How To See The London 2012 Olympics For Free and Without Tickets

Having been frustrated that I was not able to obtain tickets for any of the London 2012 Olympic events I've been looking at other options. I was really looking forward to watching the Olympics in London however was unsuccessful in both the initial and secondary ticket draws which leaves me in a bit of a strange situation as a sports lover that thinks the Olympics are such a positive thing for Britain and British Sport.

The goods news is that for those of you with no Olympic Tickets for London 2012 there are a few options to be able to watch an Olympics event for free and without tickets.

Yes- You can watch some London Olympic events for free

1. Road Cycling Events at London 2012

There are 4 separate cycling events on the roads of London that you could watch on 3 different days to satisfy your Olympic fever.

July 28th 2012 Mens Road Race (Estimated time 10:00- 16:00 hrs GMT)

July 29th 2012 Women's Road Race (Estimated time 12:00- 16:00 hrs GMT)

The Road Race involves completing multiple laps around the streets of London. The finish is on The Mall which will have grandstands which tickets are required for. However this does not stop you finding yourself a spot on the course outside a pub and vanish back into the pub for a drink every lap. The Cycling Road Race at London 2012 is designed so that laps take between 20-30 minutes therefore you can time your drinking and viewing the action.

1st August 2012 Men's and Woman's Individual Time Trial (Men 10:00- 11:30, Women 13:00- 1600 hrs GMT)

With Riders setting off at regularly intervals there will not be a long wait between riders in their sleek, aerodynamic cycling kit. The Cycling Time Trial is know as the "Race of Truth" and you will see the cyclists suffering for that elusive gold medal while you watch for free without a ticket.

2. Triathlon at London 2012

Fancy watching 3 events at London 2012? Set around Hyde Park the London 2012 Triathlon events comprise of a 1.5 km Swim, followed by 40 km Road Bike and finishes off with a 10 km run. Sounds exhausting! Definitely a great sounding Olympic event to watch with a cold beer while relaxing.

As the event features a large number of laps in the vicinity of Hyde Park so you're never far from seeing the action and can walk to different points on the course to get a different view if you wish.

August 4th Women's Triathlon (Estimated time 09:00- 11:30 hrs GMT)

August 7th Men's Triathlon (Estimated time 11:30- 14:00 hrs GMT)

3. The Marathon at London 2012

5th August 2012 Women's Marathon (Estimated time 11:00- 13:45 hrs GMT)

12th August 2012 Men's Marathon (Estimated time 11:00- 13:30 hrs GMT)

The London 2012 Olympic Marathon course involves 3 laps of a main circuit of almost 13 km which means you will see the runners approximately every 45 minutes if you stay in the same spot- leaving you time to do some shopping, grab a coffee, or lunch before the race passes you again.

4. Race Walk Events at London 2012

Fancy watching something different at the Olympics? Watch a Race Walking event.

4th August 2012 Men's 20km Race Walk (Estimated time 17:00- 18:30 hrs GMT)

11th August 2012 Men's 50km Race Walk (Estimated time 09:00- 13:00 hrs GMT)

11th August 2012 Women's 20km Race Walk (Estimated time 17:00- 18:30 hrs GMT)

Wishing you a great London 2012