A Fan’s Guide to The London Marathon

For more than a century, London has set the pace in the marathon world. During the 1908 Summer Olympics in that city, the official race distance was moved from 25 miles to 26.2 miles for reasons that remain unclear to historians but may have had something to do with wanting to appease the king and have the race finish at Windsor Castle.

The distance would become standard in marathon races, but it took more than seven decades for the sport to officially return to the British capital, with the birth in 1981 of the London Marathon. That event ended with an admirable display of sportsmanship, as American Dick Beardsley and Norway’s Inge Simonsen crossed finish line together, holding hands.

They were two of a little more than 7,000 runners who started that race. For the 2026 TCS London Marathon that takes place on Sunday, April 26 a record 59,000-plus participants will be at the starting line this weekend, another example of the increasing interest in marathon running.

Here is everything you need to know for the TCS London Marathon, one of the six World Marathon Majors:

Setting Records Already

A world record total of 1,133,813 applications were submitted for this year’s London Marathon, smashing the previous mark — set for last year’s London Marathon — of 840,318 and almost double the number of applications for the 2024 edition.

Entries each year can be made via a public ballot, charity spots, Good For Age (spots for UK residents who achieve specific qualifying times, capped to 6,000 places), Championship entry (recorded qualifying times on certified courses and being a member of a UK athletics body) and international entry.

The ballot for the 2027 TCS London Marathon will open on Friday April 24, 2026.

Stars Put On A Show

In the days leading up to the Marathon, running enthusiasts at every level — from first-time marathon runners to seasoned PB-chasers — can attend Europe’s largest exhibition dedicated to all things running at Excel London, the TCS London Marathon Running Show.

The Running Show is designed to bring the global running community together under one roof for three days to inspire attendees, showcase the latest innovations in running, and celebrate the community, as well as buy last-minute essentials.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to listen to talks from elite athletes such as Marcel Hug, who earlier this month won the Boston Marathon wheelchair title for the ninth time; four-time Olympian Eilish McColgan; and Patrick Dever, who won bronze at last year’s New York City Marathon. They’ll offer last-minute tips about perfecting pace strategies and nutrition plans.

Such is the demand for the London Marathon that there are now three official Start Lines. Participants will begin from either a Red, Blue or Green starting point in Greenwich Park / Blackheath before all runners meet for the first time just before Mile 3 in Woolwich.

By Miles 6 and 7, runners will have passed through Charlton, Greenwich and Deptford, as well as looping past the historic Cutty Sark Ship, a clipper ship built in 1869.

New for 2026, this year’s route will include a new “Woodland Way” section near Mile 10 along Salter Road. It will feature both trees and sounds, designed in collaboration with the WWF to highlight sustainability.

The route will then take them on to Rotherhithe and Jamaica Road in Bermondsey, before heading to Tower Bridge, one of the most recognisable landmarks on the course. Crossing the River Thames to the north will mark the halfway point at Mile 13, leading along The Highway to Westferry, then Mudchute, Docklands and the financial centre of Canary Wharf.

Just beyond Mile 21, participants will run along Rainbow Road, a 250-metre stretch of road in Limehouse which was launched four years ago to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and promote inclusivity with a mix of DJ music and other performances.

In the final five miles, runners will take in the glorious sights of The Highway, Tower Hill, Victoria Embankment, Parliament Square and Birdcage Walk, before crossing the corner in front of Buckingham Palace and finishing on the world-famous Finish Line on The Mall.

Meanwhile, there is also a virtual event —TCS London Marathon MyWay — which enables any participant to complete the course anywhere in the world on the same day.

Elite Athletes, Elite Races

There are a range of Elite Races on the day of the 2026 TCS London Marathon, including the Elite Women’s Wheelchair event (featuring the likes of Americans Tatyana McFadden and Michelle Wheeler and GB’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper), the Elite Women’s Race (featuring Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei and Hellen Obiri and Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa), the Elite Men’s Wheelchair event (featuring Switzerland’s Hug and GB’s David Weir) and the Elite Men’s Race (featuring Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo).

The Elite Races will kick off proceedings from 8:50am, before the rest of the field begin on staggered start times. Last year’s winners were Sabastian Sawe of Kenya (2:02:25) in the men’s race and Tigset Assefa of Ethiopia (2:15:50) in the women’s race. The wheelchair winners were Hug (1:25:25, his seventh title) and Catherine Debrunner (1:34:15, her third title).

Interview: Steve Lowy Runs For A Purpose

Steve Lowy, CEO of Anglo Educational Services (AES) and chairman, British Educational Travel Association (BETA), spoke to SportsTravel about taking on the London Marathon for the first time:

What are you expecting from the day and how has preparation gone for the event?

The atmosphere is what I’m really looking forward to, though the preparation has been challenging. I had an operation on my knee about 10 years ago and part of my meniscus was removed, while my ligaments aren’t great from playing lots of football. It started off in January when I was running lots of 10ks but my knees have really started to feel the pain in the last month. However, I’m quite lucky that I’m doing this for Prostate Cancer UK and there is a WhatsApp group with all the other runners, which includes some really serious runners and others who are either between chemo or have really lost someone with prostate cancer. It is quite amazing and very motivational hearing their stories.

Is there a part of the course that you’re really looking forward to (apart from the end!)? 

I think it would be the Cutty Sark as I remember seeing it on the TV when I was young. That was quite a big thing. And also the Tower Bridge area, partly as I have lots of business around there and that’s where most of my friends and family will be. It’s also half way and mentally, I’m trying to break it down into little chunks. Seeing the Tower of London and all the City area will be quite a moment. Obviously, running down the Mall past Buckingham Palace is another iconic milestone and that’s what makes the London Marathon so special.

What is your motivation for raising money for Prostate Cancer UK?

My father has had prostate cancer twice, and has actually been lucky enough to get through both of those without too much problem. I helped him through it the second time in particular and Prostate Cancer UK as a charity was really helpful with lots of great support for family members. In the serviced/furnished apartment industry where I work, a close colleague got diagnosed with it too and unfortunately, it’s really serious. Prostate Cancer were really helpful to him so within the serviced/furnished apartment community, we talked about it a lot to make sure guys get checked every year. Their resource is very good around male mental health and I wanted to do it for them as it’s quite a personal charity for me.

How difficult was it to get into the London Marathon this year?

Some people hate me for this as it’s actually the first time I’ve applied for the London Marathon. Maybe it’s a sign! I found out last June and then when I went on holiday in July, I challenged myself to run 100km in two weeks — which I did. Gradually, I got from 5k to 10k and doing it regularly as a routine until I knew I could do it. Then, I chose Prostate Cancer UK as my charity. I’d sort of wanted to do the London Marathon — I’m not really built as a long distance runner really — but I’m happy to be doing it now.

Do you feel that running marathons is increasing in demand around the world? And why might that be so?

I think it comes down to health and wellbeing. During Covid, a lot of people went and ran who had never ran before. It was the one sport you could do and that got more people into it. There are a lot more marathons too, not just in the UK but all over the world, and in some pretty exotic places. London being one of the originals makes it very iconic. The cost of living crisis globally has also fueled this trend; running is free and a good pair of trainers will last you a while. I think in the UK particularly, we’re a really charitable country and it’s an amazing feat for all the amateur runners, as well as the elite ones.

What time are you aiming for?

I’m aiming for four and a half hours because I’m 45 years old and I’m also looking to raise £4,500 for charity.

(Donate to Steve’s Enthuse page at this link, raising money for Prostate Cancer UK at the 2026 London Marathon.)