London Marathon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids London Marathon |
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| Date | April |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Primary sponsor | TCS |
| Established | 1981 |
| Course records | Men: 1:59:30 (Sabastian Sawe, 2026) Women: 2:15:25 (Paula Radcliffe, 2003) Wheelchair men: 1:23:44 (Marcel Hug, 2023) Wheelchair women: 1:38:24 (Catherine Debrunner, 2022) |
 2026 London Marathon |
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The London Marathon is a super exciting annual running event in London, England. It's also known as the TCS London Marathon because of its main sponsor. This amazing race was started in 1981 by two athletes, Chris Brasher and John Disley. It usually happens in April, but for a few years (2020, 2021, and 2022), it was held in October. This change was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The course is mostly flat and winds around the famous River Thames. Runners start in Blackheath and finish at The Mall. The London Marathon isn't just one race! It includes a huge race for the public, professional races for top men and women runners, and special races for men and women in wheelchairs. There's even a 3-mile mini marathon for younger athletes under 17. In 2026, a new 5km run called Friday Night Lights was added the day before the main marathon.
A huge part of the London Marathon is about helping others. Participants have raised over £1.4 billion for charities since the race began! It's also one of the seven biggest marathon races in the world, part of the World Marathon Majors. Many world records have been set here. For example, Sabastian Sawe broke the incredible two-hour barrier in 2026, finishing in 1:59:30. Paula Radcliffe set a women's record of 2:15:25 in 2003. The current wheelchair records are held by Marcel Hug (1:23:44 in 2023) and Catherine Debrunner (1:38:24 in 2022). Since 2022, TCS has been the main sponsor.
Contents
- The London Marathon: A Race for Everyone
- See also
The London Marathon: A Race for Everyone
A History of Running in London
The London Marathon wasn't the first big running event in the city. London has a long history of marathon races. For example, the Polytechnic Marathon started way back in 1909.
The current London Marathon began in 1981. It was founded by Olympic champion and journalist Chris Brasher and fellow athlete John Disley. After running the New York City Marathon in 1979, Brasher wrote an article. He described how thousands of people from all over the world came together. They laughed, cheered, and achieved something amazing. He saw it as a wonderful festival where people worked together.
The very first London Marathon took place on March 29, 1981. More than 20,000 people wanted to run, and 6,747 were accepted. A total of 6,255 runners crossed the finish line. The marathon's popularity has grown a lot since then. By 2009, over 746,000 people had completed the race. In 2010, 36,549 people finished, which was the biggest group at that time.
The first wheelchair marathon race was held in 1983. This event helped to change how people viewed athletes with disabilities. It showed that everyone could achieve great things. In 2013, the IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup was even held as part of the London Marathon. It featured athletes in many different categories.
For many years, the London and Polytechnic Marathons were rivals. But by 1996, the Polytechnic Marathon stopped because the London Marathon had become so popular.
After a serious event in another city, the London Marathon organizers carefully reviewed their safety plans. A moment of silence was held before the race to show respect and support for everyone affected. In April 2025, the race organizers shared that they would no longer post updates on X.
How the Race is Organized
The London Marathon is currently organized by Hugh Brasher, who is Chris Brasher's son, as the race director. Nick Bitel is the chief executive. Before them, David Bedford and Bitel made many changes to the race. This included updating the course in 2005.
Keeping runners safe is a top priority. Dan Tunstall Pedoe was the medical director for 25 years, from 1981 to 2005. Dr. Sanjay Sharma took over this important role in 2006. About 150 doctors provide medical care during the race. More than 1,500 volunteers from St. John Ambulance also help. They set up over 50 first aid stations along the route. They also run three field hospitals at the finish line. St John Ambulance provides nurses, paramedics, and ambulances too.
The marathon also makes sure to be fair to everyone. Thanks to efforts by Sophie Power and sheRACES, pregnant and new mothers can now delay their race entry. This means they can run when they feel completely ready and healthy.
The BBC broadcasts the event live for most of the morning. The famous theme music for the coverage is called "Main Titles to The Trap." It was composed by Ron Goodwin for a 1966 film called The Trap.
The race starts in three separate groups. First, the Elite Women begin, followed by the Wheelchair racers (men and women). Then, the Elite Men start, and finally, the huge Mass Race for the public begins.
The Marathon Course: A Tour of London
The marathon course is mostly flat and stretches for 42.195 kilometers (about 26.2 miles). It winds its way around the famous River Thames. The route has markers every mile to help runners. While the race information uses miles, the individual timing splits for runners are given in kilometers.
The course starts at three different points. The 'red start' is in southern Greenwich Park. The 'green start' is in St John's Park. The 'blue start' is on Shooter's Hill Road. These starting points are around Blackheath, south of the River Thames. The three courses come together after about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) in Woolwich. This is near the Royal Artillery Barracks.
As runners reach the 10-kilometer (6-mile) mark, they pass the Old Royal Naval College. Then they head towards the Cutty Sark ship in Greenwich. Next, they go through Deptford and Surrey Quays/Rotherhithe in the Docklands. They run along Jamaica Road before reaching the halfway point as they cross Tower Bridge.
The route then goes east along The Highway through Wapping. Runners head towards Limehouse and into Mudchute in the Isle of Dogs. They then go into Canary Wharf, a famous business area.
Leaving Canary Wharf, the route goes into Poplar. Runners then head back towards Limehouse and through Commercial Road. They return to The Highway, then onto Lower and Upper Thames Streets. In the final part of the race, runners pass the Tower of London on Tower Hill. As they run along The Embankment, they see the London Eye. Finally, athletes turn right into Birdcage Walk. They pass Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, finishing at The Mall next to St. James's Palace. This final section was also part of the 2012 Olympic Marathon Course.
The course has changed very little since the first marathon. In 2005, a section around the Isle of Dogs was changed. Also, the route was diverted to avoid the cobblestoned area near the Tower of London. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race used a special course. It consisted of 19.6 laps around St James's Park, including The Mall and Buckingham Palace.
Amazing Records and Winners
London is one of the top seven marathons in the world. These races form the World Marathon Majors competition, which offers a large prize. The first marathon in 1981 had 7,741 people enter, and 6,255 finished. The first Men's Elite Race in 1981 ended in a tie. American Dick Beardsley and Norwegian Inge Simonsen crossed the finish line together. They finished in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 48 seconds. The first Women's Elite Race in 1981 was won by British runner Joyce Smith in 2:29:57.
In 1983, the first wheelchair races took place. Nineteen people competed, and 17 finished. Gordon Perry from the UK won the Men's Wheelchair Race in 3:20:07. Denise Smith, also from the UK, won the Women's Wheelchair Race in 4:29:03.
World records for marathon running have been set many times at the London Marathon. Khalid Khannouchi from the United States set the men's world record in 2:05:38 in 2002. In 2026, Sabastian Sawe broke the men's world record with an incredible time of 1:59:30. The following year, in 2003, British runner Paula Radcliffe set the women's world record in 2:15:25. In 2017, Mary Keitany of Kenya set a world record of 2:17:01 for an all-women's marathon. Earlier women's world records were set in 1983 and 1985 by Grete Waitz and Ingrid Kristiansen from Norway.
The current men's course record is 1:59:30, set by Sabastian Sawe in 2026. The women's course record is 2:15:25, set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003. For wheelchair racers, Marcel Hug of Switzerland set the men's course record at 1:26:27 in 2021. The women's wheelchair record was set by Swiss athlete Manuela Schär in 2021, with a time of 1:39:52.
Everyday Heroes: Amateur Runners
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The London Marathon attracts many amateur runners. These everyday heroes make up most of the tens of thousands of participants. They often run in fun costumes to raise money for charity.
There are many inspiring stories from amateur runners. In 2002, Lloyd Scott completed the marathon wearing a deep sea diving suit! It weighed 110 pounds (50 kg), with each shoe weighing 24 pounds (11 kg). He also set a record for the slowest London Marathon time. In 2003, former boxer Michael Watson finished the marathon in six days. Doctors had told him he might never walk again after a boxing injury.
In 2006, Sir Steve Redgrave, an Olympic rowing champion, set a new Guinness World Record. He raised £1.8 million in sponsorship for charity. This broke the record set by Steve Chalke in 2005, who raised over £1.25 million. In 2011, Chalke set a new record again, raising £2.32 million. Sadly, Claire Squires collapsed and died during the 2012 race. The £500 she had raised before the race grew to over £1 million after her passing, as people donated in her memory.
A special group of runners are called the "Ever Presents." These are people who have completed every single London Marathon since 1981. In 1995, there were 42 of them. By 2019, their number had shrunk to 10. In the 2019 race, the oldest "Ever Present" was 85-year-old Kenneth Jones, and the youngest was 60-year-old Chris Finill. All of the "Ever Presents" are men.
In 2025, Singaporean marathon runner Soh Rui Yong set a new Guinness World Record. He ran the fastest marathon ever in a suit, finishing in 2:39:57. He broke the previous record set by Emmanuel Bonnier from France.
How to Join the Race
There are several ways for runners to enter the London Marathon. The exact number of spots for each entry type isn't always public. However, in 2023, the places were generally divided like this:
- Charity: About 25,000 spots
- General Ballot (lottery): Around 17,000 spots
- Good For Age Entry: 6,000 spots
- Championship: 1,000 spots
- Affiliated Running Clubs: 1,515 spots
- Celebrity: 100 spots
- Elite: 100 spots
There are also a few spots given to overseas runners, tour operators, and those who deferred their entry from previous years.
Running for Charity
Most runners in the London Marathon get their spot through a charity. To do this, they promise to raise a certain amount of money for a registered charity. The London Marathon focuses more on charity running than many other big international races. As mentioned, participants have raised an amazing £1.4 billion since the race started. This includes £87 million raised at the 2025 London Marathon, which was the highest amount ever for a single-day fundraising event in the world!
The General Ballot Lottery
It has become very difficult to get a spot through the general ballot, or lottery, in recent years. This is because recreational running has become so popular. In 2024, the chance of getting a spot through the ballot was estimated to be less than 3%. The organizers have made changes to handle the huge number of applications. For example, the 2025 event ballot received over 840,000 applications, which was a new record!
Good for Age Entry
The "Good-for-Age" entry is for runners who achieve a fast time for their age group. This category aims to give spots to competitive runners. To make sure there's a fair number of men and women, these spots are capped at 3,000 entries for each gender. This has made the qualifying times for men even faster recently.
The Mini Marathon for Young Athletes
The Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon is a special race for younger athletes. It covers the last 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) of the main London Marathon course. This race is for athletes under 13, under 15, and under 17. Participants come from all 33 London Boroughs. There are also teams from 10 English regions and three Home Countries: Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. There's also a Mini Wheelchair race on the same day. This event also serves as the British Athletics 3-mile Championships.
Watching the Marathon: BBC Coverage
The BBC has broadcast the London Marathon since it began in 1981. They have shown the race live and in full since 1984. Early coverage was often hosted by David Coleman. More recently, main presenters on BBC One have included Sue Barker, Jonathan Edwards, and Gabby Logan. Highlight shows on BBC Two have featured presenters like Jonathan Edwards, Sonali Shah, and Helen Skelton. Many famous commentators have also covered the race, including Brendan Foster, Steve Cram, and Paula Radcliffe.
The theme tune used by the BBC every year is from the film score of The Trap. This 1966 film is about a Canadian fur trapper. The music was written by Ron Goodwin and is performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Sponsors and Partners
The first sponsor of the London Marathon was Gillette, from 1981 to 1983. After that, other companies like Mars (1984–1988), ADT (1989–1992), NutraSweet (1993–1995), and Flora (1996–2009) became sponsors.
Virgin Money sponsored the marathon starting in 2010. They signed a five-year deal worth £17 million in 2008. In April 2013, Virgin Money renewed its sponsorship for another five years. The race then changed its name to the Virgin Money London Marathon. In 2021, it was announced that the Indian company Tata Consultancy Services would take over sponsorship from 2022. The race has been known as the TCS London Marathon since then.
Many other companies and organizations also partner with the event. They use the marathon to connect with their brands and for marketing. Some of these partners include New Balance, Lucozade Sport, and Fuller's Brewery.
See also
- London Triathlon
