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 and New York City, and soon to be joined by Sydney in 2025 – the event is renowned for its fast, scenic route and its ability to attract both elite athletes and everyday runners from around the world. Historically the race has been staged in April, but the disruption caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic forced organizers to move the 2020, 2021 and 2022 editions to October. For 2026 the marathon returns to its traditional spring slot, with the wheelchair competition kicking off at 08:50 am on Sunday.
The women’s elite field follows at 09:05 am, and the men’s elite race – together with the mass‑participation start – begins at 09:35 am. The 2026 course sticks closely to the classic London Marathon itinerary.
Runners are divided into three colour‑coded corrals – Red, Blue and Green – that start either in the historic parkland of Greenwich or the leafy expanse of Blackheath. By the third mile, near Charlton, the separate corrals converge onto a single path that heads westward along the River Thames. The early miles wind through Woolwich, passing the iconic Cutty Sark, then swing through the docklands neighbourhoods of Deptford, Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe. At roughly the 20 km point the route crosses the Thames via the London Bridge and continues east toward the modern skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs.
After the high‑rise stretch, the marathon loops back westward, threading through the historic riverside districts of Shadwell and Wapping before reaching the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Runners then head toward Blackfriars, run alongside the Embankment, and enjoy a spectacular view of the London Eye on their left as they approach Westminster. The final kilometres take athletes past the clock tower of Big Ben, through St James’s Park and past Buckingham Palace, before the finish line on The Mall, framed by the grandeur of the palace’s façade. The 2026 edition is expected to break participation records once again.
After a staggering 1.13 million ballot applications set a world record for demand, organisers anticipate that more than 59,000 runners will 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 topped it with 59,226 finishers in November.
Celebrity involvement adds a layer of excitement for spectators. While pop star Harry Styles does not appear on the official celebrity start list, fans continue to speculate about a possible surprise entry after his sub‑three‑hour performance at the Berlin Marathon last year and his participation in the 2025 Tokyo Marathon. Other high‑profile entrants include four‑time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, who is running to raise money 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 champions Dame Laura Kenny (supporting The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust) and Sir Ben Ainslie (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 tennis player Laura Robson (Give It Your Max). In a whimsical twist, the cartoon character Daddy Pig will appear both in a specially designed costume on the streets and in an upcoming episode of the children’s series *Peppa Pig*, raising awareness for the National Deaf Children’s Society.
The celebrity roster continues with actor Jack O’Connell (Alzheimer’s Research UK), *House of Guinness* star James Norton (Breakthrough T1D), and McFly drummer Harry Judd. A full list of the 2026 celebrity field can be found on the official marathon website. Sporting legends Sir Mo Farah and England women’s rugby star Ellie Kildunne will serve as the official starters for the day.
Farah returns to the London Marathon for the first time since retiring from track competition in 2024, while Kildunne, a key figure in England’s Six Nations victory over Wales the previous day, will join him at the front of the pack. The elite competition features defending champions across all categories. In the women’s elite race, Tigist Assefa, who shattered the women‑only world record en route to her 2025 victory, leads a strong field that also includes Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, although the latter withdrew due to an Achilles injury. The men’s elite contest is expected to be a tactical battle between Sebastian Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo, the latter having set a half‑marathon world record earlier in the year.
Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta and Kenya’s Amos Kipruto are also among the contenders. In the wheelchair divisions, Marcel Hug aims to equal British Paralympian David Weir’s record of six London Marathon victories, while Catherine Debrunner seeks to add another title after missing the course record by just two seconds in 2025. Hug’s dominance is underscored by his five‑year winning streak and a course record set during his 2023 triumph; Debrunner has claimed three wins in the last four years. Weather forecasts predict a dry day with intermittent sunshine and light breezes.
Temperatures are expected to start around 10 °C (50 °F) at the opening gun and rise to a pleasant 17 °C (63 °F) by mid‑afternoon, providing ideal conditions for fast times. Course records stand at 2:01:25 for men, set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023, and 2:15:50 for women, achieved by Assefa in 2025.
These benchmarks add further intrigue as elite athletes chase personal bests and historic milestones. Spectators will line the streets in massive numbers, with the sections around the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf traditionally drawing the densest crowds. For those unable to attend in person, the official TCS London Marathon app offers live tracking of participants, searchable by name or bib number, allowing friends and family to follow the progress of their loved ones 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 opens at 09:00 am on Friday 24 April and closes at 16:00 pm on Friday 1 May, giving hopeful runners another chance to secure a coveted spot on one of the world’s most celebrated marathon courses.