The London Marathon has been postponed until October amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers of the event, which was due to take place on April 26, said runners and charities will be contacted on Friday.

More than 40,000 people run the marathon each year while around 750,000 spectators line the streets to cheer them on.

The famous race has been rescheduled to go ahead on October 4.

Hugh Brasher, event director, said: "The world is in an unprecedented situation grappling with a global pandemic of Covid-19 and public health is everyone's priority.

"We know how disappointing this news will be for so many - the runners who have trained for many months, the thousands of charities for which they are raising funds and the millions who watch the race every year.

"We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received from City Hall, the London boroughs of Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, the City of Westminster and the City of London, Transport for London, the emergency services, The Royal Parks, BBC TV and many others as we worked to find an alternative date.

"The 40th race is scheduled to go ahead on Sunday October 4 2020.

"We know that there will be many, many questions from runners, charities and others and we ask you to please bear with us as we work through the detailed planning process to deliver the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon on its new scheduled date.

"We will email all runners and charities today and then update them via email by the end of next week at the latest. We will also post regular updates on our website and social media channels."

Organisers said all runners with a place in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon will be able to use their place in the rescheduled event without any further payment.

All runners who have a place for the 2020 event and who choose not to take part, or are unable to do so, on the rescheduled date will receive a refund of their entry fee or, if they wish, they may donate it to The London Marathon Charitable Trust.

The rescheduling comes after a charity boss in training for the race called for it to be postponed.

Theresa Dauncey, chief executive of the National Brain Appeal, said it is a "non-essential voluntary" event that would put a "huge strain" on key services in the city.

Earlier on Friday, the UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said it is "eye-catching" to order the cancellation of mass gatherings and sporting events but the chances of contracting the disease by attending such occasions are slim.

He told the BBC: "Mass gatherings do have some impact, it is not that they don't do anything if you stop them.

"But they are very much more minor than the other ones.

"The most likely place you are going to get an infection from is a family member, a friend, someone very close in a small space, not in the big space."

Sir Patrick added: "It is sort of eye-catching to say 'stop those' (but) it is not actually a big effect on the transmission.

"That is not to say we wouldn't do it at some point but it is not the most important thing to get into place first."