After London marathon, it would seem that complete rest would be the best way to encourage recovery. However, research is beginning to find some advantages in active recovery. Active recovery refers to engaging in low-intensity exercise after workouts.

There are two forms of active recovery. One is during the cool-down phase immediately after a hard effort or workout. The second form of active recovery includes the days following a competition or other intense workout. Research is growing on the benefits of both types of active recovery. But,Many of these aches go unnoticed until a real problem occurs. Theses "silent injuries" that runners suffer are the result of a wide variety of factors that lead to chronic problems over months and years of neglect.

So,take care, keep going .London runner!
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Strengthening the hips may help reduce many common lower-leg pain and knee injuries, especially in runners. Researchers have found that weakness in the muscles that support the hips may contribute to many overuse injuries in runners. The study authors reviewed previous research findings back to 1980 and found that weakness in the hip muscles may result into a higher risk of many lower-leg injuries. source about.com blog

Research at Winnipeg's St. Boniface Hospital and the University of Manitoba shows that long-distance runs can cause short-term injury to the heart, but there doesn't appear to be lasting damage.