After an early night and a hasty breakfast, my day starts in the dark at 3am when I arrive at the operational HQ for the race – known as "event control" – which is housed on the top floor of @Bristol where I can overlook the start/finish and event village.

Steve Weaver from the Highways team and I start that early because that's when we have to begin closing some of the roads – but we aren't the first on site!

One team will have been working since midnight assembling the frames that form the structure of the start and finish gantries, and, as soon as Anchor Road is clear of traffic, they start building the towers and erecting the two giant arches across the road. Meanwhile, other teams begin setting up the enormous amount of fencing and traffic cones we have to use to keep runners and spectators safe.

By 4am, even though the race start is still more than five hours away we already begin to feel it's a battle against the clock to be ready for 9.30am when the first wave of runners begin their race.

By this time, Mike Richmond and his team have arrived to take up their positions operating the telephones and radio system that connects event control to the network of people working around the 13-mile course.

Key to this system are Ray Jaeckels and Mike Wilcox who drive around the full route at least twice and report back to us with problems and updates on progress. This includes the tow trucks which begin to remove any vehicles that have been left on the route of the race. They start with any narrow parts of the course first so that we can be sure the runners will have plenty of room with no dangerous obstructions in their way. Once the key areas are clear, they then remove as many others as there's time for.

After a cup of coffee and second breakfast, I check things are going to plan in the event village where we bring in toilets, bag stores, food, medical, massage and the charity and sponsors tents are all set up.

While all this has been going on, the tables have been delivered for the water, energy drinks and all the other services that runners need around the course and at the end of their race.

At 7am, medical team co-ordinators arrive at event control and begin to prepare for their teams arrival about 8am. Suddenly, we realise it's no longer dark, the start and finish gantries are built, Anchor Road is laid out with fencing and decorated with sponsor's banners and by 8am some of the runners have begun to arrive.

The race commentators begin their welcome and a feeling of excitement builds as thousands of people start to arrive on the Harbourside.

By 9am, it's time to make last minute checks and confirm that each area of the course is ready and we're able to start on time.

The next half hour is spent in close contact with Ray who is now in the start area and confirms the officials are ready and the wheelchair athletes and runners are ready to go.

At 9.25am, I go out on the balcony overlooking the start and watch the wheelchairs head off, followed five minutes later by the first wave of runners led by our elite athlete field.

I make a note of how long it takes for the runners to pass under the gantry, then quickly make a call to our results team who monitor the electronic chips worn on each runner's shoe and can tell me exactly how many runners have crossed the start line.

By 10.30am, I'm back on the balcony again watching out for the lead runners' return. Although there are still many runners out on the course, the return of the lead runners is a point where I begin to relax and enjoy the day. At this point, I try to go down to the event village and have a look around and check for myself that everything is OK. Usually, I manage to see the Lord Mayor present the winners with their medals, then head off to the finish area where the thousands of runners each receive their medals and a drink and are being looked after.

After noon, we start to think about clearing up and opening some of the roads.

The final job is dismantling the gantries so that Anchor Road can re-open and taking the tents down.

By 5pm, I'm home just in time to watch the TV coverage of the race on the news – before falling asleep.