When is the London Marathon?
Sunday 26 April is the date of this year's London Marathon.
What time does the London Marathon start?
2026 timings are yet to be confirmed, but the mass participation race normally sets off from around 9.30am, with Elite and Wheelchair races departing at staggered times from 8.30am.
What's the London Marathon route?
Greenwich and Blackheath is the starting point, with runners assigned one of three start lines. They all merge by the three-mile marker, following a route from Woolwich back towards Greenwich town centre (hello, Cutty Sark), through Rotherhithe and Bermondsey and across Tower Bridge, at which point you're almost halfway there.
From here it's back east towards Limehouse, a big circuit around Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, before doubling back through Shadwell to Tower Gateway. The route then stays close to the Thames all the way down to Westminster Bridge, where it turns onto Great George Street, continues onto Birdcage Walk, and sweeps round in front of Buckingham Palace for the iconic finish line on The Mall.
Landmarks to look out for on the London Marathon route
Running the route and need something to keep you going? Or watching on TV and need to orientate yourself? The London Marathon route passes several iconic landmarks, including:
- Mile 6: Cutty Sark
- Mile 12: Tower Bridge
- Mile 18: Canary Wharf skyscrapers
- Mile 22: Tower of London
- Mile 25: London Eye (on opposite embankment)
- Mile 25: Big Ben
- Mile 26: Buckingham Palace
Where's the best place to watch the London Marathon?
Depends what you're after. Some points along the route — Greenwich around the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, and of course, near the finish line around St James's and Westminster — get VERY busy, with crowds cheering on friends and strangers. If you want to soak up the atmosphere and are willing to stand for several hours, fill your boots.
Otherwise, head for somewhere quieter. From our experience, miles 9-12 around Rotherhithe and Bermondsey tend to have smaller crowds, as do miles 14-21, east of Limehouse and around Canary Wharf.
There are five accessible viewing areas along the route for spectators with disabilities, at Cutty Sark (What3words location: ///honey.rift.chops), Canary Wharf (///issues.towns.packet ), Butcher Row (///models.seated.courie), Tower Hill (///papers.bonds.fault) and Victoria Embankment (///ties.slug.gets)
Then of course, there's the easiest option...
How to watch the London Marathon on TV
The London Marathon will be shown live on the BBC as usual. The commentary usually begins around 8am on the day on BBC One, hopping over to BBC Two from around 2pm, and all live-streamed on iPlayer. We'll update when we have 2025 details.
Road closures for the London Marathon
The Marathon only takes place on one day, but it's such a colossal event that some road closures (and parking restrictions) start a day or two prior, and continue into the following Monday.
Any road on the route will be closed on the day, which means some bus services will be on diversion — check the TfL website for details. It's a rolling road closure situation, with the first parts of the course expected to start reopening by about 1pm, once the final runners have cleared the area, though the latter parts of the course aren't expected to reopen until late Sunday evening. If you live along the route, you're advised to move your car by the Saturday night, or risk being towed.
Full information about road closures is available on the London Marathon website.
How many people are taking part in the London Marathon this year?
56,000 crossed the finish line of the 2025 London Marathon, making it the largest marathon held anywhere in history. Exact participant numbers for 2026 haven't been announced, but about 1.1 million people entered the ballot for a place.
Any celebrities running the London Marathon this year?
Perhaps the most famous person name taking part in the 2026 London Marathon is Daddy Pig, of Peppa Pig fame. As well as running the route in an upcoming episode of the children's cartoon (airing from 18 April), Daddy Pig will be taking part in real-life, raising money for the National Deaf Children's Society (sponsor him here), with families able to track his progress on the day on the London Marathon app, and a Peppa Pig Fan Zone opening along the route on the day.
Beyond that, (human) celebrities taking part in this year's London Marathon include BBC presenter Jo Whiley, Eastenders actor Adam Woodyatt (who also took part last year), musician Alexandra Burke (who also took part last year), and radio host Jenni Falconer.
Costumes and record attempts in the London Marathon
Every year, we hear incredible stories of people running the 26.2 miles in wild costumes, or attempting to break records as they go. Last year there were 87 Guinness World Record attempts, by 103 participants, including a team aiming to run the fastest marathon in a four-person costume. 2026 costumes and record attempts include:
- Archie Hunt from Hampstead attempting the fastest marathon dressed as a book character (male), running as Captain Underpants in support of Evelina London Children’s Charity.
- Jonathan Acott from west London attempting the fastest marathon wearing armour, running to support his own cancer charity, The Gift of Go.
- Megan Sullivan from Canary Wharf attempting the fastest marathon with a hip replacement, following hers in 2024.
- Londoner Dan Byam Shaw is raising money for food surplus charity The Felix Project, running dressed as one of their vans to attempt the record for fastest marathon dressed as a road vehicle (male).
Are there places left for the London Marathon?
You'll struggle to find a place to run at this late stage, though you might get lucky with a charity spot. Contact charities individually for details.
How to enter the next London Marathon
Inspired by the top-notch running in this year's London Marathon, and fancy having a crack yourself? The ballot for the 2026 London Marathon opened a couple of days before the 2025 event took place, and remained open for a week. We'd anticipate the ballot for the 2027 London Marathon opening around 23 April 2026, but we'll update this page when we have more details.
If you're not successful, certain charities have places available each year. These are highly coveted, and you'll likely need to commit to a minimum fundraising amount.
