The London Marathon has become a staple of the global running calendar since its inaugural edition in 1981, and over the past four decades it has generated more than £1.4 billion for charitable causes. As one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors – alongside Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and, from 2025, Sydney – the race enjoys a reputation for both elite competition and massive public involvement. Traditionally staged in April, the event was temporarily shifted to October for three years (2020‑2022) because of the COVID‑19 pandemic, but it has now returned to its spring slot. **Start times for 2026** The wheelchair division will kick off at 08:50 a.m.
on Sunday, followed shortly by the women’s elite field at 09:05 a.m. The men’s elite race and the mass‑participation start are scheduled for 09:35 a.m. All participants will line up at colour‑coded start zones – Red, Blue and Green – located in Greenwich Park and Blackheath. By the third mile, near Charlton, the three waves converge onto a single course that heads east toward Woolwich, skirts the historic Cutty Sark, and then weaves through Deptford, Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe.
Runners reach the 20 km mark as they cross the iconic London Bridge. From there the route turns north‑east toward the modern skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, before looping back through the historic docklands of Shadwell and Wapping. The course then sweeps past Tower Hill, continues along the Thames embankment past the London Eye, and offers a spectacular view of Big Ben as the runners approach Westminster. The final stretch runs through St James’s Park, past Buckingham Palace, and finishes on The Mall, providing a regal backdrop for the triumphant finish.
**Participant numbers and records** Organisers anticipate a record‑breaking field this year. After a world‑record 1.13 million ballot applications, more than 59 000 runners are expected to line up at the start.
The previous year’s race produced 56 640 finishers, a figure that held the global record until the TCS New York City Marathon surpassed it with 59 226 finishers in November 2023. The sheer scale of the London Marathon makes it a unique blend of elite sport, charitable fundraising, and mass‑participation spectacle. **Celebrity and high‑profile runners** While pop star Harry Styles does not appear on the official celebrity start list, speculation persists that the Grammy‑winning singer might slip in unnoticed, especially after his sub‑three‑hour performance at the Berlin Marathon last year and his participation in the Tokyo Marathon in 2025.
Other notable figures include four‑time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel, who is running for the Brain & Spine Foundation and the Grand Prix Trust, and legendary jockey Sir Anthony (AP) McCoy, who will tackle his first marathon on behalf of the Matt Hampson Foundation. Olympic champion Dame Laura Kenny (supporting The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust) and sailing legend Sir Ben Ainslie (representing the 1851 Trust) are also slated to run, alongside former Arsenal captain Tony Adams (The Forward Trust), ex‑England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook (the Ruth Strauss Foundation) and former tennis professional Laura Robson (Give It Your Max). In a whimsical twist, the cartoon character Daddy Pig will appear both on‑screen and in a specially designed costume, promoting the National Deaf Children’s Society as part of an upcoming episode of *Peppa Pig*. Additional celebrities confirmed for the 2026 edition include actor Jack O'Connell (Alzheimer's Research UK), James Norton from *House of the Guinness* (Breakthrough T1D), and McFly drummer Harry Judd.
A complete roster of celebrity participants can be accessed via the official marathon website. **Official starters and past legends** Sir Mo Farah and England women’s rugby star Ellie Kildunne will serve as the official starters. Farah returns to the London Marathon for the first time since retiring from competitive athletics in 2024, while Kildunne, a Red Roses Rugby World Cup winner, will be fresh from England’s Six Nations clash against Wales the day before. Previous starters have featured a distinguished list that includes Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Andy Murray, Lionesses captain Leah Williamson OBE, Jill Scott MBE, Ellen White MBE, Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes.
**Elite competition** All four defending champions are back at the front of the elite fields: Sebastian Sawe (men’s), Tigist Assefa (women’s), Marcel Hug (men’s wheelchair) and Catherine Debrunner (women’s wheelchair). Assefa, who shattered the women‑only marathon record on her victorious 2025 run, currently leads the women’s field, although Olympic champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn due to an Achilles injury.
The men’s race is expected to be a tactical showdown 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 divisions, Marcel Hug aims to equal British Paralympian David Weir’s record of six London Marathon victories, while Catherine Debrunner seeks a fourth win after missing the course record by just two seconds last year. **Weather forecast** Meteorologists predict dry conditions with intermittent sunshine and light breezes throughout the day. Temperatures should start around 10 °C (50 °F) at the gun‑time and rise to a comfortable 17 °C (63 °F) by mid‑afternoon, creating favorable running conditions for both elites and the mass field.
**Course records** The men’s open record stands at 2:01:25, set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023, while Assefa’s 2:15:50 performance from last year remains the women’s benchmark. In the wheelchair categories, Hug has dominated the men’s race for five consecutive years, setting a new course record in 2023, and Debrunner has claimed three victories in the past four editions.
**Spectators and technology** Hundreds of thousands of supporters are expected to line the streets, with the areas around the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf traditionally drawing the largest crowds. Runners and fans can track progress in real time using the official TCS London Marathon app, which allows users to follow any participant 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 a.m.
on Friday, 24 April, and closes at 16:00 p.m. on Friday, 1 May, giving hopeful entrants a narrow window to secure a place in the world’s most beloved charity race.