The new 2012 London Olympic marathon course is being discussed by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and now awaits approval from the International Olympic Committee.
According to London's Daily Mail, the course will be three or four loops, starting at The Mall and passing Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Cleopatra's Needle on the Embankment and St Paul's Cathedral, before finishing at The Mall.
So far there are no plans for the marathon to end in the Olympic stadium, a tradition that was ironically started at the London Olympics back in 1908.
At the time the British royalty requested that the marathon begin at Windsor Castle and end with a lap around the track of the Olympic Stadium in London. The total distance turned out to be 26 miles and 385 yards, which became the official marathon distance from that point on.
While some 2012 Olympic organizers wanted the race to start at the Tower Bridge, it was less expensive to have the race begin and end at The Mall.
The men's marathon will most likely take place the second Sunday of the Olympics with the women's marathon closing out the Games so that organizers can highlight hometown favorite Paula Radcliffe.
Radcliffe is aiming to finish her career by winning her first Olympic Gold at the games. She set the world record in the marathon in 2003 when she ran a 2:15:25 at the London Marathon.
The final official Olympic marathon course will be announced in two weeks.
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