The London Marathon has been a fixture on the global athletics 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 sits alongside the elite races in Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and, from 2025, the newly added Sydney Marathon. 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. For 2026 the schedule begins early on Sunday morning.
The wheelchair division will set off at 08:50 am, followed by the women’s elite field at 09:05 am. The men’s elite race and the mass‑participation start will then launch together at 09:35 am. All competitors will line up at colour‑coded start zones – red, blue and green – located in either Greenwich Park or Blackheath.
By the third mile, near Charlton, the three streams converge onto a single course that heads south‑west through Woolwich, skirts the historic Cutty Sark, and continues through Deptford, Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe. Runners cross the 20 km marker as they approach London Bridge, then swing eastward toward the modern skyline of Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs before looping back through the historic districts of Shadwell and Wapping.
The route then sweeps past Tower Hill, follows the Thames past Blackfriars, and runs along the Embankment with the London Eye on the left and Big Ben looming ahead. Participants pass the iconic Westminster area, head toward St James’s Park, and glide past Buckingham Palace before finishing on The Mall, the ceremonial avenue that leads to the palace’s forecourt. Detailed maps of the course are available on the official marathon website for spectators who wish to track the action.
Participation this year is expected to smash previous records. After a staggering 1.13 million ballot applications set a new world‑record demand, organisers anticipate that more than 59 000 runners will line up at the start.
The 2025 edition produced 56 640 finishers, a figure that held the global record until the TCS New York City Marathon recorded 59 226 finishers in November of the same year. Celebrity involvement adds a layer of excitement. While pop star Harry Styles does not appear on the official celebrity start list, fans remain hopeful that the Grammy‑winning singer‑songwriter might slip in a surprise entry, especially after his sub‑three‑hour performance at the Berlin Marathon last year and his participation in the Tokyo Marathon earlier in 2025. Other high‑profile entrants include 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 (AP) McCoy, who is tackling his first marathon on behalf of the Matt Hampson Foundation.
Olympic greats 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 professional Laura Robson (Give It Your Max). In a whimsical twist, the cartoon character Daddy Pig will appear both on screen and in real life, with a runner dressed in a custom costume and a forthcoming episode of the children’s series "Peppa Pig" featuring the marathon. Actor Jack O'Connell (Alzheimer's Research UK), James Norton from "House of Guinness" (Breakthrough T1D), and McFly drummer Harry Judd are among the other celebrities confirmed for the 2026 TCS London Marathon. A full roster of participants can be accessed through the official marathon portal.
The event will be officially launched by sporting legends Sir Mo Farah and rugby star Ellie Kildunne. Farah returns to the London Marathon for the first time since retiring from track competition in 2024, while Kildunne, fresh from England’s Six Nations clash against Wales the day before, will join him at the starting line.
Past starters have included royalty such as Queen Elizabeth II, as well as icons like Sir Andy Murray, Lionesses captain Leah Williamson OBE, Jill Scott MBE, Ellen White MBE, Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes. In the elite categories, all four defending champions will line up: Sebastian Sawe, Tigst Assefa, Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner. Assefa currently leads the women’s field after shattering the women‑only world record en route to last year’s victory, though Olympic champion Sifan Hissan has withdrawn due to an Achilles injury. The men’s race is expected to be a tight duel between Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo, who set a half‑marathon world record earlier in the season, with Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta and Kenya’s Amos Kipruto also in contention.
In the wheelchair division, Marcel Hug will aim to equal British Paralympian David Weir’s record of six London Marathon victories if he repeats his win, while Catherine Debrunner seeks to add another title after missing the course record by just two seconds in 2025. The weather forecast predicts dry conditions with intermittent sunshine, light breezes, and temperatures starting around 10 °C (50 °F) and climbing to a pleasant 17 °C (63 °F) by mid‑afternoon. Kelvin Kiptum holds the men’s course record, set at 2:01:25 in 2023, while Assefa’s 2:15:50 performance from last year remains the women’s benchmark.
Spectators are expected to line the streets in massive numbers, especially around the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf sections, which traditionally draw the densest crowds. Runners and fans can follow live updates via the TCS London Marathon app, which provides real‑time tracking by name or bib number.
The next edition of the marathon is scheduled for Sunday, 25 April 2027, and the public ballot for that race will open on Friday, 24 April at 09:00 and close on Friday, 1 May at 16:00.