London has the largest marathon in the world, with more than 50,000 competitors racing the 26.2 miles from Greenwich to Buckingham Palace. It combines a mass public event with an elite men and women's race, an elite wheelchair race, and a mini 3-mile marathon for the under-17s.
London Marathon world record
The current men's record is 2:01:25, set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. The women's record is held by Britain's own Paula Radcliffe, with a time of 2.15:25 in 2003. The quickest wheelchair racers are Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner, who clocked up times of 1:23:44 and 1:38:24.
Photo: pixnio.comLondon Marathon route
The race begins in Blackheath but due to the huge number of runners involved there are actually three different starting points. There's a 'Red start' in Greenwich Park, a 'Green start' in St. John's Park, and a 'Blue start' in Shooter's Hill Road.
All three then head east through Charlton before turning at Woolwich High Street and heading back towards Greenwich and the Cutty Sark. It then follows the bend of the river north, past Deptford and Rotherhithe station, and crosses the halfway mark at Tower Bridge.
Photo: tcslondonmarathon.comThis is where the route starts to get a lot more interesting because the runners will head east through Shadwell, past Westferry and the tall skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, before doubling back past Limehouse towards the City.
After passing the Tower of London they'll head down Lower Thames Street towards Blackfriars station, and then along the Victoria Embankment to Westminster Bridge and Big Ben.
Photo: tcslondonmarathon.comAfter passing the north side of Parliament Square and the southside of St. James's Park they'll have Buckingham Palace in sight, before ending (and collapsing!) halfway down the Mall by St. James's Palace.
How to compete in the Marathon
Places are limited and if you'd like to take part then you need to enter a public ballot. The names are drawn at random. The closing date to enter the ballot is exactly one year before the race takes place. See their website for details.
If you miss the ballot then you might be able to run for a charity instead, or through an international tour operator.
What's a good finishing time?
Non-athletes should aim for a time of 2-3 hours, which is usually good enough to put you in the top 8% of men and the top 1% of women. A time of under 4 hours will put you in the top 47% of men and the top 22% of women.
