camp which the British Olympic Association will use next year for many of the sports, including athletics. As I was able to see for myself recently, facilities are very good and, most importantly, the high heat and humidity are very similar to the weather the athletes will encounter in Japan.

The tone may well be set on the first couple of days next weekend. Two of our world ranked athletes, Kelly Sotherton and Jessica Ennis compete in the heptathlon against the legendary Carolina Kluft. We will also watch with interest as Marlon Devonish, Craig Pickering and Mark Lewis-Francis come up against the world's best in the men's 100 metres.

Throughout the championships, the BBC will have a strong team of pundits and analysts to guide you through all the events, led as always by the peerless Michael Johnson. And there are three other world champions in our squad: Steve Cram, Jonathan Edwards and Colin Jackson.

More than 50 hours of coverage is planned across BBC ONE and TWO. With Osaka eight hours ahead of the UK, the daily pattern of coverage features live action in the early hours and again from late morning through to early afternoon. The daytime programme will be presented by Sue Barker with Colin Jackson, Michael Johnson and Denise Lewis (for the duration of the heptathlon) in our studio in London.

Overnight action will be introduced by Phil Jones trackside in Osaka. Hazel then presents an early evening highlights package on BBC TWO.

The commentary team in Japan is led by Steve Cram with Stuart Storey, Paul Dickenson, Jonathan Edwards and Brendan Foster, with Phil also interviewing the athletes.

There will also be a BBCi service with an extensive highlights and repeats package. From 0600 BST viewers will be able to see highlights of the overnight action, at 1700 BST we will premiere the evening highlights with Hazel Irvine, and at 1900 BST a complete repeat of the daytime programme. The repeat ensures that anyone who has been at work can catch up on any of the action they may have missed.

BBC Radio 5live will also bring all the latest news from Osaka with regular live uninterrupted commentary on 5live sports extra. Mike Costello heads the team along with former world record holder and Olympic and World silver medallist (and veteran of six world championships) Steve Backley and European and Commonwealth 400m medal winner Allison Curbishley.

A special World Championship preview edition of 5live Track & Field will broadcast on 5live sport from 7pm on Thursday 23 August, with top guest’s including Olympic medal winning 400m runner Katherine Merry.

The BBC Sport website has a site dedicated to covering the World Championships at www.bbc.co.uk/athletics. Aside from all of the latest news and features the site will bring a combination of live text as well as full interactive multi-screen and web streaming of the whole event.

In addition the site will carry video on-demand (full details TBC) and video master classes with a number of athletics stars from the UK and across the world including: Jade Johnson, Tim Benjamin, Marlon Devonish, Goldie Sayers, Phillips Idowu, Carolina Kluft, Asafa Powell. Plus there'll be the regular columns and opinion pieces by some of the BBC’s top athletics names such as Steve Cram and Colin Jackson.

The aircraft makes that familiar bump as the wheels hit the runway – but to my disappointment, visibility on the ground is barely a few hundred metres; it is grey and dull. I get out of the airport into the polluted atmosphere that has unfortunately become all too familiar on previous visits.

In town for the one year to go celebrations, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge warns on television that if necessary endurance events will be postponed at next summer's Games.

The visibility and atmosphere are no better as I wake up on Monday morning. I am in Beijing with a small team planning what will be our biggest ever Olympic operation. It will be a very busy two weeks. We pop into BBC News’ Beijing bureau to get their take on what has been happening since we last met.

Then on to a meeting with the British Olympic Association. Chief Executive Simon Clegg is out here along with his deputy Mark England and the Director of Elite Performance Sir Clive Woodward. They are in Beijing along with their counterparts from all the other National Olympic Committees for a conference organised to coincide with a year to go.

We greet them, nervous as the sky blackens - you can barely see the main "Bird's Nest" Olympic Stadium which is only a few hundred metres away.

We get absolutely soaked to the skin in one of the more amazing storms any of us have ever seen. Beijing seems to be awash as we struggle to get back to our hotel and dry off. The visibility is as bad as ever.

No change Tuesday morning as we set off for a day of meetings with BOB - Beijing Olympic Broadcasting and BOCOG - the Beijing Organising Committee. The morning meeting with BOB goes well and we resolve some of the technical issues that have been worrying us.

It rains heavily at lunchtime and we’re depressed as our taxi battles through the rain to the BOCOG offices. We're immediately cheered up, however, as we arrive to see hundreds of young people practising what appears to be a display for Wednesday's celebrations to mark a year to go to the start of the Games.

It's a long but very productive meeting and halfway through we need to pull the blinds down. The sun has come out and the sky is clearer than we have seen it so far this visit. No sign of a blue sky; hazy but definitely brighter. That scene is repeated as the big anniversary arrives on Wednesday morning.

We drive 50 minutes north east out of the city to Shunyi where the heats of the World Junior Rowing championships are taking place.

Britain has eight boats competing and the team has to cope with hot, humid and sultry conditions under a sky which is best described as a hazy grey/blue. By the end of the morning heats, Britain's juniors have secured three wins and a very good second for the Men's 8; an overall performance which British Rowing's performance director David Tanner describes as "encouraging".

He acknowledges the very hot and humid conditions are a challenge but goes on to say that "air quality is not an issue at the moment" up in Shunyi. He praised the new rowing course as "outstanding"and the Chinese organisation at the event as "exceptional".

Off back to the city and the Olympic Hockey Centre on the edge of Olympic Green. Another splendid new facility with, to our delight as we arrive, large patches of blue sky above. No British teams are competing in the International tournament that is going on but the Men's Olympic champions Australia and huge crowds are streaming in.

We’re unable to get close to Tiananmen Square which is the focus of the evening's celebrations so we settle for a good view in front of the television as China prepares to countdown to exactly a year to go. Eight is a lucky number in China, so the Games will start on 8/8/2008 at 8.00pm local time.

Not unexpectedly, the actual moment is accompanied by fireworks, singers and dancers in specially choreographed sequences in front of an invited audience of Chinese and IOC dignitaries. This is followed by several speeches. I and my colleagues feel disappointed that the square is not full of hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic, cheering Chinese; an opportunity missed perhaps for the Chinese public to display to a watching world their passion for sport and their enthusiasm for the Olympics.

The countdown has now started in earnest, not just for the Chinese but for us too. After all, we have to prepare for nearly 300 hours of television coverage on BBC ONE and TWO, with another 2500 hours on digital interactive and broadband, not to mention round the clock Radio Five Live coverage and a full service on bbc.co.uk/sport. A year sounds a long time in Olympic broadcasting but I promise you it is not!

Overall, it was a successful championships for Britain - fifth in the medal table with a haul of two golds, two silvers and three bronze. Do you remember who got the other medals? A couple of clues for you: one athlete got Gold two years later in Stuttgart and four Britons were not content with winning just one medal in Tokyo but won two each! (Answers at the end).

The selection criteria for the Worlds are complex. The straightforward first three past the post, which is the norm in the USA, is not for UKA. Understandable, because of the relative lack of strength in depth in Britain. At its simplest this weekend, you need to be in the first two, have the qualifying 'A' standard and demonstrate genuinely competitive form and fitness.

Some events such as the Men's 100m & 200m and Women's 800m will be very competitive and others may not see any British athletes selected. The team is likely to be smaller than in the past because UK Athletics is focused on sending athletes with either the clear ability to achieve a podium finish or who have the potential to benefit from the experience, leading to a podium finish in future Worlds or Olympics. UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins has set a target of three medals, the same as achieved at the 2005 Worlds in Helsinki, with an accompanying target of getting 14 athletes into finals.

In particular in Manchester this weekend, we'll be watching out for athletes such as Nicola Sanders and Andy Baddeley who both looked so impressive a fortnight ago in Sheffield. Both Craig Pickering and Marlon Devonish will be looking to qualify in the sprints and there will no doubt be a fierce battle in the men's long jump with Chris Tomlinson and Nathan Morgan both seeking selection. Hopefully we'll also see the rapidly improving Jessica Ennis, who along with Kelly Sotherton will be challenging for Heptathlon honours in Japan and it will also be a real test for athletes such as Tim Benjamin who has struggled with his form recently. It should be a fascinating weekend which will no doubt throw up several dilemmas for the selectors, ahead of their meeting and subsequent first team announcement early next week.

BBC Sport's coverage begins on Friday night at 8.00pm with Darren Campbell and Five Live Track and Field. Radio Five are there all weekend with their commentary team of Mike Costello, Alison Curbishley and Steve Backley. Sonja Mclaughlan is the reporter and the programmes will be presented by Arlo White. There will be reports and coverage on the BBC Sport website too with TV coverage from 4.35pm to 5.55pm on Saturday on BBC ONE switching to BBC TWO on Sunday from 5.15pm until 7.30pm. Hazel Irvine will present the shows with Colin Jackson giving his expert views. Steve Cram, Paul Dickenson and Jonathan Edwards will be in the commentary box and Phil Jones will be interviewing athletes trackside.

One more clue for you before I finish - none of the famous names working for the BBC this weekend won a medal in Tokyo, 1991!

Answers:
Gold: Women's 10,000m Liz McColgan
Men's 4x400m Relay Roger Black, Derek Redmond, John Regis and Kriss Akabusi

Silver: Men's 400 Roger Black
Women's 400 Hurdles Sally Gunnell

Bronze: Men's 110 Hurdles Tony Jarrett
Men's 400 Hurdles Kriss Akabusi
Men's 4x100 Relay Tony Jarrett, John Regis, Darren Braithwaite and Linford Christie

We would all also like to express our admiration for everyone who did take part last Sunday. It's very easy for all of us in the media, and in particular television, to get carried away with our own self-importance. Mornings like last Sunday are a humbling experience when we watch thousands of people achieving great things, not only surpassing the goals they have set themselves but also raising millions of pounds for charity in the process. Once again this year, there were stories that brought tears to your eyes and it's only disappointing to realise that we can only feature such a small percentage of those within our coverage.

Firstly, the perennial one about the use of the phrase "fun runner". I promise you that no disrespect is intended and we do understand that everyone makes considerable sacrifices in terms of training through the winter months, etc. It's not meant to be demeaning. We do want to differentiate between the elite and club runners and the rest, and are open to suggestions. Perhaps instead of 'fun' we could talk about "charity" runners although I suspect that's not ideal either. What do you think would be the best catch-all phrase?

Being a lovely day, London looked a picture and many of our shots conveyed that. However, I should apologise for some of the break-up we experienced on the motorbike cameras. This was worse than the last two years and we are investigating why. We are reliant on the complexities of getting signals by line-of-sight from the streets up to a circling airplane. Tall buildings, leaves on the trees, etc, are all factors. The digital technology is improving year by year but appears to have let us down on this occasion. Tempting though it is to blame everything these days on "global warming", we will try to get to the bottom of it as it spoilt for us what was generally a successful broadcast.

Miles and kilometres - why do we use both? Naturally, we work closely with the marathon organisers. They have mats every 5km so that the chips the runners wear can be recorded electronically and we can display the time differences between runners. There is still the tradition of mile times - you've probably noticed the arches erected over the course every mile - and we are able to make judgements on pace, etc, with this information. Using both systems does seem odd, but I am sure that the subject will come again when we have our marathon debrief with the organisers.

I am sorry that we disappointed one viewer in Glasgow when our interactive service of the finish line closed down at 4.00pm. We have to shut it down at some point and had always planned to do so at this time to catch all the six hour runners. Sadly, it's not practical for us to keep going any longer.

You can still watch the main highlights from the day on the athletics home page of the BBC Sport website. But to those who want to see specific bits of the coverage again or purchase segments, I'm sorry to tell you that there are no plans to do this for this year although it is an issue that we will take up with the organisers.

In fact, the planning for next year starts straightaway as we try and learn lessons from this year's coverage and work with the Flora London Marathon organisers to achieve the best possible TV coverage. It is one of the great sporting events, an inspiration to all and I for one cannot wait for next year.

Some of the tales are heart-rending and are the stuff of real inspiration. Who can fail to relate to the emotional stories of runners affected by tragedy or illness, particularly when children are involved? We don’t apologise for not exclusively focusing on the elite. This is an event that is so much more and you may be surprised to hear that audiences do not drop away once the races are won. Clearly, people are moved by the experience and enjoy watching ordinary people and a sprinkling of celebrities pushing themselves to the limit.

Radio Five Live and BBC London radio also have extensive coverage on Sunday morning. Before that, there is a preview programme on Friday lunchtime (BBC TWO, 1.25pm), which you can also watch via the red button and on the BBC Sport website. Not only will you get the chance to meet one of the world’s athletics greats, Haile Gebrselassie – who has yet to win in London - but also follow Paralympic Basketball star, actor and presenter Ade Adepitan as he takes up the marathon challenge.

For us the logistical and technical challenges are not to be underestimated. This is one of the most complex outside broadcasts (OB) of the year and the production and technical teams (led by executive producer Martin Webster and engineering manager Robin Stonestreet) operate at full stretch to provide some of the great pictures and signature shots that we all remember. This year, we will be using 35 cameras, six motorbikes, two helicopters and an overhead circling plane to cover the 26.2 mile course. The plane is a relatively recent innovation and has made our coverage relatively weather proof!

On the morning of the marathon, I used to rush to the bedroom window to check the weather. Low cloud meant the helicopters could not fly and we would not get aerial pictures or signals from the motorbike cameras. New digital technology and the use of a plane which can fly above the cloud have prevented a sleepless night before the race, although it’s still one of the most nerve-wracking programmes I do!

Not that I don’t look forward to it. I still rate it as one of the great days of the year and am proud to have worked on it from the very first London Marathon in 1981. I still get a buzz guiding presenter Sue Barker, the reporters and the commentary team through the rigours of the day. I’ll pray that communications to Sue work well, to Blackheath and The Mall, although there will be no excuse if the commentators can’t hear my dulcet tones from the gallery at BBC Television Centre. To let you into a secret, they’re in West London too, as they get the best view watching the outputs from all our outside broadcast sites and mobile cameras in a specially-rigged commentary booth!

I will, though, spend a few seconds next weekend thinking back to that first race in 1981. I was a junior radio producer looking after reporter Tony Adamson at the Cutty Sark. We did not know what to expect and were overwhelmed, as we sat perched on top of a land rover, by the inspirational sight of thousands of runners passing us by. Once they’d all passed, we hot-footed it through the tunnel under the Thames and on to the Isle of Dogs to pick up the race later on. No OB van this time; we had to find a phone box! Mind you, I made sure I had plenty of change. Tony had been to the pasta party the night before for Sports Report and unfortunately ran out of change while live on the air. The pips beat him to his punch line!

Coverage is more sophisticated now in every sense, but some things have not changed. It’s always been an extraordinary sporting event and all of us at BBC Sport are immensely proud of the part we play in it.