Security personnel use sniffer dogs to check vehicles at the Mall in central London, yesterday. Pic: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP/Press Association Images

THE LONDON MARATHON begins this morning, and is the first major international marathon since the bomb attack in Boston.

Police and organisers said today that extra security measures have been put in place to assure safety at the starting and finishing points of the event.

The popular London event, taking place on a sunny day in the British capital, is expected to draw some 36,000 runners hoping to finish the course through London’s streets.

A 30-second moment of silence is planned before the start of the event to honor those injured in the Boston Marathon.

The Monday bombing there left three people dead and more than 170 injured, including many who are still hospitalised. In addition, a policeman was killed during the search for the two suspected bombers.

One suspect was killed during a police pursuit, while the second suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, remains in hospital in a ‘serious condition’ under armed guard.

Read: Nothing found following reports of ‘suspicious device’ at Boston’s South Station>

Read: Interpol issues global security alert at US request>

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