We’ve got everything you want to know about running the TCS London Marathon, compiled by runners who have collectively run the London Marathon many times. In this ultimate runner’s guide to the London Marathon, we cover:
The London Marathon Running Show & Collecting Your Race Bib
The London Marathon Running Show (that’s London’s ‘Expo’) takes place at ExCeL London, and every runner has to go to collect their Event Pack, which includes their race bib, safety pins and kit bag for the bag drop (you can’t collect your bib on race day, so you have to go to the Running Show – or have someone go for you).
Opening times: The Running Show for the London Marathon is open at the following times: Wednesday: 10:00 to 20:00Thursday: 10:00 to 20:00Friday: 10:00 to 20:00Saturday: 08:30 to 17:30
Go on Wednesday or Thursday if you can as the Running Show gets much busier as the week progresses, and can be very busy on Saturday. If you have to go on Saturday then go as early as possible. If you’re travelling into London for the race, then avoid taking luggage with you to the Running Show as it will become a heavy burden in the lines and around the show.
Getting There: The best way to get to ExCeL is by public transport, getting off at Custom House which is on the DLR or Elizabeth Line. Plan your journey on TFL or a mapping app.
Collecting Your Event Pack: The most important thing for runners to do at the Running Show is collect their Event Pack. This is in the registration area (you can’t miss it, don’t worry) and you’ll need to show a QR code which you’ll receive by email, plus proof of identification (passport or driver’s licence) – do not forget your ID! If you opted to collect a race t-shirt, then you can collect this here as well.
Can’t Attend the Running Show? If you can’t attend the Running Show then someone can collect on your behalf. As the event guide states: “They’ll need to bring your QR code and a letter, written and signed by you, authorising them – by name – to collect your pack, along with a clear photocopy of your ID showing your name and your signature, as well as their own suitable photo ID.” An individual can only collect one other person’s Event Pack in addition to their own.
Explore The Running Show: Once you’ve got your Event Pack with your bib then you can leave, but the Running Show has lots of exhibitors, including most major running, tech and nutrition brands, plus travel companies and race organisers, and a stage with lots of talks, so you could happily spend a long time wandering around.
Things to consider the evening before the London Marathon
We’ve created a race checklist with all the things you need to prepare and pack before a run, and here are some more tips for the London Marathon.
Sort your bag drop bag. You’ll have a sticker with your bib number which you need to affix to the clear bag you’re given. You can carry things in here that you’ll want before the race, plus everything you’ll want after the race (but once you drop it off you can’t get it back until the end). Consider packing clean clothes, different shoes or sliders, hygiene items to help you freshen up (some face wipes and deodorant).
Check the weather and pack appropriately. Add a hat and sunscreen if it’s hot. Put in extra layers if it’s cold and wet – the start area has a lot of grass, so it can get very wet.
Take an old sweater, hoody or jacket to the start. You can discard it and it’ll be donated to charity.
Lay out your kit so it’s ready for the morning.
Set your alarm for the morning.
Double-check your alarm!
If you’re staying in a busy area of London and want pasta or pizza then consider making a reservation as thousands of other people also want pasta and pizza (here’s our guide to what to eat the day before a marathon).
London Marathon Start Time
You’ll be told about your specific start time and assembly area in advance in your pre-run communication from the London Marathon (and more on that below).
Aim to arrive at your assembly area at least one hour before your start time.
The London Marathon has a long starting window with many start waves.
Elite Wheelchairs: 8:50
Elite Women: 9:05
Elite Men: 9:35
Mass Start: 9:35 to 11:30
Top tip: If you have friends and family coming to watch you then let them know what time you start and what pace you hope to run. This will let them work out when to expect you at different locations on the course. We’ve got more advice on how to support the London Marathon here.
Friends and family can download the London Marathon app which will help them track you on race day. There’s also a GPS tracking options for runners who have their phone on them and this will share their accurate location.
Getting to the start of the London Marathon and the bag drop
Plan this in advance so that on race morning you know exactly what you’re doing and how long it will take. It’s best to take a train, underground or DLR to the start as there are extensive road closures in place.
On race day (until 6.30pm), runners get free travel on Underground, Overground, DLR and buses – just show your race bib to TFL staff and you’ll get through (only runners get free travel, not spectators). Don’t tap in and out as you’ll be charged that way and cannot claim that back.
From the nearest train stations, you’ll have a 10-15 minute walk to your start area.
There are five colour-coded assembly areas, plus the UK Championship start, for the London Marathon.
In your pre-race communications you’ll be told the best way to get to your specific area. The colour of the numbers on your bib tell you which assembly area to go to (if you’ve got red numbers on a yellow bib, then you’re in yellow). Follow the signs to your area and you’ll need to show your race bib to enter.
Friends and family can travel with you to the start area, but they won’t be able to go into your assembly area. But bear in mind that the start area will have over 55,000 runners, so there’s a lot of people around and it gets very busy.
While the official directions are best to follow, all routes begin from a similar location, so you can travel to your assembly area from any nearby station.
Bag drop: You can only use the official bag you collect from the Expo. You’ll be given a sticker with your race number, so make sure you affix the sticker to the bag. You can drop off the bag whenever you are ready on race morning. The bag will be transported to the finish where you collect it.
Toilets: There are lots of toilets throughout the race village, but inevitably you’ll need to queue. The lines may be long, but they move quickly. There are male and female urinals which often have shorter queues. Consider taking some tissues or toilet paper, just in case. Once you head into your start pen (which is within your assembly area), there are no more toilets until you’re on the course.
Things to know about running the London Marathon
Distance Markers: The route has distance markers at each mile and 5K throughout the race, with a timer showing the elapsed time from the 9.35am mass start. As you near the end you’ll see signs for 800m, 600m, 400m and 200m to go – time for a sprint finish!
Blue Line: You’ll see a painted blue line down the middle of the road, and this is the correct measured distance of the route. The participation guide says to let faster participants stick to this line.
Drinks Stations: There are 12 water stations along the course, with Buxton water, Lucozade Sport and Lucozade Sport gels available on course. There’s also water refill stations for those carrying their own bottles and hydration packs.
Pacers: There are a large number of pacers to help you achieve goal times. They’ll be wearing a large flag on their back and they’ll begin from each start line, staggered through the different start times. Popular goal times like 3:00 and 4:00 tend to have a large pack running with them, but remember to run based on how you feel, not just how fast you hope to go. There are pacers on the course for the following times: 3:00, 3:05, 3:10, 3:15, 3:20, 3:25, 3:30, 3:35, 3:40, 3:45, 3:50, 3:55, 4:00, 4:05, 4:10, 4:15, 4:20, 4:30, 4:40, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, 5:45, 6:00, 6:15, 6:30, 6:45, 7:00, 7:15, 7:30.
Toilets: There are portaloo toilets at every mile on the course from mile 1 to 24. There are accessible toilets at the start and finish, and every even-numbered mile (i.e. 2, 4, 6, etc) until mile 24.
Sanitary Products: These will be available at all Drinks Stations, Information Points and changing rooms, as well as other useful items such as hair ties, breast pads, tissues and wet wipes.
Family Support Area: At the finish, there is an area for families with younger children. It includes space to breastfeed and/or express milk, plus facilities for baby changing and feeding.
Reflection Space: Just before halfway, south of Tower Bridge, there will be a quiet space with noise cancelling headphones and bean bags. In the Finish Area there is a reflection area including a faith space and quiet space – the quiet spaces are mainly for neurodivergent runners.
Slower Runners & Walkers: The finish line on The Mall closes at 7.30pm, but is then moved to St James’s Park and is open until 11.59pm. Drinks Stations and pace mats are closed on a rolling basis at eight-hour finishing pace. Anyone finishing after 7.30pm can continue but must do so on the path and not the road. A team of Tailwalkers will support you.
Dropping Out: Sometimes the race doesn’t go to plan and you need to drop out. The race organisers recommend you attend a First Aid station and let them know your number. If able, they suggest you take public transport to the finish area (get to Embankment station and walk from there – travel is free for runners). The alternative is to wait for two sweep coaches, but these drive at eight-hour completion pace, so this may result in a long wait.
The London Marathon Course
As the London Marathon travels around the city, you’ll pass through six London boroughs, crossing the river from south to north just before halfway. After a downhill near the beginning, the course is mostly flat, though it undulates a little in places. There are no significant uphill sections to concern you and the steepest incline is getting on to Tower Bridge.
Mile 0-2: The run begins by heading east to Woolwich. It’ll be crowded on the roads. Just take it easy, stay calm, and don’t try to speed off.
Mile 2-6: There are different start lines for the race, and they all converge around 2.8 miles in, which is in the middle of a fairly long, steady downhill. Try to keep a controlled pace, especially as the roads get busier. Then you’ll be into a nice straight flat section heading to Greenwich. Settle into the pace that’s right for you.
Cutty Sark: At 6.5 miles (just after 10K) you come to Cutty Sark, one of the loudest and most memorable parts of the course. All the way into Greenwich and out the other side is really busy with supporters, so enjoy the atmosphere here.
Mile 7-12: There are some busier sections of supporters around Surrey Quays and Canada Water, then it can get a little quieter on the residential streets. The crowds grow again as you head through Bermondsey and towards Tower Bridge.
Tower Bridge: This is one of the best sections of any world marathon. You take a right onto Tower Bridge Road and the handsome old bridge is in front of you. It’s loud and there are many cheering supporters, so take in all their energy and make sure you smile. The thrill of the bridge will probably mean you speed up in this section, so just watch out as you come off the other side and head east.
Mile 13-15: There’s a section here where you pass runners who are in mile 22. Cheer across to those running in the opposite direction to you (but don’t be disheartened by those ahead of you as they likely started long before you!).
Mile 15-20: Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf was typically an area of the course that was quieter, but that’s no longer true, especially directly around Canary Wharf which is a big scream tunnel of support. The GPS on your watch will likely lose signal beneath all the skyscrapers, so don’t be concerned if you get some unusual splits and paces – try and run consistently through here and save some energy because you’re getting into the harder final miles now.
Mile 20-21: There’s not much to see here and this section of the course can be quieter (and more peaceful after all the cheering), which also comes as you’re getting more tired. Steady and settle yourself as you’re about to come back to the bigger crowds and head towards the finish line.
Mile 21-24: After busy Limehouse you’ll double-back on the people running at mile 14. There might not be massive support here, but there will be lots of runners nearby, so help each other out as you run towards the cheering crowds at Tower Bridge. You’ll pass the Tower of London and you can see The Shard behind it. As you come up from the Blackfriars Underpass (a sneaky hill which hits deep in the race) onto the Victoria Embankment, you’ve only got two miles to go. No matter how you’re feeling, just try and enjoy this. For many, this amount of people cheering for you will be a once in a lifetime experience – and you’ve earned it for the months of training you’ve done to get to this point.
Mile 24-26: You run alongside the Thames here and the atmosphere is incredible, as are the views, with the London Eye to your left and Big Ben at the end of the road ahead. You’ll reach Big Ben at mile 25.5, turning right at the Houses of Parliament, then along the crowd-lined Birdcage Walk. You’re so close now!
The Finish: Just after the mile 26 marker you’ll turn right and see Buckingham Palace, then another right and you’ll run onto The Mall, and the finish line will be 200m ahead of you. Listen to all the cheers and take it all in as you become a finisher of the London Marathon.
The bag collection and meeting point after the London Marathon
You’ve finished! As you pass under the finish line on The Mall you’ll continue to walk straight ahead, where you’ll collect your medal, finisher t-shirt, water and foil blankets (if required). The whole area is around 800m long, and only accessible to runners. Your bag will be available for collection in this area, just head to the van with your bib number on it.
There are limited changing facilities (male, female and gender neutral), as well as a Family Support Area and Reflection Space.
There’s a large open area of grass to the right, so you can take some time to sit, stretch out your tired and cramping legs, change any clothing, or message friends to tell them you’ve finished. When you’re ready, you can exit the finish area and return to real life. You’ll head out onto the street near Trafalgar Square, where you’ll be able to meet with family and friends – try and agree on a specific meeting point as it gets busy and phone signal may be poor.
Now it’s time to celebrate finishing the London Marathon!
How to enter the London Marathon
Ballot: The ballot for the 2026 London Marathon opens on Friday 25 April 2025 and closes on Friday 2 May 2025 – enter the ballot here. For 2025’s race, over 800,000 people entered the ballot for around 20,000 places. Ballot entries will cost £79.99 in 2026 (international entries were £146 in 2025, which is inclusive of a carbon offset fee).
Charity: Around half of runners taking part in the London Marathon are doing it to support a charity. You apply for places directly with your chosen charity – see here for the charities with places. You will need to pay a registration fee to the charity and most charities ask a commitment to fundraise at least £2,500 (each charity varies).
Good For Age: 3,000 men and 3,000 women can qualify for the London Marathon by running a Good For Age time at a previous race. You can see the London Marathon Good For Age times here. It’s accepted on a ‘fastest first’ basis and runners typically need to be a few minutes quicker than the qualifying time, so achieving the time does not guarantee you entry. If you are accepted, you will pay the same entry fee as ballot runners.
Championship entry: If you’re really fast, then you can apply for a Championship entry into the race. The 2025 qualifying time for men was 2:38 and it was 3:10 for women. More on the London Marathon Championship entry can be found here, with times updated for 2026 when available. From 2026 these will be fastest first, with those not in the allocation automatically offered a Good For Age place.
Here are all the details you need to know about entering the London Marathon.
***
Here’s a video of Sarah running the London Marathon in 2024
Main image credit Dan Huddleston
