The route begins and ends in The Mall, and loops twice through some of central London's more scenic, television-friendly sights, including St. Paul's, the Tower of London, and the Houses of Parliament. Originally, a route that took in much of the East End and Tower Hamlets was proposed, yet organisers felt that the new plan offers a "better operational solution" that will "[minimise] risk of disruption to the many other sports taking place at the same time in the Olympic Park".
That's not how Tower Hamlets sees it: they've criticised the decision and accused the organisers of "[breaking] their promise to residents", although Sebastian Coe has refuted the accusation of some, including local MP Rushanara Ali, that the westward shift has more to do with a desire to shield the unpalatable sights of London's eastern climes from the eyes of the world. Yet some of the reasoning in the official press release is spurious at best, mendacious at worst; Diamond Geezer has picked apart some of the logical fallacies.
Residents of Tower Hamlets are entitled to feel aggrieved: after being promised three events, this supposedly "Olympic" borough will now host a grand total of zero.
