Hundreds of thousands are expected to line London's streets today to cheer Team GB and ParalympicsGB for their amazing performances during the Games.
And while everyone will take pride in the stunning achievements of the sportsmen and women who surpassed all expectations, there is likely to be a twinge of sadness, too, as we say goodbye to an amazing summer.
By general agreement across the world, London 2012 has proved to be an overwhelming success. From the magnificent sporting achievements to the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies and the amazing efforts of the Games Makers, the capital shone out as an example to the world of what could be achieved.
Olympic champions Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Laura Trott will be just three of the stars taking part in today's parade of London 2012 sportsmen and women.
Victoria Pendleton, Sir Chris Hoy, boxer Anthony Joshua and triathlete Alistair Brownlee will also be fêted, as they join at least 700 members of Team GB on the procession through the centre of the city.
Many of the record-breaking Paralympics squad, including David Weir and Jonnie Peacock, will take part. The parade starts only 12 hours after the Paralympics closing ceremony.
Hundreds of thousands are set to line the route from Mansion House to The Mall for what is expected to be one of the greatest national celebrations in the capital in modern times, rivalling the turnout for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic torch relay.
The parade, a tradition begun after the 2004 Athens Games, is also a thank-you to British taxpayers who have contributed some £250 million to our athletes' efforts.
Mayor Boris Johnson urged Londoners to turn out in force to pay tribute: “The atmosphere is going to be electric on this historic day, as our 2012 heroes take a well-earned break to celebrate their extraordinary achievements.
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“This is also our moment to say a big thank-you for giving us all a glorious summer of thrilling entertainment, so make sure you don’t miss a moment of our greatest team parade.”
After the procession, David Cameron will host a reception at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre opposite Parliament. He told the Standard: “The parade will give people a chance to honour their heroes. The performances of our British athletes at both the Olympics and Paralympics have inspired a generation.”
Britain’s Olympians and Paralympians will get their own honours list, it emerged today. Whitehall mandarins are drawing up a separate list because rewarding their extraordinary success would have overwhelmed the usual system. Under normal rules, there would be one knighthood for a sportsperson, with four CBEs, 68 OBEs and 134 MBEs. But Britain won 29 golds at the Olympics and 34 at the Paralympics.
During the parade, athletes will be grouped in alphabetical order by their sport and travel on 21 open-top floats.
The parade starts at 1.30pm at Mansion House and will travel along Queen Victoria Street and Cannon Street. Passing St Paul’s Cathedral, the floats will continue along Fleet Street, Aldwych and into the Strand, before reaching Trafalgar Square by about 2.30pm. From there they will proceed through Admiralty Arch along The Mall and finish at about 3.30pm at the Queen Victoria Memorial by Buckingham Palace.
This final stretch will be open to ticketed spectators only. These prime viewing points will go to 14,000 Games volunteers, members of the emergency services, military personnel, athletes’ coaches and support staff, and schoolchildren from every London borough.
Most of 542-strong Team GB and 289-strong Paralympics GB are expected to take part. Other gold medallists confirmed include long jumper Greg Rutherford, canoeist Ed McKeever, cyclist Jason Kenny, horsewoman Charlotte Dujardin, rower Katherine Grainger, sailor Ben Ainslie, and shooter Peter Wilson.
