The city of London dates back to the 1st
century AD, when the Romans established Londinium as a civilian
town. Its evolution into the sprawling city of today has seen many
changes, and the city's rich history is written in its
streets.
The Official British 10K takes a course through some of London's
best known and most historic streets.
Piccadilly (pictured right) is believed to be
named after Piccadils, the stiff collars with a lace or perforated
border, that were the source of wealth for a tailor named Robert
Baker, who sold them in the late 16th and early 17th century from
his shop on the Strand. With his fortune he bought a substantial
plot of land to the west of what was then London and proceeded to
build himself a large house there. This soon became known as
Piccadilly Hall.
After the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, Piccadilly and the
area to the north now known as Mayfair were developed as a
fashionable residential locale. 10K runners begin their race
heading east on Piccadilly.
Runners then pass down St James Street, which
heads south toward St James Palace. This Palace was commisioned by
Henry VIII and became the administrative centre of the monarchy - a
role it maintains today. St James Street plays host to some of
London's best known gentlemen's clubs.
The race proceeds down Pall Mall, whose name
derives from a ball and mallet game that was played there in the
17th century. The name pall mall, or palle maille, refered not only
to the game but the mallet used and the alley it was played in.
Many cities have streets that evolved from pall mall gaming alleys
and the american name for shopping areas is also derived from this.
Pall Mall is also host to many gentlemen's clubs.
Runners then proceed into Cockspur Street and
through Trafalgar Square (pictured right), home to
the famous Nelson's Column, erected between 1840 and 1843 to
commemorate Nelson's death at the battle of Trafalgar. The square
itself was created by the architect Charles Barry, who is best
known for his role in rebuilding the Palace Of Westminster.
From there the course takes runners down Northumberland
Avenue, named after the Dukes of Northumberland, the Percy
family, who lived there in the jacobean Northumberland House,
demolished in 1866 to make way for the Avenue. A left turn onto
Victoria Embankment, built between 1865 and 1870,
takes runners toward the City of London along the edge of the
Thames.
The course then travels along Upper Thames
Street, doing a U-turn before Southwark Bridge and back to
Castle Baynard Street, which was once the site of
Baynard's Castle, believed to have been built by the Norman
landowner Ralph Baynard andfamous for its role in William
Shakespeare's 'Richard III'. The castle remained in its strategic
position on the bank of the Thames until the Great Fire Of London
in 1666.
The race continues up Puddle Dock, once one of
London's docks and now home to the Mermaid Theatre, and follows
Queen Victoria Street to turn onto White
Lion Hill.
This leads back down onto Victoria Embankment
heading west towards Westminster Bridge. The
bridge has gothic detailing by Charles Berry, who was also the
architect responsible for the present Palace Of Westminster, built
between 1834 and 1864 after fire destroyed the previous
building.
The runners cross the bridge then turn and cross back under the
shadow of the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, better
known as the Houses Of Parliament. The tower
houses world's largest four-faced chiming clock and the bell
Big Ben, a name which is often mistakenly given to
the clock!
The runners then turn back along Victoria
Embankment and head to Horse Guards
Avenue, which leads onto the final stretch along
Whitehall.
Runners pass the country's principal war memorial, the
Cenotaph and the Ministry Of Defence before finishing just
past Downing Street, official residence to the
British Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer for over
two hundred years.
