Lyla Belshaw, Sam Plummer and Olivia Forrest are among athletes racing 2.6km of the London Marathon course this weekend

The TCS Mini London Marathon is back once again as an estimated 12,000 youngsters take to the streets of London this Saturday (April 20), ahead of the main event a day later.

In its third year of being a standalone event, the school-aged athletes will race the final section of the actual marathon course over either one mile or 2.6km.

The Mini Marathon will feature the usual battle between nationwide regional teams and teams from London Boroughs. In addition, thousands more are completing a virtual Mini London Marathon at schools around the UK.

Each competitor will earn 10 for their school courtesy of sponsor Tata Consultancy Services to spend on school equipment.

Past participants of the race, which used to take place early in the morning on London Marathon race day, include the big names of Mo Farah, Keely Hodgkinson and Jake Wightman.

Last years race saw victories from athletes such as Innes FitzGerald, James Dargan and Lyla Belshaw.

In the under-17 mens race James Alexander (Scotland) will be out to add to his Inter-Counties Cross Country victory this year.

English Schools and SIAB cross country champion in 2023, Sam Plummer (East) will also be looking for a medal alongside Gianleo Stubbs (Barnet) who won the under-15 boys Mini Marathon in 2021.

Scottish under-17 cross country champion Craig Shennan (Scotland) will be another contender following a great run at the World Cross Country Championships last month, placing 35th in the under-20 race in Belgrade.

Inter-boys English Schools cross country champion Jake Meyburgh (South East) lines up alongside last years under-13 winner Thomas Thake (Yorkshire and Humberside) in the under-15 age group. Junior boys English Schools Cross Country champion, Yaried Alem (Yorkshire and Humberside) will join the pair.

The under-13 category will feature Oliver McDonald (East), Macsen Watts (Wales) and Edward Cunniffe (Wandsworth) going head to head.

In the under-17 womens race, last years under-15 winner Lyla Belshaw (East) features as she sped around the course in a time of 08:36 last year.

Her rivals include Commonwealth Youth 800m champion Phoebe Gill (East) and Commonwealth Youth 3000m bronze medallist Eliza Nicholson (Wandsworth). Nicholson placed 25th just a few weeks ago at the World Cross in Belgrade.

An exciting age group to keep an eye on this weekend will be the under-15 girls category, with current inter-girls English Schools Cross Country champion Olivia Forrest (East) and 2023 under-13 National cross country champion Jorjia March (Enfield) both taking part.

Joining them on the start line will be last years under-13 winner Isabella Harrison (Wandsworth), English Schools Cross Country winner Kitty Scott (South East) and Eilidh Dallas (Scotland). Dallas won the under-15 National Scottish Cross Country Championships this February.

Elsewhere in the under-13 girls, North of England cross country champion Ruth Friend (Yorkshire and Humberside) will compete alongside Ava King (East) who finished sixth at English Schools this cross country season.

The races get underway at 9am on Sunday.

Youngsters will begin the Mini Marathon route on Horse Guards Road as they run along the outskirts of St Jamess Park and Green Park, finishing on The Mall.

READ MORE: A look back at the 2023 Mini London Marathon

London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher has previously made it clear his ambitious goal is to build London Marathon entries to 50,000 by 2030 and he hopes for the Mini London Marathon to feature the same number of entries when London celebrates its 50th anniversary.

He says: People get excited by athletics. Its the most watched Olympic sport and it is the second most watched sport in the world. So I think the more that we can build the Mini London Marathon, the better. It is giving athletes another opportunity.

READ MORE: Mini London Marathon through the years

Weve got thousands of school kids signed up to do the Mini London Marathon in schools so there is so much that our foundation do to inspire activity, particularly in young people and for the benefits to mental and physical health.

I would call both this government and future governments to really start looking at how we can inspire activity through school years and onwards because it is for the benefit of everybody.