When is the London Marathon?
Sunday 27 April is the date of this year's London Marathon.
What time does the London Marathon start?
2025 timings are yet to be confirmed, but the mass participation race normally sets off from around 9.30am, with Elite and Wheelchair races setting off 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 fewer 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, Canary Wharf, Limehouse, Tower Hill and Victoria Embankment — check the London Marathon website for exact locations.
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. 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 people are expected to cross the finish line of the 2025 London Marathon, which would make it the largest marathon held anywhere in history (the current record is 55,646 finishers, in the 2024 New York Marathon). In 2024, more than 53,000 runners took part, contributing to making it the world's biggest annual one-day fundraising event ever.
Any celebrities running the London Marathon this year?
All four reigning Olympic and Paralympic marathon champions (Sifan Hassan, Tamirat Tola, Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug) are taking part in the 2025 London Marathon.
Beyond that, it's likely many celebrities and well-known faces will take part again. Former England cricketers Sir Andrew Strauss and Sir Alastair Cook, comedian Romesh Ranganathan, singer and actor Alexandra Burke, social media star Joe Wicks, radio presenter Chris Evans and actor Stephen Mangan are among the familiar faces lining up at the start. EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) is also taking part, raising money for Alzheimer's Research UK fund Bab's Army in memory of his former co-star Barbara Windsor.
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. There will be 87 Guinness World Record attempts during the 2025 London Marathon, by 103 participants, including:
- Lucette (51) and Katie (21) Crowhurst from Maidenhead are attempting to beat their own record for fastest marathon run by a mother and daughter, while raising money for Meadow House Hospice and Guide Dogs for the Blind;
- Alexander Knox, Jasper Wolley, Ben Littlejohns and Jim Baillie from Exeter are aiming to run the fastest marathon in a four-person costume, running the course in a Scooby Doo mystery machine costume while raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer;
- Paralympian David Weatherill is attempting to beat the 6 hours 11 minutes 11 seconds record for fastest marathon on crutches;
- Other records being chased in this year's marathon include fastest marathon dressed as a fish, fastest marathon dribbling a hockey ball, and most pairs of underwear worn during a marathon.
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.
London Marathon 45th anniversary celebrations in 2025
The 2025 London Marathon is the 45th edition of the event. In addition to going for that world record number of finishers, organisers are marking the occasion by asking everyone who has taken part in the last 44 editions to submit a photograph or video of their Marathon Day experience. They'll all be displayed at a special celebration at a central London location (TBC) on Friday 25 April 2025. Post your Marathon memories on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #MyLondonMarathon for a chance to be included.
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 places in the 2026 London Marathon opens on Friday 25 April 2025, before this year's event has even taken place. You've only got until 2 May 2025 to enter.
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.
