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BBC Outside Broadcasts goes the distance

With 35 cameras, six bikes, two helicopters and an overhead circling plane being used to cover the 26.2 mile course, every step, trip and fall was captured…

BBC Outside Broadcasts has covered The London Marathon for BBC Sport since it began 25 years ago. This year, it provided 4 production units, 35 cameras to capture the action, as more than 30,000 people pounded the streets on the 26.2 mile course from Blackheath to the Mall. BBC Outside Broadcasts also used four mobile cameras on motorbikes: two covering the men's elite race and two on the women's.

Digital signals were beamed up from the motorbike cameras to the sky where a Skylink plane bounced the signals back down to BBC Television Centre. Two helicopter cameras with long lenses and digital links added to the coverage. Luckily the sun was shining, as helicopters cannot operate for TV in bad weather. This was nearly the case in 2004, when the all clear was given just minutes before the start of the programme.

Whilst the helicopters needed to refuel every two hours, the Skylink plane could fly at 20,000ft above the city for up to eight hours, so all four motorbike feeds could be offered without interruption to the viewers at home via the BBC's interactive service.

Dave Gordon, head of major events and executive editor and executive editor of the London Marathon worked with executive producer Martin Webster, who directed the multitude of sources at Television Centre. All material came into Studio Five, where videotape, timing clocks and graphics were added as required. This was also where the commentators, Steve Cram and Brendan Foster, were based, Sue Barker presented from the course.

Planning the coverage is an ongoing process for BBC Sport and BBC Outside Broadcasts. After each marathon, the whole production team and the race organisers sit down and explore aspects of the coverage which could be enhanced for the following year.

For the London Marathon 2005, some changes were made to the course, with runners being taken away from the potentially slippery cobblestones by the Tower of London. One of the BBC Outside Broadcast sites was also moved from the City Pride Pub to Canary Wharf to reflect the changing face of Docklands. The London Marathon was an opportunity for London to demonstrate how well it could stage a major international sporting event.

The production team wanted to achieve huge panoramas, so BBC Outside Broadcasts positioned a camera on a balcony on the 52nd floor of the Canary Wharf tower, which was operated by a cameraman wearing a safety harnesses, plus another camera on a huge hoist at Tower Bridge. This contrasted with close up footage of the elite runners from the motorbike cameras, as the 26.2 miles took their toll.

BBC coverage of the London Marathon has broadened in recent year and no longer concentrates on the elite runners, but also celebrity runners. This year 10 celebrity runners were tracked using a lightweight GPS device, including Sir Steve Redgrave, chef Gordon Ramsay, television presenter Dermot O'Leary and the Cheeky Girls.

Also running in the London Marathon was Jon Mason, Head of Project Management at BBC Outside Broadcasts. Jon, who was recently responsible for coverage of the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, completed the course in 4 hours, 27 minutes and19 agonising seconds, raising £3750 for Barnardo's.

BBC Sport’s coverage of the London Marathon 2005 reached a peak of 5.5 million viewers. Coverage was seen in nearly 200 countries, with live coverage of the race shown across Europe, Asia and Africa.

BBC Outside Broadcasts, a division of BBC Resources, is the leading outside broadcast facilities provider in Europe, offering a complete range of solutions from scanners and VT units to design of bespoke OB production units. Combining creativity and flair with technical expertise, project management and customer service skills, BBC Outside Broadcasts caters for both small and large scale events across all genres. Key clients include BBC Sport, BBC Entertainment, BBC Factual and BBC Childrens and independents such as North One, TWI and Sunset & Vine. BBC Outside Broadcasts also works with international Broadcasters such as Canal +, RAI (Italy) and CTV (Canadian Television). Further information can be found at: www.bbcresources.com/ob

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About Skylink
Skylink is the unique video relay service provided by partners Lions Air and QinetiQ. For further information, visit www.skylink.aero

For further information and pictures, please contact:
Georgie Hollett, PR and Communications Executive, BBC Resources
Tel: +44 (0)20 8576 2350
Mobile : +44 (0) 783484 5612
Email : georgie.hollett@bbc.co.uk

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