London Marathon 2015: Runners gear up for rain with cloud and downpours expected

Runners also face a chilly maximum of 9C

The London marathon is set to get off to a rainy start, with cloud and downpours expected from early morning.

With forecasts pointing to rain overnight and well into Sunday morning according to the Met Office forecast below, the weather is set to make the gruelling 26-mile route just that bit more difficult for the runners.

The rain is set to clear up just after the main race begins (Pic: Met Office) (Met Office)

At the starting line in Blackheath, south east London, the rain will be pouring throughout the night and morning, with the weather set to clear up later in the day, as the participants run over to Woolwich, then Greenwich, back towards the Tower of London, and finally finishing at The Mall on the other side of the city.

Tomorrow's main race will begin at 10:10am - annoyingly, just as the rain is forecast to start clearing up.

It should be dry for the rest of the day, but doing a marathon when it's been raining presents all kinds of difficult problems.

Wet running shoes and kit are more likely to chafe and rub, and by the time you the 20-mile mark, it's going to be pretty painful. Expect a vaseline drought across London tonight as runners dash out to stock up.

Rain lashing down your face sounds cool and refreshing when you're on a long distance run, but it can easily get in your eyes and stop you from seeing - so unless you want to end up in the Thames, take a baseball cap just in case.

If you're really determined to stay dry before tomorrow's race, wear old running shoes at the finish line, and put a bin bag over yourself (with head and arm holes cut out, naturally.)

If you change into your proper running shoes just before the rain starts, and take your bin bag off as you get going, then you should stay nice and dry for the rest of the race.

Still, many of tomorrow's runners will have been training for the marathon all year, so don't expect a morning of rain to dampen anyone's spirits.

The long course is some peoples' worst nightmare, but it's not all bad - marathon runners will be loading up on carbs today to ensure they have enough fuel to finish tomorrow.

Being able to eat bread and pasta guilt-free all day sounds like it's worth the 26 miles, to be honest.