The London Marathon has been a cornerstone 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 event attracts elite athletes, recreational runners, and a worldwide audience.
Traditionally staged in April, the race was temporarily shifted to October for three years (2020‑2022) because of the COVID‑19 pandemic, but the 2026 edition returns to its spring slot. **Start times and wheelchair race** The wheelchair competition will kick off at 08:50 a.m. on Sunday, followed closely 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 in colour‑coded corrals—Red, Blue, and Green—located at either Greenwich Park or Blackheath, depending on the entry category. **The classic 26.2‑mile route** From the start corrals, the three waves converge near Mile 3 by Charlton, creating a single unified path that threads through several iconic London districts.
Runners head east through Woolwich, skirting the historic Cutty Sark, before passing through Deptford, Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe. The 20 km point is marked by the sweeping view of London Bridge, after which the course turns north‑east toward the gleaming skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs. The route then loops back across the Thames, weaving through the lively streets of Shadwell and Wapping, before reaching the historic Tower Hill area. Continuing westward, the marathon follows the River Thames past Blackfriars, then runs along the Embankment with the London Eye on the left and the clock tower of Big Ben looming ahead.
Runners glide past Westminster, cross the stretch in front of St James’s Park, and make a brief but memorable sighting of Buckingham Palace. The finish line lies on The Mall, the same ceremonial avenue that hosts state occasions, providing a grand backdrop for the final sprint.
**Participation numbers and records** Organisers anticipate a record‑breaking field this weekend. After a world‑record 1.13 million ballot applications, more than 59 000 athletes are expected to line up at the start. The previous year’s tally of 56 640 finishers set a new high for the event, a figure that was only surpassed later by the TCS New York City Marathon, which recorded 59 226 finishers in November. The sheer scale of the London Marathon underscores its status as a global fundraising powerhouse and a cultural touchstone for the city.
**Celebrity and sporting personalities** Although pop star Harry Styles does not appear on the official celebrity start list, speculation remains that the Grammy‑winning singer might make a surprise entry, especially after his impressive sub‑three‑hour performance at the Berlin Marathon last year and a solid showing in Tokyo in 2025. Other high‑profile participants 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 McCoy, who is tackling his first marathon on behalf of the Matt Hampson Foundation. Olympic champions Dame Laura Kenny (supporting The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust) and Sir Ben Ainslie (representing the 1851 Trust) are also slated to compete, alongside former Arsenal captain Tony Adams (The Forward Trust), ex‑England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook (the Ruth Strauss Foundation), and former tennis pro Laura Robson (Give It Your Max).
The marathon even welcomes a fictional character: Daddy Pig, championing the National Deaf Children’s Society, will appear both in a specially designed costume on the streets and in an upcoming episode of the children’s series *Peppa Pig*. Additional celebrity runners include actor Jack O’Connell (Alzheimer’s Research UK), James Norton from *House of Guinness* (Breakthrough T1D), and McFly drummer Harry Judd. A full roster of celebrity participants for the 2026 TCS London Marathon can be accessed via the official marathon website. **Official starters and former legends** Sir Mo Farah and England women’s rugby star Ellie Kildunne will serve as the official starters for the 2026 edition.
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. Past starters have included a distinguished list of public figures such as 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 will line up in the elite fields: 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 world‑record holder after shattering the women‑only marathon record en route to her 2025 victory, though Olympic champion Sifan Hassan withdrew due to an Achilles injury. The men’s elite showdown is expected to be a tight battle between Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo, who set a half‑marathon world record earlier this year, with strong challenges likely from Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta and Kenya’s Amos Kipruto.
In the wheelchair division, 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 in 2025. **Weather forecast** Meteorologists predict a dry day with intermittent sunshine and light breezes. Temperatures should start around 10 °C (50 °F) at the opening gun and climb to a pleasant 17 °C (63 °F) by mid‑afternoon, creating ideal conditions for both elite and recreational runners. **Course records** The current men’s course record of 2:01:25 was set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023, while the women’s record of 2:15:50 belongs to Tigist Assefa from last year’s race.
In the wheelchair categories, Hug’s five‑year streak of victories includes a course record set in 2023, and Debrunner has claimed three wins in the past four years. **Spectator experience and technology** Hundreds of thousands of supporters will line the streets, with the sections around the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf expected to be the most densely packed. Runners can be tracked in real time through the official TCS London Marathon app, which allows fans to follow participants by name or bib number and receive live split‑time updates. **Future editions** The next marathon is scheduled for Sunday, 25 April 2027.
The public ballot for the 2027 race will open at 09:00 a.m. on Friday, 24 April, and close at 16:00 p.m. on Friday, 1 May, giving hopeful entrants another chance to join this iconic event.