The London Marathon has become a staple of the global running calendar since its inaugural run 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, it shares the spotlight with the races in Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and, starting in 2025, Sydney. 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 settled back into its spring slot. For the 2026 edition, the wheelchair competition will kick off at 08:50 am on Sunday, followed by the women’s elite field at 09:05 am.
The men’s elite race and the mass‑participation start will then commence at 09:35 am. As in previous years, runners will line up at colour‑coded starting zones—Red, Blue and Green—located in Greenwich Park and Blackheath. By the third mile, near Charlton, the three streams converge onto a single course that weaves through historic and modern parts of the capital.
From Charlton the route heads westward through Woolwich, skirting the River Thames and the iconic Cutty Sark. It then threads through the Docklands neighbourhoods of Deptford, Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe before reaching the 20‑kilometre marker near London Bridge. The marathon continues eastward toward Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, before looping back through the riverside districts of Shadwell and Wapping. Runners then pass the historic Tower Hill, cross the Thames again at Blackfriars, and follow the Embankment with the London Eye on their left and Big Ben ahead.
The final kilometres take athletes past Westminster, through St James’s Park and past Buckingham Palace, before the finish line on The Mall. Detailed maps of the course are available on the official marathon website for those who want a closer look at every turn.
Participation numbers are set to break new ground this weekend. After a record‑setting ballot that attracted 1.13 million applications, organisers expect more than 59,000 runners to line up at the start.
The previous year’s race produced 56,640 finishers, a world‑record for a single marathon until the TCS New York City Marathon eclipsed it with 59,226 finishers in November. The celebrity roster has generated plenty of buzz, even though pop star Harry Styles does not appear on the official celebrity start list. Fans remain hopeful that the Grammy‑winning singer might slip in unnoticed, especially after his impressive sub‑three‑hour performance at the Berlin Marathon last year and his participation in the Tokyo Marathon in 2025.
Among the confirmed high‑profile entrants are four‑time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel, who is running to support the Brain & Spine Foundation and the Grand Prix Trust, and legendary jockey Sir Anthony (AP) McCoy, who is tackling his first marathon for the Matt Hampson Foundation. Olympic gold‑medallist Dame Laura Kenny will race for The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, while Sir Ben Ainslie is representing the 1851 Trust. Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams, ex‑England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook and former tennis professional Laura Robson are also slated to run, each raising money for their chosen charities.
In a whimsical twist, the cartoon character Daddy Pig will appear both on screen and on the streets, with a costumed runner representing the National Deaf Children’s Society and a special episode of the children’s series *Peppa Pig* planned for the event. Actors Jack O'Connell (Alzheimer’s Research UK), James Norton (Breakthrough T1D) and McFly drummer Harry Judd will also take part, and a full celebrity list can be consulted on the marathon’s official site. The official starters for 2026 will be distance‑running legend Sir Mo Farah—returning for his first London Marathon since retiring from track in 2024—and Red Roses Rugby World Cup champion Ellie Kildunne, who will be fresh from England’s Six Nations clash with Wales the day before. 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.
The elite races feature all four defending champions: Sebastian Sawe (men’s elite), Tigist Assefa (women’s elite), Marcel Hug (men’s wheelchair) and Catherine Debrunner (women’s wheelchair). Assefa entered the 2026 race as the favourite after shattering the women‑only world record en route to her victory last year, although Olympic champion Sifan Hassan will miss the event due to an Achilles injury. The men’s elite battle is expected to be a tight contest between Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo, the half‑marathon world‑record holder, with Ethiopian Deresa Geleta and Kenyan Amos Kipruto also in the mix. In the wheelchair division, Marcel Hug will have the chance to equal Sir David Weir’s record of six London Marathon wins if he repeats his victory, while Catherine Debrunner will be looking to add another title after missing the course record by just two seconds in 2025.
Weather forecasts predict dry conditions on race day, with sunny intervals, light breezes and temperatures starting around 10 °C (50 °F) and climbing to a comfortable 17 °C (63 °F) by mid‑afternoon. The current men’s course record of 2:01:25, set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023, and the women’s record of 2:15:50, set by Assefa in 2025, remain the benchmarks for elite runners.
Spectator turnout will be massive, especially around iconic landmarks such as the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf, where crowds are traditionally the densest. 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 will open at 09:00 am on Friday, 24 April, and close at 16:00 pm on Friday, 1 May, giving another generation of hopeful runners the chance to chase their own charitable goals on one of the world’s most celebrated courses.