The London Marathon has been a staple of the global running calendar since its inaugural edition in 1981, and over the past four decades it has raised more than £1.4 billion for charitable causes. As one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors, the race sits alongside Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and, beginning in 2025, Sydney, representing the most prestigious 26.2‑mile (42.195 km) events worldwide.
Historically the event is staged in April, but a three‑year pandemic‑related shift moved it to October from 2020 through 2022. For 2026 the marathon returns to its traditional spring slot, with the wheelchair competition kicking off at 08:50 am on Sunday, the elite women’s field setting off at 09:05 am, and the elite men’s race followed by the mass‑participation start at 09:35 am. The 2026 course follows the classic London route. Runners will spread out across three colour‑coded starting zones—Red, Blue and Green—located in either Greenwich Park or Blackheath.
By the third mile, near Charlton, the three streams converge into a single line that heads westward through Woolwich, passing the historic Cutty Sark before winding through Deptford, Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe. The 20 km point is marked by a dramatic crossing of the Thames near London Bridge. From there the route turns east toward the modern skyline of Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, then loops back through the historic docklands of Shadwell and Wapping. Runners then surge past Tower Hill, glide along the embankment beside the Thames, and catch sight of the London Eye on their left.
The final stretch runs past the iconic clock of Big Ben, through the political heart of Westminster, and into St James’s Park before the finish line on The Mall, directly in front of Buckingham Palace. A detailed map of the course is available on the official marathon website.
Organisers anticipate a record‑breaking field this weekend. After a world‑record 1.13 million ballot applications, more than 59 000 participants are slated to line up at the start.
The previous year’s event produced 56 640 finishers—a world record that stood until the TCS New York City Marathon logged 59 226 finishers last November. Fans have been wondering whether pop star Harry Styles will join the celebrity start. Although his name does not appear on the official list, speculation persists after his impressive sub‑three‑hour performance at the Berlin Marathon last year and his participation in the Tokyo Marathon in 2025. Styles’ potential involvement would add another high‑profile name to a roster that already includes four‑time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, who is running for the Brain & Spine Foundation and the Grand Prix Trust, and celebrated jockey Sir Anthony (AP) McCoy, who is tackling his first marathon on behalf of the Matt Hampson Foundation.
Other notable athletes confirmed for the 2026 edition are Olympians Dame Laura Kenny (supporting The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust) and Sir Ben Ainslie (raising funds for the 1851 Trust). Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams will run for The Forward Trust, ex‑England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook is backing the Ruth Strauss Foundation, and former tennis pro Laura Robson is representing Give It Your Max. Even the cartoon character Daddy Pig will make an appearance, both in a specially designed costume on the streets and in an upcoming episode of the children’s series Peppa Pig, raising awareness for the National Deaf Children’s Society. The celebrity line‑up also features actor Jack O’Connell (Alzheimer’s Research UK), James Norton of House of Guinness (Breakthrough T1D), and McFly drummer Harry Judd.
A full list of celebrity participants can be found on the marathon’s official site. The race will be opened by sporting legends Sir Mo Farah and England women’s rugby star Ellie Kildunne. Farah returns to the London Marathon for the first time since retiring from elite athletics in 2024, while Kildunne, fresh from England’s Six Nations clash against Wales the day before, will join him at the start. Past starters have included Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Andy Murray, Lionesses captain Leah Williamson OBE, Jill Scott MBE, Ellen White MBE, Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes.
In the elite fields, all four defending champions are back: Sebastian Sawe (men’s), Tigist Assefa (women’s), Marcel Hug (men’s wheelchair) and Catherine Debrunner (women’s wheelchair). Assefa entered the race as the women’s favorite after shattering the women‑only world record en route to last year’s victory, although Olympic champion Sifan Hassan withdrew due to an Achilles injury.
The men’s race is expected to be a tight duel between Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo, the half‑marathon world‑record holder, with Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta and Kenya’s Amos Kipruto also in contention. In the wheelchair division, Marcel Hug aims to equal British Paralympian David Weir’s record of six London Marathon victories, while Catherine Debrunner seeks another win after missing the course record by just two seconds last year.
The late Kelvin Kiptum still holds the men’s open‑course record (2:01:25, set in 2023) and Assefa’s 2:15:50 remains the women’s best. Weather forecasts predict a dry day with intermittent sunshine and light breezes.
Temperatures should start around 10 °C (50 °F) at the opening and climb to a pleasant 17 °C (63 °F) by early afternoon, ideal conditions for fast times. Spectators are expected to line the streets in the hundreds of thousands, with the sections around the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf traditionally drawing the largest crowds. Runners can be tracked in real time via the official TCS London Marathon app, which allows supporters to follow participants by name or bib number. Looking ahead, the next edition of the marathon is scheduled for Sunday 25 April 2027.
The public ballot for the 2027 race opens at 09:00 am on Friday 24 April and closes at 16:00 pm on Friday 1 May, giving another generation of hopeful runners the chance to compete in one of the world’s most celebrated sporting events.