IDS avoids Archer at London Marathon

It's a chance meeting Iain Duncan Smith is determined to avoid. When the Flora London Marathon gets under way this morning, the former Tory leader will be trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and runner number 32,907.

Meanwhile, the runner in question, Jeffrey Archer, has other concerns on his mind: trying to break the world marathon fund-raising record. The millionaire novelist and disgraced Tory peer is attempting to raise £1.66m in today's event.

Close friends of Mr Duncan Smith say he was so determined to avoid Lord Archer in today's event that he refused a place in the special "celebrity" start.

Last night, friends of Lord Archer claimed he was close to achieving his fund-raising target. However, as of Friday, charity sources were speculating that the convicted perjuror was nowhere near that total. Unlike the websites of other celebrity competitors in today's race, there was no current tally of money pledged on Lord Archer's, and his office refused to comment. Mr Duncan Smith is hoping to raise a more modest £100,000 and has so far been pledged £22,000 for a children's hospice in his constituency.

Peter Bottomley, Conservative MP for Worthing West and a good friend of the disgraced peer, said that the attempt represented "the best of Archer".

"The one thing you can't take away from him is that he has a big heart," said Mr Bottomley, who confirmed that he had made a contribution. "Trying to break the world record for fund-raising in a marathon run is just a public demonstration of that heart."