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 the newly added Sydney race in 2025 – it attracts elite athletes, recreational runners and a host of high‑profile supporters each spring.
Traditionally staged in April, the event was temporarily shifted to October for three years (2020‑2022) because of the COVID‑19 pandemic, but the 2026 edition returns to its classic spring slot. The weekend’s schedule begins with the wheelchair competition 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 slated for 09:35 a.m. All competitors will line up at the historic starting zones in Greenwich Park and Blackheath, where three colour‑coded corrals – Red, Blue and Green – will separate runners by entry category. By the third mile, near Charlton, the three streams merge into a single route that heads eastward through Woolwich, skirts the River Thames and passes the iconic Cutty Sark.
The course then weaves through Deptford, the modern waterfront of Surrey Quays and the historic docklands of Rotherhithe before reaching the 20‑kilometre landmark near London Bridge. From there the marathon swings north‑east toward the gleaming skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, before looping back across the river to the bustling neighborhoods of Shadwell and Wapping. Runners then sprint past Tower Hill, glide along the Thames Embankment, and enjoy the spectacular view of the London Eye on their left as Big Ben looms ahead. The final kilometres wind through the political heart of Westminster, past St James’s Park and the exterior of Buckingham Palace, before the finish line on The Mall greets them with a wave of cheering spectators.
Organisers anticipate a record‑breaking field this year. After a historic 1.13 million ballot applications – the highest number ever recorded for any marathon – more than 59 000 participants are expected to line up at the start. The previous year’s finish‑line tally stood at 56 640, a figure that held the world record until it was surpassed by the TCS New York City Marathon’s 59 226 finishers in 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 remains alive because Styles has previously demonstrated his distance‑running credentials, breaking the three‑hour barrier at the Berlin Marathon last year and completing the Tokyo Marathon in 2025. Whether he will make a covert appearance remains to be seen.
The celebrity roster does include several notable athletes and public figures. Four‑time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel will run to raise money for the Brain & Spine Foundation and the Grand Prix Trust. Legendary jockey Sir Anthony (AP) McCoy is tackling his first marathon in support of the Matt Hampson Foundation. Olympic champions Dame Laura Kenny (The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust) and Sir Ben Ainslie (1851 Trust) are also slated to compete, alongside former Arsenal captain Tony Adams (The Forward Trust), ex‑England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook (Ruth Strauss Foundation) and former tennis pro Laura Robson (Give It Your Max).
In a whimsical twist, the animated character Daddy Pig will appear both on screen and in real life, with a costumed runner representing the National Deaf Children’s Society and an upcoming episode of the children’s series "Peppa Pig" featuring the marathon. Other celebrities confirmed include actor Jack O’Connell (Alzheimer’s Research UK), James Norton of "House of Guinness" (Breakthrough T1D), and McFly drummer Harry Judd. Sporting icons Sir Mo Farah and England women’s rugby star Ellie Kildunne will serve as the official starters for the 2026 race.
Farah returns to the London Marathon for the first time since retiring from track in 2024, while Kildunne, fresh from England’s Six Nations clash against Wales the day before, will join him at the front of the pack. The elite competition features 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 currently leads the women’s field after smashing the women‑only record en route to her victory last year; however, Olympic champion Sifan Hassan 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 2026, with Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta and Kenya’s Amos Kipruto also in contention. In the wheelchair division, Marcel Hug is on the cusp of equalling British Paralympian David Weir’s record of six London Marathon victories, while Catherine Debrunner seeks to add a fourth title after missing the course record by just two seconds in 2025. Weather forecasts predict dry conditions with sunny intervals and light breezes throughout the day. Temperatures should start around 10 °C (50 °F) at the opening gun and climb to a pleasant 17 °C (63 °F) by mid‑afternoon, providing ideal running conditions for both elite competitors and the mass‑start crowd.
The current course records stand at 2:01:25 for men, set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023, and 2:15:50 for women, achieved by Tigist Assefa last year. In the wheelchair categories, Hug’s 2023 performance established a new men’s record, while Debrunner has dominated the women’s wheelchair field with three wins in four years. Spectators are expected to line the streets in the hundreds of thousands, with the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf sections drawing the densest crowds. Runners and fans can track live positions via the official TCS London Marathon app, which allows users to follow participants by name or bib number in real time.
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 a.m. on Friday 24 April and close at 16:00 p.m.
on Friday 1 May, giving hopeful entrants another chance to secure a spot in this world‑renowned event.