The London Marathon has been a staple of the global running calendar since its inception in 1981, and over the 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 held in April, the event was temporarily shifted to October between 2020 and 2022 because of the Covid‑19 pandemic, but it will be back in its spring slot for the 2026 edition. The wheelchair competition will kick off at 8:50 a.m.
on Sunday, followed by the women’s elite field at 9:05 a.m. The men’s elite race and the mass‑participation start are scheduled for 9:35 a.m.
All participants will line up at colour‑coded starting zones – Red, Blue and Green – located in either Greenwich Park or Blackheath. By the third mile, near Charlton, the three waves converge onto a single route that threads through Woolwich, skirts the Thames and passes the historic Cutty Sark. Runners then continue through Deptford, Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe before reaching the 20‑kilometre marker near London Bridge.
From there the course veers eastward toward Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, before looping back through the lively neighbourhoods of Shadwell and Wapping. The route then sweeps past Tower Hill, heads toward Blackfriars and follows the Embankment with the iconic London Eye on the left and Big Ben looming ahead. Runners glide past Westminster, move through St James’s Park, catch a glimpse of Buckingham Palace and finally cross the finish line on The Mall, the same ceremonial avenue used for royal processions.
Organisers anticipate a record‑breaking turnout this weekend. After a staggering 1.13 million ballot applications – a world record for marathon entries – more than 59,000 athletes are expected to line up at the start.
The 2025 edition produced 56,640 finishers, a figure that held the world record until the TCS New York City Marathon eclipsed it with 59,226 finishers last November. Fans have been speculating about pop star Harry Styles, who is not listed on the celebrity start roster. The speculation is fueled by his recent marathon exploits: he broke the three‑hour barrier at the Berlin Marathon last year and also completed the Tokyo Marathon in 2025.
While his name does not appear on the official list, the possibility of a surprise entry continues to generate buzz. The celebrity lineup does include several high‑profile athletes and public figures.
Four‑time Formula One world 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 (supporting The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust) and Sir Ben Ainslie (backing 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 star Laura Robson (Give It Your Max). In a whimsical twist, the cartoon character Daddy Pig will appear both on‑screen and in the streets, with a runner dressed in a specially made costume and an upcoming episode of the children’s series *Peppa Pig* featuring the marathon.
Actors Jack O’Connell (Alzheimer’s Research UK), James Norton (Breakthrough T1D) and McFly drummer Harry Judd are also confirmed, and a full celebrity roster can be consulted on the official marathon website. Sporting legends Sir Mo Farah and rugby star Ellie Kildunne will serve as the official starters for 2026.
Farah returns to the London Marathon for the first time since retiring from track 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 royalty such as Queen Elizabeth II, as well as elite athletes like Sir Andy Murray, Lionesses captain Leah Williamson OBE, Jill Scott MBE, Ellen White MBE, Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes.
Their participation underscores the event’s status as a national celebration. The elite competition will feature the defending champions in each category: 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 field favorite after shattering the women‑only world record on her victorious run last year, although Olympic champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn with 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, while Catherine Debrunner seeks a fourth women’s wheelchair 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 high of 17 °C (63 °F) by early afternoon. The current men’s course record of 2:01:25 was set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023, and the women’s record of 2:15:50 belongs to Tigist Assefa, who achieved it last year. Spectators are expected to line the streets in the hundreds of thousands, with the sections around the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf drawing the densest crowds.
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 race is scheduled for Sunday, 25 April 2027.
The public ballot for the 2027 marathon will open at 9 a.m. on Friday, 24 April, and close at 4 p.m. on Friday, 1 May, giving hopeful entrants another chance to join this iconic event.