London Marathon 2026: Celebrity Lineup and Course Details

For the best viewing experience, please use the Chrome browser. Since its inception in 1981, the London Marathon has become an integral part of the annual sporting calendar, generating over £1.4 billion for charitable causes. As one of the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors, it stands alongside other notable races in Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York City, and Sydney. Traditionally held in April, the event was rescheduled to October from 2020 to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year's wheelchair race commences at 8:50 am on Sunday, followed by the women's elite race at 9:05 am, and the men's elite and mass events at 9:35 am. The 2026 route adheres to the traditional course, with runners starting at separate color-coded points in either Greenwich Park or Blackheath. The paths converge by the third mile near Charlton, forming a single route that traverses through Woolwich, the Thames, and the Cutty Sark, before proceeding through Deptford, Surrey Quays, and Rotherhithe, passing the 20km mark near London Bridge. The course then heads east towards Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, loops back towards Shadwell and Wapping, and passes Tower Hill before proceeding along the Embankment. Runners will have the London Eye on their left and Big Ben ahead as they pass Westminster, heading towards St James' Park and finishing at Buckingham Palace via The Mall. A detailed view of the course can be found here. A record number of participants are expected, following a world record 1.13 million ballot applications, with over 59,000 people anticipated at the starting line. The 2025 event saw a record 56,640 finishers, which was surpassed by the TCS New York City Marathon's 59,226 finishers in November. Several celebrities are set to participate, including four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, who is running for the Brain & Spine Foundation and the Grand Prix Trust, and legendary jockey Sir Anthony McCoy, who is tackling his maiden marathon for the Matt Hampson Foundation. Olympians Dame Laura Kenny and Sir Ben Ainslie are also scheduled to participate, along with former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams, ex-England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook, and Laura Robson. Additionally, the cartoon character Daddy Pig will participate in a specially designed costume, and an upcoming episode of Peppa Pig will feature the event. Other participants include Skins actor Jack O'Connell, House of the Dragon star James Norton, and McFly drummer Harry Judd. A full list of celebrity participants can be found here. Sporting icons Sir Mo Farah and Ellie Kildunne will serve as the official starters for the 2026 edition. Previous starters include Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Andy Murray, and Lionesses Leah Williamson, Jill Scott, and Ellen White. The elite races feature all four defending champions, with the official elite start list available here. Assefa leads the women's field after breaking the women-only record last year, although Olympic champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn due to an Achilles injury. The elite men's race is expected to be a close contest between Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo, with Ethiopia's Deresa Geleta and Kenya's Amos Kipruto also likely to challenge for victory. Hug will equal British Paralympian David Weir's record as the most successful athlete in London Marathon history if he wins the men's wheelchair race. Debrunner returns in the women's wheelchair race after missing the world record on the London course by just two seconds last year. Sunday's weather is expected to be dry, with sunny intervals and light winds throughout the day. Temperatures will be around 10 degrees Celsius at the start, rising to 17 degrees by mid-afternoon. The men's course record was set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023 with a time of 2:01:25, while Assefa won the women's event in a record time of 2:15:50 last year. Hug has won the men's wheelchair race five consecutive times, setting the course record in 2023, and Debrunner has won the women's wheelchair event three times in the last four years. Hundreds of thousands of spectators will line the streets of London, with the busiest sections around the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, and Canary Wharf. The TCS London Marathon app will provide updates on runners at regular intervals, allowing users to track participants by name or bib number. The next edition of the London Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, April 25, 2027, with the public ballot set to open from 9 am on Friday, April 24, until 4 pm on Friday, May 1.