Competitors will share the start gate with the wheelchair athletes but their starting pistol goes off three minutes later.

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Last Friday he set off from Billericay with John Baron, MP for Basildon and Billericay, firing the starting pistol.

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Almost 2 months of frustration was released, if not like a champagne cork, certainly a reaction to a starting pistol.

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The starting pistol was fired by TV double act Ant and Dec, and celebrity entrants included local X Factor winner Joe McElderry.

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