The London Marathon is one of the highlights of the running calendar and whether you’re keen to follow the elite race or track friends and family making their way around the London Marathon route, it’s a great event to watch live.

This year the women’s elite race looks particularly unmissable, with 10 athletes who have run sub 2hr 20min in the field including world record holder Tigist Assefa. Two-time London Marathon winner Brigid Kosgei and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir are other notable names, as is Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who won the London Marathon in 2022.

On the men’s side the biggest name is Kenenisa Bekele, who is competing in his seventh London Marathon and aiming to win it for the first time, although at 41 he is perhaps more likely to set a masters record than win overall. The fastest men in the field based on recent results are Mosinet Geremew, Alexander Mutiso Munyao and Tamirat Tola, and last year’s runner-up Geoffrey Kamworor will also have eyes on the win.

The top Brits in the field include Becky Briggs, Alice Wright and Anya Culling in the women’s race, and Emile Cairess, Marc Scott and Callum Hawkins in the men’s. Cairess and Hawkins are both in the top five for fastest marathons by British runners ever, while Marc Scott is a debutant at the distance with impressive pedigree from shorter road and track events.

London Marathon Live Streams And TV Broadcasts

How To Watch The London Marathon In The UK

The BBC has been the broadcaster of the race since its first edition in 1981 and is offering extensive coverage of both the elite race and mass-participation event. Live coverage starts at 8.30am BST on BBC One and runs until 2pm, when it switches to BBC Two before finishing at 3pm. You can also watch the race online on iPlayer, with live streams running until 6pm. There are highlights from the race on BBC Two at 6pm.

If you’re tuning in to catch sight of someone you know, train your eyes on the live stream of the finish line, which last year was available via the red button and on iPlayer. Download the London Marathon tracker app to access predicted finish times for every runner, searchable by name or bib number.

How To Watch The London Marathon In The US, Canada And Australia

Live coverage of the London Marathon is available via FloTrack, with the broadcast starting at 4.10am ET. You can watch online and the FloTrack app, which is available on the App Store, Google Play, plus Roku and the Amazon Fire Stick. A FloTrack subscription costs USD$29.99 a month or USD$149.99 a year.

How To Watch The London Marathon From Outside Your Country Of Residence

The team at Coach stablemate TechRadar have tested VPNs extensively and recommend NordVPN, which is easy to set up and reliable. NordVPN also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it before committing to a longer plan.

London Marathon Details

The best running watches can do a lot more than track your workouts. Come race day your Garmin watch can help you stay on track and hit your target time, with a variety of features available to help you successfully pace a marathon.

I’ve run the London Marathon six times and used several different approaches when setting up my watch for the race, all of which were designed to keep me on track for my target time. That’s harder than in other marathons I’ve run because the GPS signal goes AWOL running through Canary Wharf and the tunnels on the course.

The simplest way to track your race is with your normal data screens, but I’d suggest adding lap pace to them, rather than current pace. Current pace is particularly susceptible to GPS trouble and will jump around a lot, while lap pace is your average pace for the current mile or kilometer split you’re running and is a more stable number to help you pace your run.

Even with lap pace the GPS problems you encounter in the second half of the London Marathon when running under high buildings and through tunnels can throw your watch off. I take manual splits when passing the mile/kilometer markers to get an accurate number for each to make sure I’m hitting my target pace.

A more advanced setting is to use the distance and time target setting on the watch. On your run page hold the menu button, select training, quick workout (or set a target depending on which model you’re using) and then distance and time. Select marathon distance and put in your target time and you’ll get two new data screens. One shows how far behind or ahead of your goal pace you are, and another gives a predicted finish time plus your average pace and distance remaining. 

The predicted time is handy as long as you take into account the distance your watch has measured compared with the actual distance you have left to run, with GPS inaccuracies included. Check the distance on the watch against a marker when you pass it and add any discrepancy in time to the predicted time on the watch. 

Another Garmin tool you can use is PacePro, which will give you a target time for each mile or kilometer of your race based on the elevation profile of the course, your overall goal and race strategy, as in whether you want to run even splits, or a negative split where you run the second half of the marathon faster than the first. 

I’d advise against this though. PacePro is brilliant but will be rendered near useless by GPS inaccuracy and is most useful on hilly courses like the Boston Marathon where your pace per split will rise and fall with the hills. PacePro can help you stick to target pace in the first half of the London Marathon, which has good GPS accuracy with few tall buildings, but once you hit Canary Wharf inaccurate pace readings will throw it off.

The most complicated and most accurate option you can use is a ConnectIQ app that allows you to correct the distance readings on the watch. I have used one called Peter’s (Race) Pacer to do this (Peter’s (Hi-Viz) Pacer is a simpler app that does the same thing). When you pass a marker on the course, hit the lap button and it rounds the distance measured by the watch up or down to be exact.

So if your watch reads 5.12km at the 5K marker, hit the lap button and it will correct to 5.00km, and then adjust the average pace and other stats on the watch. You can also set a target time with Peter’s Race Pacer and it will tell you how far ahead or behind you are.

I’m hoping Garmin will eventually make this a native feature on its watches—as it is on the Wahoo ELEMNT Rival watch—because Peter’s (Race) Pacer isn’t the most attractive data screen, but it has worked well for me in the past when GPS readings have gone wonky. Just make sure you try the app out in a training run to get used to the info being shown.

To run a marathon successfully you need a plan, a few good months of training behind you, and a whole lot of kit for the day itself. You need good shoes, comfortable clothes, and nutrition and hydration products, all of which you’ve hopefully tested out during your marathon training.

Peloton instructor Ben Alldis is running the London Marathon for the second time this year, and when we spoke to him about his kit for the race it was clear a lot of careful thought and testing had gone into picking it out. That means there’s a lot to be learned from his selections if you’re not sure about your own marathon kit just yet.

Are you excited for the London Marathon?

“I’m so excited because I’ve done it before and I know what I’m letting myself in for,” says Alldis. “I was overwhelmed with the support last time, the fact that at London there are people cheering at every single spot. When you’re in it, it’s so amazing.

“Things have also come on a long way since I ran it in 2018. All the hydration and nutrition, the trainers and the kit has all evolved so much. It’s been fun trying different things out and testing things along the way.”

What running shoes are you using for the marathon?

“I was going to go for a racing shoe, but I’m actually going to stick with the Hoka Arahi 7,” says Alldis. “I’ve been training in them and they feel great. I’ve got slightly wide feet and a lot of the race shoes are quite thin. I have tried the race shoes and they do feel good, but I just don’t want to get injured because of the job I do. I’ve got to teach a class on Wednesday!” 

What nutrition products are you using for the marathon?

“I’ve tried quite a few things,” says Alldis. “I don’t eat a lot of sugar, so when I started with some of the gels, they were so hard on my stomach. They do work, but I get a bit of a stomach ache.

“The ones that I’ve actually loved using are from Veloforte. I’m using a mixture of the gels, the energy chews and also the energy bars, just because too much of one thing is a bit much for my stomach. Mixing up also keeps it interesting across however long it’s going to take.”

I rate Veloforte’s products too and they feature on my selection of the best running gels. Just remember, you should never try a new gel for a marathon—stick with what you’ve been using during training. 

“I also like to suck on the SaltStick electrolyte fast chews,” says Alldis. “I take a lot of electrolytes for my general life and my job, but obviously you can’t really get the tablets out and put them into bottles [during the race]. These are little tablets that you can just suck on. You have maybe two every half hour or something and it just keeps salt levels up. This has helped me massively, because the last marathon I did, I started to cramp up. I think that was because I tried to just survive on one jelly baby a mile! When I look back, that’s probably why I was cramping up because the salt levels in my body were probably low.”

If this is the first you’ve heard about electrolytes, find out what you need to know with our guide to electrolyte drinks.

How are you carrying all this?

“I’ve been using a Peloton running belt in training,” says Alldis, “but I’m actually going to use a CamelBak one because you can put water in it. Obviously, there are water stations along the way, but it’s helpful just to have a little bit on you.”

What other running gear will you be wearing?

“I’m going to be wearing the Lululemon X Peloton collaboration gear—it’s super soft and super light,” says Alldis. “It doesn’t get too much sweat in it. I also like to wear under shorts just to keep the compression on the quads and the hammies. Lululemon also do amazing socks with compression.”

Are those knee-high or ankle-high compression socks?

“I’ve tried both,” says Alldis. “I think it depends how hot it is on the day, because it can get a bit claustrophobic sometimes when you’ve got too much compression. If it’s a bit warmer, I’ll just go for ankle-high, but if it’s a bit cooler, I might wear knee-high, or I might wear compression sleeves.

“I used to be a sprinter and so my typical running style when I get lazy is on my toes, so my calves get a battering. To have a bit of pressure on them helps a little bit.”

I’ve looked ahead to the London Marathon weather forecast and Alldis might be better off going for ankle-high socks.

What running watch and headphones do you use?

“I’m going to be wearing an Apple Watch,” says Alldis. “I’ve been training with it, and I use the Apple Watch Ultra 2. I’ve always liked the Apple Watch. I wouldn’t say it’s the best of the best watches out there, but it’s the watch that I wear and it’s really helpful for me. It just helps you pace yourself, which is good.” It’s a good choice in my book, I’ve reviewed the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and rate it as the best smartwatch for running.

“I’ve been training with Apple Airpods,” says Alldis, “but I’ve just been recommended this brand of headphones called Shokz which sit on the back of your head and it means you can still hear the crowd.” Shokz makes bone conduction headphones that transmit sound through your cheekbones to your inner ear, keeping your ear free to hear other sounds.

“It’s about getting a balance between trying to take in the crowd versus having a bit of motivation,” says Alldis. “I like to listen to a mixture of podcasts and music. Four hours of dance music can get a bit repetitive! So a good podcast and some music for the end.”

I’ve run 12 marathons in the past seven years including doing the London Marathon six times, and right now I’m working harder in marathon training than ever before. The aim is a PR of 2hrs 27min (or faster, faster would be fine), and 10 weeks out from the race my weekly mileage is at its highest ever.

I’ve logged 70-80 miles in the past two weeks and there’s no letting up from my coach, with a couple of long and hard workouts each week, plus a long run and plenty of easy miles. In the past, I’ve run about 50 to 65 miles on average in marathon training, hitting 70 for the odd peak week, so it’s been an enjoyable challenge to increase my distance.

To get through the miles and hit targets during workouts, I’ve also had to be a bit smarter with my nutrition, and I’ve started using more sports supplements to make sure I’m not losing weight and getting the carbs, protein and other stuff the body needs when working hard. To this end, there are three main products I’ve been using regularly during marathon training.

1. Multivitamin Tabs

The main one of these I’ve been using is OTE’s Berry Multivitamin Tabs but they are currently  out of stock, and I’ve also been using more easily available tabs from Tesco, so I think you can substitute in any multivitamin drink for the same effect. A pint of water with multivitamins in it is a great way to start the day and a fixture in my routine when marathon training in the winter when I’m worried about getting ill, especially with two kids at school/nursery acquiring as many germs as they can.

2. Maurten Drink Mix 

This is expensive, but one of the best sports drinks you can get and I’ve really noticed the difference in how much better I feel in long workouts and races when using it compared with other drinks. With two or three runs of at least 12-13 miles each week, I’ve taken to using the Maurten Drink Mix regularly to ensure I have enough fuel in the tank during the runs so I’m not completely burned out by the end of them, which then compromises runs on the following days.

3. SiS REGO Rapid Recovery

One of the best recovery protein powders, SIS’s REGO contains 20g of protein, 23g of carbs as well as electrolytes, vitamins and minerals to help you bounce back after a hard run. In the past I haven’t felt the need for a dedicated recovery powder during marathon training, but with tough, long runs coming along every couple of days it’s been very helpful in speeding up recovery. It’s also a lot easier to get it down quickly after a run than making a meal, which can easily be delayed by pressing work or domestic matters. 

The 2024 London Marathon ballot opened the day before this year’s marathon and closed less than a week later. According to London Marathon Events, entries to the ballot crossed the half-million mark for the first time with a total of 578,374 people entering the draw. The previous record was 457,861 applications for the 2020 London Marathon.

*According to event organizers

It’s not easy to get a place in the London Marathon. The London Marathon ballot is always heavily oversubscribed, and charity places in the race are always in high demand as well. Unless you’re speedy enough to nab a London Marathon Good For Age place, or even a Championship spot, there’s always going to be an element of luck involved.

One way you can tip the odds in your favor is by choosing to pay your entry fee up front when entering the 2024 ballot. You can enter the ballot without paying anything, then pay the £69.99 entry fee only if you’re successful, but there are several benefits to choosing to pay your fee up front.

The first is that the price of a place drops to £49.99 if you do get a place via the ballot, the same price as entry cost for the 2023 event. The second benefit is that if you miss out in the first ballot, you are entered into a second-chance ballot which allocates more places.

This “lucky loser” ballot has previously dished out another 2,000 spots, although the figures for the London Marathon 2024 are not yet confirmed. However, the organizers of the event have said that you can double your chances of getting a place by paying up front so you have a chance in both ballots.

We’re not sure that the math has been done here beyond "two ballots=double the chances", which isn’t really how probability works given your odds will depend on how many people are actually in each ballot. However, it’s certainly at least a better chance than only entering one ballot.

Even if you do strike out in both ballots, you don’t go away with nothing, because you’ll be sent a training top worth £60 to make you feel better. Also remember that the money you paid goes to the London Marathon Foundation charity, so that should make you feel good as well.

So we reckon it’s a no-brainer: Pay upfront and increase your chance of getting a London Marathon place while reducing the cost of that place. Worst-case scenario you get a nice bit of training kit and the warm fuzzy feeling created by donating money to charity. Wins all round.

If you live abroad you’ll need to enter the international ballot for the race, although there’s no option to increase your chances by paying upfront. International applicants who are successful in the ballot will need to pay £146 for a place, a price that includes  a £26 carbon offset levy.

Even the best running watches tend to struggle at the London Marathon, because some sections of the route are a nightmare for GPS accuracy. Notably the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf send watches into a tailspin, and then a couple of long tunnels make locking on to satellites impossible.

I’ve always found it a great event for testing running watches as a result, and since I was running the London Marathon 2023 shortly after the launch of the Garmin Forerunner 265 and Garmin Forerunner 965 watches, it seemed a great chance to put them head to head.

Both watches offer Garmin’s highly accurate multi-band GPS tracking, and this is what I was mainly looking to test at the race. Both also sport bright AMOLED displays so I also wanted to see how much faster the smaller Forerunner 265’s battery drained.

I ran 2hr 33min 37sec on the day using the watches to pace the first half at around 6min/mile for a 1hr 18min split before kicking on and running 1hr 15min for the second half. I was taking manual laps on both watches every 5km at the timing mats on the course, though I managed to botch one of these by taking the lap at the K marker, which was a few meters after the mat.

Overall, I was impressed with the GPS accuracy of both watches. I was particularly impressed that the Forerunner 265 got closer to the actual race distance, although it did show a couple more mistakes on the GPS track. Both watches largely produced excellent GPS tracks though, showing me on the right side of the road with very few cut corners or incorrect detours through buildings.

I ran using kilometers and the 265 logged 42.52km (26.42 miles) and the 965 42.57km (26.45 miles). Given the fact I wasn’t always on the perfect racing line, these are likely to be quite close to the overall distance I ran.

Both watches were useful for pacing my 5K splits for the most part, with the exception of the split involving Canary Wharf, where both completely lost it. The GPS track around the tall buildings is a mess and the watches logged ridiculously fast paces at points in this area. Even the best multi-band watches struggle in these conditions, so using manual laps or an app to correct distance on your watch is the way to go.

I had both watches connected to a chest strap heart rate monitor during the race, so can’t comment on their heart rate accuracy, but there was a notable difference in the battery life drop-off.

Both watches were fully charged before I went to bed on Saturday night, and at the end of the marathon the Forerunner 965 had dropped to 83% and the Forerunner 265 to 75%. It’s no surprise that the smaller watch drained faster, and in my testing so far, overall the difference in battery life has amounted to around two to three days on a charge. Both will comfortably survive a marathon, though I didn’t use them to play music during the London Marathon, which does increase battery drain a lot.

My main takeaway from using both at the London Marathon is that there’s no drop in performance in using the Forerunner 265 versus the more expensive Forerunner 965. The GPS accuracy was just as good and the battery more than enough for a marathon. Canary Wharf remains the bane of any GPS watch’s life during the London Marathon, but otherwise the GPS accuracy was certainly good enough to pace the race.

More Garmin Forerunner 965 Versus

• Garmin Fenix 7 vs Garmin Forerunner 965
• Garmin Forerunner 965 Vs Garmin Forerunner 955

More Garmin Forerunner 265 Versus

• Garmin Forerunner 265 Vs Garmin Forerunner 255
• Garmin Forerunner 265 Vs Garmin Forerunner 165

More than 40,000 people will line up to run the 26.2 mile London Marathon route this Sunday. It’s by far the largest marathon in the UK and one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, making it one of the few opportunities for recreational runners to run alongside international elites.

In the past couple of years we have gathered exclusive information to find out what is a good marathon time from TCS, the title sponsor of the London Marathon. In case you’re wondering how you compare with your peers, you’ll find all the average times for the London Marathon 2022 and 2023 below.

Just remember that whatever time you achieve, crossing the London Marathon finish line is an amazing feat and an unforgettable experience.

Average London Marathon 2023 Times

Average London Marathon 2022 Times

I’ve run five of the past six London Marathons, only missing the 2020 virtual event during the COVID-19 pandemic. In those races I’ve run two marathon PRs, had two major blow-ups, run in all conditions including the freakishly hot 2018 event, and generally had a great time. 

I’ve picked up lots of London Marathon tips along the way, and it’s certainly wise to get acquainted with the London Marathon route ahead of time and join the line for the toilets the moment you arrive at the starting area. However, if there’s one piece of advice I’d give to anyone running, it’s not to get carried away after the big downhill in the first half of the race.

For the most part the London Marathon route is flat, though a couple of small uphills in the second half can feel like mountains. Between miles two and four, however, there is a significant downhill section where you drop around 131ft/40m.

This is obviously good news for the most part. You’re fresh because it’s near the start of the race and can fly down this hill way ahead of your target pace without it feeling like any effort at all. It’s free speed, essentially.

Once you hit the bottom of the hill and the course flattens out again, it’s absolutely essential to slow down again to your planned race pace. It’s all too easy to get carried away after storming down the hill and run too fast for the next few miles, especially since the crowds will be roaring you on and you’ll want to keep pace with the same group of runners you ran down the hill with, who probably aren’t slowing down.

This can result in running too fast all the way to Tower Bridge, with the crowd at the Cutty Sark giving you another big adrenaline boost at six miles. If you do this, you’ll suddenly hit the halfway mark of the race realizing that you’ve gone way too quick, and irrecoverable damage might already be done.

I’ve done this twice, and the second half of the race has been a real struggle as a result. All the pace you might pick up from the early downhill means nothing when you end up walking in the second half and your hopes of a PR go up in smoke.

Running any marathon well involves a lot of discipline. You need to stick to a sensible pace in the first half of the race, and ideally then speed up to run a negative split. The London Marathon takes more discipline than most thanks to that early downhill, so watch your pace carefully once you hit the flat again.

• Advice from elite runners Rose Harvey and Jack Rowe on how to pace a marathon.

The London Marathon is a notoriously difficult event to get a spot in, such is its popularity. The London Marathon ballot is always heavily oversubscribed and there’s fierce competition to get a London Marathon charity place as well. There is, however, another route to the start line, which is to be really fast. 

There are two entry options for speedy runners at the event. One is to get a London Marathon Good For Age place, which involves running a qualifying time based on your age and gender. There are 6,000 Good For Age places in the race, and they are allocated to 3,000 men and 3,000 women on a fastest-first basis (weighted by age and gender), so getting the required time doesn’t actually guarantee your place if you’re only a couple of minutes under.

In contrast, if you can run the qualifying time for a London Marathon Championship place, you are guaranteed a spot in the race. The catch is the qualifying times are pretty daunting. Men have to run a sub-2hr 40min marathon or sub-1hr 12min 30sec half marathon, and women have to run a sub-3hr 14min marathon or sub-1hr 28min half marathon.

There are a few other conditions you have to meet to qualify for a London Marathon Championship place as well. One is that you have to be a member of an official running club and registered with your governing body—England Athletics, Scotland Athletics, Welsh Athletics or Athletics Northern Ireland. You will also have to wear your club vest on the day of the race (no fancy dress).

The other condition is that you have to run the qualifying time within a certain period at an in-person official event with a certified course. For the London Marathon 2023 the qualifying period was 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022. The only virtual event you can use to qualify for a place is the virtual London Marathon, and even then you have to back up that time with a qualifying time at an in-person half marathon.

Once you’ve run your time, wait for Championship entry to open—this is usually long after the ballot and Good For Age entry open—and then you submit proof of time and UK Athletics membership. 

You still have to pay for your place in the London Marathon as a Championship runner, but there are many benefits to it along with the guaranteed entry. Championship runners start ahead of the main field, just behind the elite athletes, and have a dedicated start zone where the queues for the toilets are not as long as in other start zones. 

I’ve run from the Championship start three times at London, as well as the Good For Age and Red starts, and it’s a less stressful and crowded experience at the Championship start for sure. I’d say the mere fact of having a shorter toilet queue is worth all the extra marathon training you’ll need to do to bag that qualifying time.

The London Marathon is one of the most popular running events in the world, and every year more people are left disappointed than not when they apply for a place through the London Marathon ballot, because the odds are stacked against them.

Earning a Good For Age (GFA) place is one way to turn the odds in your favor, but it’s not the easy option. Running one of the qualifying times involves months of dedicated marathon training, and you have to run the time at an official event with a certified course within the qualifying period. The times are adjusted for age and gender, so everyone gets a fair shot.

If you’re planning to run a GFA time in 2024 to participate in the London Marathon 2025, then it’s important to note that the times required have changed from what you needed to qualify for the race in 2024.

• Sub 3-Hour Marathon Training Plan
• Sub 4-Hour Marathon Training Plan

GFA entry is open only to UK residents and you will have to provide proof of your result when you apply. You’ll have to link to the results of the event where you logged your time and prove your age with an official document, as well as proving that you are a UK resident.

The only virtual event you can use to qualify for a GFA place is the virtual London Marathon 2024, and you will need to back up this result with an in-person result from a half marathon during the qualifying period. 

You can find the required half marathon qualifying times on the London Marathon website. They start at sub-1hr 23min 37sec for men aged 18-39 and sub-1hr 44min 23min for women aged 18-39 and then rise with age.

If you run a GFA time and enter the London Marathon 2024, note that you cannot then defer your place in the race. The exception to this is for pregnant and postpartum women, who can defer their place for up to three years.

This Sunday, thousands of runners will set off through the streets of London for the London Marathon. Among them will be runners of all stripes running for charities, PRs and world records. 

Each year a number of famous faces sign up, often raising funds for causes close to their heart. From actors, comedians and TV presenters to musicians and even Olympic medalists, there are plenty of celebrities to keep an eye out for on April 21. Golden Globe-winner Ruth Wilson, comedian Romesh Ranganathan and Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster will all be making their London Marathon debut this year.

Celebrities Running The 2024 London Marathon

Here are the celebrities who will be running the London Marathon 2024, with the charity they are running for in brackets.

• Aimee Fuller – former snowboarder and winter Olympian
• Ali Jawad – Paralympic powerlifter (Crohn's & Colitis UK)
• Alexander Lincoln – actor, Emmerdale (Centrepoint)
• Baasit and Raza Siddiqui – Gogglebox
• Ben Murphy – 2023 National Chef of the Year (Hospitality Action)
• Charlie Hodgson – former England rugby union player (Muscular Dystrophy UK)
• Chloe Meadows – The Only Way Is Essex (Crohn's & Colitis UK)
• Chris Newton – former Olympic cyclist (Anthony Nolan)
• Christopher Eccleston – actor, formerly Doctor Who (The Big Issue)
• Dan Hudson – comedian and podcast host of A Gay and A NonGay (Marie Curie)
• Danny Crates – Paralympian (Sports Aid)
• Darren Turner – racing driver (Hope for Tomorrow)
• Emma Barton – actor, EastEnders
• Emily Clarkson – influencer and Should I Delete That? podcast host
• Emon Choudhury – winner of BBC’s Race Across the World series two
• Erin Doherty – actor, previously in The Crown (Young Minds UK)
• Esther Manito – comedian (World Animal Protection)
• Gary Rowett – football manager
• Harry Judd – McFly drummer (The Children’s Trust)
• Helen Thorn – author and comedian
• Jack Derges – actor (Child Bereavement UK)
• James Cracknell – former Olympic rower
• Jamie Borthwick – actor, EastEnders
• Jamie Jones-Buchanan – former rugby league player (Sue Ryder Care)
• Jamie Peacock – former rugby league player (Sue Ryder Care)
• Jenni Falconer – Smooth FM radio presenter
• Joe Kellaway – 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal winner (Mental Health Foundation)
• Josh Cuthbert – former Union J singer (Samaritans)
• Joshua Patterson – TV personality, Made In Chelsea (Samaritans)
• Laura Hamilton – presenter, A Place in the Sun (WellChild)
• Lauren-Nicole Mayes – actor (Action on Postpartum Psychosis)
• Lawrence Robb – actor, Emmerdale (Samaritans)
• Natalie Pinkham – Sky Sports F1 presenter and Flackstock co-founder (Samaritans)
• Phil Dunster – actor, Ted Lasso (Young Lives Vs Cancer)
• Rangan Chatterjee – host of Feel Better, Live More podcast
• Romesh Ranganathan – comedian and presenter (CALM)
• Ruth Wilson – actor (Alzheimer’s Research UK)
• Ryan Hand – TV presenter (Marie Curie)
• Shane Williams – former Wales rugby union player (Velindre Cancer)
• Suzanne Shaw – TV personality and singer (WellChild)

London Marathon FAQs

When is the London Marathon 2024?

The London Marathon will take place on Sunday April 21, 2024.

When does the London Marathon start?

The London Marathon start time is 10am for runners in the mass-participation field, but runners set off in waves so the celebrities above may not start running until 11:30am. Follow their progress using the London Marathon tracker app. 

Can you watch the London Marathon on TV?

You can try and catch these celebrities on the BBC’s official coverage of the race. You can watch live on BBC One and Two, online, or on the iPlayer app, with coverage starting at 8.30am BST (3.30am EST). All the details of the BBC’s live coverage of the London Marathon 2024 (all times BST) are below, and there is also a highlights show for the event at 6pm on BBC Two on the day.

• BBC One: 8.30am-2.15pm
• BBC Two: 2.15pm-3pm
• BBC Online and iPlayer: 1pm-6pm

How can you run the London Marathon 2025?

There are a number of ways to gain a race place in next year’s event, but the most popular ways are through the London Marathon ballot and getting a London Marathon charity place. The ballot opens on Saturday April 20, 2024, and you can throw your hat in the ring without putting money on the table, so it’s well worth a go.

One of the most memorable moments in London Marathon history is when Matthew Rees stopped to help David Wyeth down The Mall to the finish line. This selfless act inspired the Spirit of the London Marathon Awards, which recognizes the stories of participants, volunteers and supporters.

Jeremy Joseph, owner of London nightclubs G-A-Y and Heaven, and 12-time (soon to be 13) runner of the London Marathon, received the award in 2022. Coach grabbed the chance to talk to him about his London Marathon journey and his award.

We speak as he hits mile two of his final long run before the big day. As he clocks up the miles, I ask how he ended up entering so many London Marathons.

Joseph says he was living with an eating disorder and frequently running on a treadmill to try and burn calories. One day a power cut forced him outside and that is how he was introduced to non-treadmill running.

Soon his running distances were increasing each week. A staff member at the time was training for the London Marathon and Joseph decided to sign up too, running for Amnesty International. It was the 30th anniversary of Heaven, so Joseph set out to raise £30,000—£1,000 for every year the club had been open.

The ease with which he reached his fundraising goal kept him coming back for more. “People are so supportive,” he says. “Even with all the other fundraising events we’ve done, nothing has raised money like the London Marathon. It’s an event that brings London together and I think people look at it and think ‘this is amazing, I’m going to support this’.”

Rainbow Row

One of the reasons Joseph was given the Spirit of the London Marathon award was his contribution to Rainbow Row, a new initiative for the 2022 event.

Rainbow Row is a stretch on the London Marathon route just past 21 miles that celebrates the vibrancy and inclusivity of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“London Marathon organisers contacted me saying they wanted the London Marathon to be more inclusive and represent more communities, and one of these communities is the LGBTQIA+ community,” he says. “They asked if I had any ideas, so we discussed it and the idea of Rainbow Row came up.

“They then looked at the logistics and chose Rainbow Row as a key part of the race. With five miles to go, it’s the final stretch and the route home.”

When I ask Joseph how he felt on the day of the London Marathon 2022 as he approached Rainbow Row, he laughs and says he was otherwise occupied.

“I did an interview with the BBC at the London Marathon Expo and they asked me to stop at Rainbow Row for an interview. We had to coordinate where the cameras would be, so my first thought when I hit Rainbow Row was where to run to do the interview.

“Restarting was absolutely hell on Earth. I could hardly move my legs. But stopping was the best thing I ever did, I loved being interviewed! It was just the most amazing feeling. I actually deep down hope I get asked again this year because I love to be a part of it.”

London Marathon 2023

Regarding  the upcoming marathon, Joseph says he’s apprehensive thanks to pain from an injury. “I’m very nervous—I don’t know where my legs are going to be next week. It’s a very nerve-racking thing so please sponsor me!”

Our call is interrupted briefly by the sound of my border collie barking in the background, prompting Joseph to share some of the charities closest to his heart, including Dogs Trust.

“Without my dog Jacob, I wouldn’t have gotten through lockdown. It was really important to me to make sure they were one of the charities that I’m running for,” he says.

Joseph is running for 13 charities in 2023:

1. Great Ormond Street
2. Bab’s Army
3. Trans Plus
4. Out and Proud African LGBTI
5. Southall Black Sisters
6. AKT
7. MIND Out
8. Kaleidoscope Trust
9. HIDAYAH LGBT+
10. Human Dignity Trust
11. Opening Doors LGBT
12. Switchboard LGBT+ helpline
13. Dogs Trust

His goal is to raise a total of £130,000; £10,000 for each charity.

“I think it doesn’t matter the amount you sponsor someone because [however much it is,] it does really encourage people,” says Joseph. “If you can only afford a couple of pounds, that’s fine! No-one expects anyone to donate and then struggle [for money], but if you do donate just a little bit to whoever you know running, I think it’s an amazing way to show support.”

Spirit Of The London Marathon Award

After more marathon chat, we get on to his award, which Joseph says he was shocked to win. “I don’t actually think I deserve it,” he admits, “because London Marathon Events changed me as a person. I want to give them the award.

“The way I look at fundraising is all because of the London Marathon. The people behind the London Marathon are the most incredible people. To be able to be involved with them is such an honour. And they should get more credit.”

Joseph is in the process of changing his businesses, moving shares from G-A-Y Group Ltd into his G-A-Y Foundation, so that part of the business can become a charity. This, he says, is a result of COVID-19 and lockdown. “I felt that when we reopened after COVID and lockdown, I was going back to where I was two years ago and just worked,” he says. “I felt like I had no purpose any more. I wanted to not just work, but for work to have a purpose.”

He reiterates that he doesn’t want to take the credit for his fundraising efforts, instead praising every single person who has donated and helped along the way.

“The London Marathon should again take the credit. Without the event, we’d never have raised the money.”

You can find Joseph’s fundraising page on the TCS London Marathon website.

Feeling inspired to raise money in next year’s event? Here’s how to run the London Marathon for charity.

There are many wonderful sections of the London Marathon route, but whether you’re a runner or a supporter, the finish line on The Mall is hard to top. It’s one of the best places to watch the London Marathon for spectators, while for runners it’s the end of a journey that has involved months of marathon training, and it’s likely to be emotional.

After many months of marathon training, the weekend of the London Marathon is a very exciting time. Not only do you get to enjoy the race itself, which is always a special occasion even if it doesn’t go to plan, but you also get to carb-load.

This is what all that running has been building up to. The chance to gorge on carbs to ensure your body has the fuel it needs to run 26.2 miles. The actual running is great, but the carb-loading is truly tremendous. 

To help your body stock up with vital carbs, Deliveroo has issued the code RUNPASTA10 for £10 off at Pasta Evangelists. It’s available to use until Saturday 22nd April, although only 4,000 are available. Don’t worry about beginning to carb-load early—it’s better to increase your carb intake over the two days before the race.

You can use the voucher to get any pasta dish from Pasta Evangelists’ 27 London stores, with options available including the Carbonara of Dreams and a vegan sun-dried tomato and almond pesto. While a few dishes do cost less than £10, there’s a minimum spend of £15 so you’ll need to hand over at least £5.

If we were to offer any advice on your choice, it would be to aim for a fairly simple dish that’s not packed with fiber if possible—it’s always wise to make things as easy for your stomach as possible before you try to run 26.2 miles while guzzling high-sugar products like running gels or sports drinks for fuel. That’s one of the nuggets of advice you’ll find in our guide to carb-loading.

Demand is likely to be high for these vouchers, so make sure you grab yours before the 4,000 run out. There doesn’t seem to be any demand for proof you’re actually running the marathon either, so your competition for the free pasta might be from everyone, not just the 40,000-plus other people running the race. If you aren’t running and just fancy some free pasta, please do remember how far 26.2 miles is and leave the vouchers for those with a marathon to do.

Limited-edition running gear is, in my opinion, the best souvenir you can get from the London Marathon. Aside from your London Marathon medal, of course, partly because that medal helps you get free food and drink after the race.

London Marathon sponsor New Balance knows that runners are itching to get their hands on limited-edition kit from the race, and has a range of options, including special versions of T-shirts, shorts and running shoes.

Of all the kit available, a London Marathon jacket is perhaps the most attractive option. The best running jackets will last many years and are always worn on top of your other kit, so that London Marathon logo is never hidden away.

So far this year there are three jackets available in the London Marathon range, two for men and one for women. The London Edition Marathon Jacket is a great souvenir for the event but a little heavier and hotter than you really need for running in my experience. Aside from using it for warm ups and cool downs, running in the London Edition jacket will be a sweaty affair. It’s currently available only in the men’s version but a women’s version will probably become available in due course.

If you want a London Marathon jacket that you can run in regularly, the lightweight London Edition Packable Run Jacket is my top pick. So far there is only a men’s version of the jacket available in black, but the women’s version will probably be launched at some point, and hopefully there will be more colors too. For now there is a London Edition of New Balance’s Woven Jacket in the women’s range, which is a lightweight layer with a hood, but isn’t packable.

The London Edition Packable Run Jacket is a useful lightweight layer that keeps you warm enough on runs without overheating. It is wind and water resistant, so won’t keep you dry during a downpour but will fend off spring showers during your marathon training. 

Best Men’s London Marathon Jackets

Best Women’s London Marathon Jackets

It’s never too early to think about how to secure a place in the London Marathon. If you have hopes of tackling the 2024 London Marathon, then you can act on them even before this year’s runners start making their way along the London Marathon route because the ballot for 2024 opens the day before the 2023 race.

The London Marathon is one of the six World Marathon Majors and has a World Athletics-certified course confirming it is 26.2 miles long (26 miles and 385 yards, fact fans). Or, in metric, 42.195km.

On the course, you’ll see road markings in blue that show the most direct London Marathon route. If you’re after a fast time after months of marathon training try to stick to that route. 

However, because of the crowds on the course, only the fastest elite athletes can usually stick to those blue lines, with most runners having to weave around other people and taking wider routes around bends.

As a result, it’s almost certain that you will run more than 26.2 miles. Indeed, it’s the case for any other major city marathon too. Not much more, granted, but enough that you can’t rely on even the best running watches to monitor your distance, especially among the high buildings around London’s Canary Wharf where it’s hard to get a good GPS signal.

I’ve run the London Marathon six times and received different overall distances each time. I’d say the best approach for anyone looking to pace their race is to take manual laps on your watch when you pass the mile or kilometer markers. The London Marathon has these at every single mile and kilometer, making it easy to know exactly how far you’ve come—and how far you have to go.

Things don’t always go to plan in marathon training, so even if you entered the 2024 London Marathon ballot with the best of intentions, you may find that you have secured a spot but you can no longer run in the race. In which case you may want to defer your entry.

Whether it’s because you’ve succumbed to one of the most common running injuries, or you haven’t had the time to train, it’s far better to run another year rather than limp your way around the London Marathon route without getting satisfaction from it.

While final details on how to defer your place in the 2024 London Marathon are yet to be confirmed, the event has a generous deferral policy, which is great news given how hard it is to get a place through the London Marathon ballot. 

Below you’ll find the deferral policies that are in place for the London Marathon 2024. Whether you can defer, and how long you can defer the spot for, depends on the type of entry you had. If you are eligible to defer your entry, more details on how to go about it will be available by the end of March. 

The London Marathon is one of the best marathons in the world, offering a winning combination of a quick course and truly exceptional sideline support. As a result, competition to get one of the more than 40,000 spots available in the race is always fierce. Everyone wants to run the London Marathon.

Unless you’ve chalked up a particularly quick marathon time in the past year, the easiest way to get a place is through the ballot, which is open for around a week each year. Since 2022 the ballot for the following year's race has opened the day before the current year's race.

Enter the London Marathon 2024 ballot at Let’s Do This >>

Everything You Need To Know About The London Marathon Ballot

Other Ways Of Securing A London Marathon Place

The London Marathon returns to its traditional April berth in 2023 which means if you follow a typical 16-week plan you will begin training for the event in the first week of January. It’s a perfectly reasonably thing to do, because it gives you almost four full months of running – enough time for even complete beginners to get ready to run 42.2km – while also allowing you to enjoy the festive period without worrying about training.

Before we go on, we should stress that we’re not going to demand you go teetotal this Christmas if you’re running the London Marathon (or another spring marathon), and we’re also not going to suggest you start hammering out 80km weeks in December when everyone else is partying.

What we are going to do, however, is gently suggest a few things you can do this year to make you well prepared to start your full marathon training plan in January. And by “we”, we really mean Steve Vernon, coach and manager of Team New Balance Manchester when we spoke to him (now at UK Athletics), and an ex-international cross-country and mountain runner, who we asked for some advice.

What are the main benefits of starting your prep for the London Marathon before January?

“Starting early doesn’t necessarily mean you have to begin your specific marathon training,” says Vernon, “but it does provide the opportunity for you to build some base fitness so that you are in a good position to start in the new year.”

What should marathon runners do in December?

We asked Vernon to break down his advice for December training for different types of runners. First up – people who aren’t running currently and haven’t tackled a marathon before.

“December should be about getting used to running and if you haven’t done any before, this needs to be a really easy build-up of two to three runs a week,” says Vernon.

“It is advisable for most beginners to start with a run/walk. For example, 10 one-minute jogs with one minute’s walk between each jog for a total of 20 minutes. After doing this for the first week you could progress to five two-minute jogs with a minute’s walk between them in the second week. By the end of December you should aim to run for 20-30 minutes continuously.”

A couch to 5K programme, like our free running for beginners training plan, will guide you through this process. If that proves too difficult, the None To Run program builds up more gently.

If you already run once or twice a week but haven’t ever done a marathon, the advice is to focus on increasing the length of your runs in December to build up to the amount of time on your feet demanded by marathon training.

“Start introducing longer runs once a week,” says Vernon. “Depending on your running background you could aim to add one mile [or 1.5km if you prefer] or 10 minutes a week. This way you will start the new year with the benefit of having done some longer runs.”

If you’re a regular runner you’ll already be well conditioned to start a marathon training plan – you may even have taken on the distance in the past – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t add some specific targets to your December training.

“The elite athletes I coach always start their marathon build-up in good 10K shape so I will often find a race for them to target before they start the specific marathon work,” says Vernon.

“Running a fast 10K leading into the new year will also boost your confidence and make marathon pace seem easy.”

December is traditionally a time of big parties and consuming huge amounts of food – should marathon runners scale their festive cheer back a bit?

“I think moderation and consistency is key! There is nothing wrong with enjoying the Christmas period but if it means missing training and putting on a huge amount of weight it doesn’t put you in an ideal position to start your marathon plan,” says Vernon.

“Plan around the social events so that you can still enjoy them but also fit in training. There are also lots of bugs and illnesses around at Christmas so take precautions to stay in good health.”

Is there any particular type of running you should focus on before January?

“Easy running is fine,” says Vernon. “The marathon is an endurance event and time on your feet is the biggest factor, so steady running and building up the duration of your runs are the most important things you can do at this stage.”

Races To Sign Up For To Prepare For The London Marathon

Another thing you can consider doing before the end of the year to help get ready for the London Marathon is to sign up for a couple of shorter races in early 2023.

Running other races won’t be able to match the intense demands of a marathon, or the heightened atmosphere of the London Marathon in particular, but it will help you get used to running in a crowd and the race-day experience – no-one believes how long the queues for toilets are before a running event until they witness it first-hand.

The best way to start is with a 5K run, and the best 5K runs to get involved with are parkruns. They’re free, weekly, very relaxed, and there will almost certainly be one pretty close to your home.

For a 10K it’s best to enter an event that takes place in early February. Our top pick for people who live in or around London is the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run, which takes place on Sunday 5th February 2023. You get to run on closed roads in the centre of London – always a treat – and it’s the perfect motivation to get you through the tough, cold first month of training in January.

The key preparatory race is a half marathon, which gives you the chance to practise your race day routine and pacing a run, as well as getting a great idea of how your training is going and what time you might be able to target in the full marathon.

Coach’s 14-week training plans asks you to run a half on 12th March. Choice options on that day include the Surrey Half, Carlisle Half Marathon and Inverness Half Marathon, while the Battersea Half Marathon runs loops of the London park on the Saturday. 

Run Britain’s race listings are another great way to survey your options – but it’s worth deciding on your plan and booking your half marathon this week, or you may find your preferred race is sold out by the time you get around to entering.

The elation of crossing the finish line at the London Marathon is hard to beat, and you certainly won’t get that feeling back just by watching yourself canter/crawl over the finish line. However, it may well rouse you from the post-marathon blues and may even help you forget about your aching legs.

Footage from the London Marathon finish line is available to rewatch on BBC iPlayer until 22nd May, and with 336 minutes available you’ll no doubt be keen to skip to the moment you, or your family members or friends, cross the line.

That’s easier said than done, even though the time is clearly displayed in the lower left quadrant of the stream. Like us, in a still-fatigued post-marathon fog, you may jump straight to your finish time, but unless you crossed the start line in the championship wave at 10am you’ll need to add your marathon time to the point when you crossed the start line.

If you weren’t paying attention when you crossed the start line—and who would blame you?—the Results section of the London Marathon tracker app gives your gun time, which will match the time on iPlayer.

Once you’ve watched and rewatched yourself crossing the finish line, and sent it to every WhatsApp group you’re in, ride that high and enter the London Marathon ballot.

Marathon runners will try all sorts of different things to boost their performance during a race. That starts with obvious things like training for three to four months and fuelling well during the race so they don’t run out of energy, and extends to splashing out a lot of money on the best carbon plate running shoes to add some spring to their step.

However, sleeping well in the days leading up to the race can also be very important, not only to ensure you have the physical energy to power through your marathon, but also to give you the mental energy to make good decisions during the race, like not starting the 26.2-mile run at your 5K pace.

We spoke to sleep scientist Dr Sophie Bostock about the importance of sleep for running performance, and to get her advice on how to get to sleep the night before a marathon. Bostock is a member of the British Heart Foundation London Marathon support squad, a team of experts supporting the charity’s runners at the 2022 marathon.

• How Much Does Sleep Affect Athletic Performance?

It’s not surprising to learn that a lack of sleep can affect your physical performance – a systematic review of studies indicated sleep deprivation can result in a 7.5% drop in performance – but Bostock also highlighted how your cognitive performance can be negatively impacted.

“We tend to be a lot more impulsive – we have less emotional regulation when we’re short of sleep. So things like decisions about sticking to your race plan can be affected,” says Bostock.

With that in mind, we assumed that getting to bed particularly early the night before the race would be a smart move. But in fact the best advice is just to stick to your normal routine, or even go to bed later than usual.

“Hopefully, you’ve got a relatively regular bedtime and a relatively regular wake time, and I would try and stick to whatever you normally do,” says Bostock. “If you find that you are just way too excited and you’re not sleepy, don’t just lie there in bed worrying about it. I often actually tell people just go to bed a bit later if they’re not feeling sleepy. Maybe read for a little bit longer, distract yourself. 

“Also, the night before a race, positive imagery can be really helpful. Picture yourself having a really successful race, seeing yourself going around the course feeling great. Instil positive emotions in your head. That’s actually going to help you to relax and if you are tired, you’re going to find it easier to fall asleep.”

Bostock also pointed out that, given you’ll probably be tapering and exercising less just before the marathon, you might have more energy than usual – another good reason to perhaps go to bed 20-30 minutes later than you have been during heavy training weeks.

Given that many runners will probably be a bag of nerves the night before the race, there is a case for trying to bank a few extra hours of sleep earlier in the week. 

“In the days and even weeks leading up to the marathon, getting that little bit of extra sleep is going to make you more resilient to the sleep loss the night before,” says Bostock, though she did also say that for most people getting in “sleep credit” usually just means actually sleeping as much as they should be.

Sleep is important, then, and you should do what you can to get a lot of it in the week before your marathon, but another key takeaway is that you shouldn’t fret too much if you don’t sleep very well the night before your race.

“By that time you’ve done the work,” says Bostock. “Most of the studies that look at the impact of sleep deprivation on performance have done something pretty extreme – no sleep at all for 30 hours, or a really prolonged sleep loss. Very often we actually find even with these controlled experiments that one night of slightly shorter sleep probably doesn’t make that much difference. And the compensation that you’re going to get from the adrenaline on the day is probably going to be strong enough.”

You’ll feel that adrenaline from the moment you wake up on race day, and you can also counter the effects of a bad night’s sleep with some positivity.

“There was a study published recently that looked at the impact of positive versus negative self-talk and showed that positive self-talk reduces your rate of perceived exertion,” says Bostock. “Remember you’ve done the work, you’ve trained hard. That one night of short sleep probably doesn’t make much difference. I’ve spoken to so many athletes who have done their personal best or even broken records after a poor night of sleep.”

One last bit of advice is if you use a sleep tracker, the night before a marathon might be a good time to take it off.

“Whatever happens, whatever that tracker says, you’re going to have to do that race,” says Bostock. “So it might be a good time to take a break from it.”

• Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• The Runner’s Guide To The London Marathon Route

If running 26.2 miles has lost its novelty, you might like to try adding a fancy dress costume into the mix and raise some extra cash for charity while you’re at it.

Simon Howarth has run all but one of the last 10 London Marathons for the British Heart Foundation. Simon is running in memory of his father, who passed away in 1992 following a cardiac arrest. He has run it in various fancy dress costumes, from a heart costume and heart-eyes emoji to being tied to 110 heart-shaped helium-filled balloons. The 2022 London Marathon will be his 11th time running, as well as the 30th anniversary of his father’s death.

Tell us about your story and why you’re raising money for the British Heart Foundation.

I run in memory of my father who passed away at 52 years old in 1992, when I was just 12. He had a sudden cardiac arrest which was sadly fatal. That loss had a huge impact on my family and really shaped my life afterwards.

It’s always been important for me to keep fit. I’ve got two young children of my own, Layla and Ruby, and my wife Christine, who have been so supportive over the years. They’re aware of the history of my father passing, and as a family we all try to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, who are the official charity this year for the London Marathon.

I started running the London Marathon in 2009 and as that was my first time, I didn’t wear any costume. I just wanted to see if I could get round and finish!

There’s always a bit of an issue when it comes to raising money for charity – when you have the same core group of friends and work colleagues, asking them to sponsor you every year gets harder. The first time everyone thinks, “You’re running the marathon, that’s amazing!” and for the second one they say, “Wow you’re doing that again, that’s great.” Then when you get to the third or fourth year or, if you’re in the privileged position that I’m in to be able to do your 11th, people start going, “Really? We like you Simon, but not that much!” So over the years, I’ve added a bit more of a challenge by running in fancy dress.

• How To Get A Charity Place For The London Marathon
• What It’s Like To Run The London Marathon For A Charity

Which costumes have you run in?

I ran with an entourage of 110 heart-shaped helium balloons for two years. I researched some facts and figures with the British Heart Foundation and found out that there were 110 people a day passing away under the age of 75 through a heart or circulatory disease. So, with the number 110 in mind, I asked people to dedicate a balloon to someone who they had lost or who had survived heart disease. Then they would donate to charity and I would run with their balloon around the course.

It was quite humbling, because people really put their heart and soul into a dedication like that and it’s very emotional.

Another time I ran in a heart-eyes emoji outfit which I made at home with my family. My daughter Layla was eight and she suggested a heart-eyes emoji costume, which seemed like a great fit for the British Heart Foundation. I tried to go for a world record but I realised as I was running that I would probably get a record for the slowest rather than the fastest!

The last time I ran dressed in all my outfits!

What are the challenges of running the marathon in fancy dress?

When I ran with the balloons, some people thought it was going to help, like in the film Up! I had a quick Google and realised that with my weight-to-helium ratio I would need about 5,000 balloons to get me off the ground. Dragging 110 was more of a hindrance than a help. The drag was really the biggest issue because the balloons sort of became a sail, so they would blow me backwards or to the right or left as the wind changed. I can laugh about it now, but I probably said a few expletives during the race!

The heart-eyes emoji restricted my knees and was made out of two-inch-thick foam, which was sweaty. It also happened to be the hottest marathon on record. It got to about 24°C that day, so just running it dressed normally would have been difficult.

I also ran in a heart costume made out of felt, which was very warm and very cumbersome.

My top tip would be to try to make anything you’re running in as light, breathable and as accessible as possible.

Did you train in your costumes?

Yes – with the heart costume and the emoji costume I ran the Silverstone Half Marathon in preparation. I’d really recommend that you train in your outfit if possible. You gain valuable insight into what the experience will be like on the day.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t practise with the balloons because helium is so expensive and I would have had to buy everything twice. I wanted to make sure I raised as much money as I could so I just had to wing it on the day. Honestly, I can’t even explain what a challenge it was logistically, even just getting to the start line – I did get some funny looks as I was getting on the DLR on marathon day with 110 balloons all in bags!

How much money have you raised overall?

I’ve raised over £20,000 so far, running the London Marathon and the Great North Run. Fundraising is likely to be more difficult this year with the cost-of-living crisis, but hopefully we will still be able to raise the money that is needed for this vital charity work.

I’m so glad to be able to champion all the amazing research work that the British Heart Foundation does, and all the support they offer to grieving families and children. It’s a very worthy cause. When you’re in the costume and facing all the challenges of marathon day, it really helps to tap into that emotion and the reason why you’re running.

I couldn’t do this without the support of Christine, Layla and Ruby, as well as my mum Christine and the rest of the family, who have always come to cheer me on at all my runs.

You can donate to the British Heart Foundation on Simon’s JustGiving page. 

The British Heart Foundation is the official Charity of the Year for the 2022 TCS London Marathon. It aims to help heal hearts across the UK by aiming to raise over £3 million for research into regenerative medicine that could one day find a cure for heart conditions.

This year, Team BHF runners will be running to help fund cutting-edge research into regenerative medicine. The BHF has identified nine regenerative medicine research projects to benefit from the money raised at this year’s London Marathon. These projects aim to find ways to regrow, repair and replace damaged heart muscle and blood vessels – and could one day find a cure for heart failure.  

Among this year’s BHF marathon runners is Professor Sanjay Sinha from the University of Cambridge, who is leading the groundbreaking research behind the Heart Healing Patch.

Made of stem cells, the patch could be applied to the heart to help repair damage caused by a heart attack and could help save and improve the lives of millions worldwide affected by heart failure. This year the BHF wants the nation to rally behind Sanjay and help get the Heart Healing Patch over the finish line. To find out more and to support Sanjay, visit gosanjay.bhf.org.uk

When you’ve invested months training for a marathon it can be disheartening when the weather intervenes on race day to make life harder for you. That’s one reason most major marathons are scheduled for spring and autumn, when milder conditions are more likely—and, at the moment, mild conditions are what runners are forecast to enjoy at the London Marathon 2024.

I’m running the London Marathon this year and my maranoia has meant that I’ve been checking the forecast for over a week and conditions have been improving day by day. Early on it looked set to be quite hot, and while the wind forecast was weak, it was going to be a headwind for long stretches of the race. 

This has all changed in the past few days, with the temperature forecast dropping, and the wind direction changing to either be blowing from the north, which is not really a factor aside from when running over Tower Bridge, or the north-east, which could mean a handy tailwind at times when running from west to east, such as in the final few miles of the race.

The BBC is predicting light clouds and light winds from the north-east, with a temperature of between 9°C (48°F) and 12°C (54°F). The Apple weather app concurs with the BBC forecast, while the Met Office predicts slightly heavier cloud cover at the start, as well as giving a predicted humility of 50-66% throughout the day.

Whatever the final forecast is leading up to the day, the British weather can be changeable, so I’d recommend making sure you have warm, waterproof clothes to wear at the start. You can take old clothes you’re happy to donate in the bins provided around the start line, or use a black binbag to keep yourself warm and dry while waiting in the start area. Another option is to get a cheap waterproof poncho. Here’s the Amazon UK search page with next-day delivery selected. You’re welcome.

Whatever you do use, make sure to pop it into a bin rather than discarding it on the floor for the runners behind you to trip over. It’s already crowded and chaotic enough at the London Marathon start line without having to worry you’re going to get tangled up in a disposable poncho.

Both watching and running the London Marathon are incredible experiences, but spectators get the not inconsiderable bonus of not having to cover 42.2km on foot, or do several months of marathon training. 

The support given to runners is superb all around the London Marathon course, so a good time is guaranteed anywhere along the route, but there are normally several spots that are better than others, depending on what your goal is. Some will want to see their runner and, just as importantly, be seen by their runner; some will just want a big crowd to revel in the party atmosphere; others will want exactly the opposite—a quiet place to watch the race go by. Well, quieter—strictly speaking nowhere on the route can be called quiet.

There are three obvious choices for those who want to watch and enjoy a red-hot atmosphere: the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge and The Mall. You can actually bag a two-for-one on that trio by heading to the Cutty Sark first to see your runner at around the seven-mile marker, then quickly decamping to The Mall to cheer them through to the finish line.

That said, if you’re not setting up camp very early at any of these spots, you will struggle to see much of anything, and the sheer numbers of people that are still likely to amass there might be off-putting for many. 

Another popular place where you’ll have a better chance of seeing the race is the 1.5-mile stretch between Tower Bridge and Limehouse. Runners go both ways down this section – heading east towards Canary Wharf after crossing Tower Bridge at mile 13, then west for the finish after a loop around the Isle of Dogs – so you get two chances to wave and cheer.

Speaking of the Isle of Dogs, this section of the race has long had a reputation for being a little quieter, especially around Mudchute. However, that reputation seems to have resulted in more people heading there, so now it’s not too different from anywhere else on the course.

Generally the quietest places on the route are south of the river, with the exceptions of near the start at Greenwich Park and the Cutty Sark. If you head to Woolwich you’ll have a good chance of standing at the side of the road to see runners between miles two and four, and you’ll then also have plenty of time to get to another spot on the course to see them again.

Wherever you plan on watching the race, there are a few golden rules. The first is to get there early: London’s transport will be extremely busy so journeys will take longer, and if you’re late you might end up with a wall of people between you and the road.

The second rule is to know how fast the runner you’re supporting is. You can get an estimate from them and use that to get in position at the right time, but it’s a good idea to download the London Marathon tracker app. If the runner you’re coming to see carries their phone with them, they can enable GPS tracking in the London Marathon app on their phone so you will be able to see their precise location. Otherwise you’re limited to seeing when they pass one of nine timing gates and will need to keep a sharp eye out once they pass the nearest gate to you.

We’d also suggest that the smartest spectators don’t just head to the race in time to see their friends and family go by. You want to get there early to catch the elite field coming through because the London Marathon 2024 features stellar athletes. 

In particular, the women’s race will be sensational: four of the best in the world will fight it out, aiming to set a new world marathon record. The women’s race starts before the men’s at the London Marathon, so the women don’t benefit from being able to run in larger packs like they do at other marathons. 

Currently, overall world record holder Tigist Assefa is running, along with two-time London winner Brigid Kosgei, reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir and Ruth Chepng'etich. The favorites in the men’s race will be Mosinet Geremew, Tamirat Tola and one of the greatest of all time in Kenenisa Bekele. Brits to look out for include Becky Briggs, Anya Culling, Emile Cairess and Callum Hawkins.

The final thing to consider is how you are going to meet up with your runner after the race—if you plan to. The smartphone signal around the finish area of the race is often unreliable owing to the crowds, so your best bet is to agree on a letter to meet under in the Meet and Greet Area around Horse Guards Parade. All 26 are on offer and all are clearly marked so you can see them from a distance. Pick one in advance and stay there until your runner makes it through the finish area and bag collection.

In an event as big as the London Marathon, with around 40,000 runners taking part, start times become complicated. Getting that many people across the start line in an orderly fashion involves a system of staggered waves based on your predicted time, and you’ll need to do some planning to ensure that all that time spent marathon training isn’t undermined by missing your starting slot.

Anyone who has run a marathon will know that things don’t always go to plan, especially trying to run at a steady, consistent pace.

That makes it tough for on-course spectators to know when the runners they want to support will be passing them. There’s a risk that they’ll miss them entirely, especially when dealing with the crowds at the London Marathon.

Fortunately, the London Marathon app, which is now available for the 2024 event, makes it easy to track where the runner, or runners, you’ve turned out to support are on the course. It can also help people watching from afar who want to see if a runner is in with a chance of reaching a time goal. The app predicts a runner’s finish time so you can be ready to watch them cross the finish line on BBC iPlayer, or using the red button.

Here’s everything you need to know to track a runner using the London Marathon app.

More Reasons To Download The London Marathon App

Runners should also ensure they download the app, because it provides all the key logistical information needed to get to the London Marathon Expo as well as the QR code you need to collect your bib at the Expo.

The app also suggests trains to take for individual arrival times on race day, although we also recommend checking our London Marathon travel guide nearer the time. The app is also the fastest way to check your official time after you’ve finished the race.

More Helpful Information

• The Best Places For Spectators To Watch The London Marathon
• The Runner’s Guide To The London Marathon Route

There are a lot of glamorous ways to try to enhance your athletic performance, from carbon plate running shoes that help you run more efficiently to massage guns and compression boots that help you recover faster. However, whatever sport you do, the key to long-term success comes down to training consistently, eating well and sleeping enough.

Of those elements, sleep is the one that we tend to gloss over. We’ll smash out intense workouts and eat more protein than any human could possibly need, but committing to a consistent bed and wake time? Absolutely not.

Life can get in the way of sleep, of course, but once you learn about the benefits of sleep for performance, it’s clear that it’s something you need to prioritise where possible. We spoke to sleep scientist Dr Sophie Bostock about the importance of sleep to performance. Bostock is a member of the British Heart Foundation London Marathon support squad, a team of experts supporting the charity’s runners at the 2022 marathon.

Why is sleep so important to performance?

When you look across the research, pretty much every aspect of physical, emotional and cognitive performance is influenced by sleep loss. It’s particularly sub-maximal strength and endurance that are affected in the athletic performance space, but also decision-making. There are a lot of ways that sleep disruption can impact on your performance, particularly in a long race.

Have studies quantified the effect of a lack of sleep on performance?

There was a study which looked at a 30-minute self-paced treadmill test after 30 hours without sleep, so that’s just one night without sleep. People covered typically 3% shorter distance but with a similar perceived effort. There was another study that looked at a 50-minute sprint protocol that showed a slower sprint speed and lower muscle glycogen concentration. 

There was a review this year – a systematic review that pulled together lots of different studies – which looked across different aspects of physical performance. It suggested that the negative impact on exercise performance across these different metrics was around 7-7.5%. This was for total sleep deprivation, and the effects got worse the longer the sleep was deprived. There were also more consistent effects in the afternoon versus the morning, which is interesting, because the time since sleep deprivation makes a difference. 

There are caveats to this: 7-7.5% sounds huge, but that was total sleep deprivation. And it was probably mostly in a lab. I think it’s also really important not to overstate the effects, because we can really make people anxious about not getting enough sleep. For the most part, one night with dodgy sleep is probably not going to make too much difference, but multiple nights over multiple weeks – that’s the kind of thing that impacts performance.

Is it true that sleeping more before midnight is more beneficial than sleeping longer in the morning?

In some ways it’s an old old wives’ tale, but there really is a difference in the nature of sleep that you get depending on where it is in the 24-hour cycle. The nature of sleep is controlled by the circadian rhythms, this 24-hour rhythm which is drilled into us, and it’s regulated very much by light. 

When you go to sleep in the first part of the night, you tend to get more deep sleep, slow-wave sleep, which is often associated with physical energy and muscle repair, growth hormone, that sort of thing. Whereas in the second part of the night, we get more REM sleep. Rapid eye movement sleep is very important for creativity and memory, regulating our emotions also. 

So there is no such thing as unhelpful sleep, but there is some truth in the benefits of not pushing your bedtime back too late.

Do you recommend napping to extend your overall sleep time?

I am a big proponent of the power nap, particularly for those people who are having disrupted sleep at night, whether they’re parents or because of work. Sleep extension could include a few extra naps, particularly between one and 4pm, in that lull after lunch – even if you only have 20 minutes. Some studies have even found a nap of 10 minutes can be enough to improve your mood and alertness. A short nap like that is not going to interfere with your sleep at night. 

So as an alternative to just guzzling loads of caffeine and sugar, I think a short nap – particularly when you’re training hard – is good. Most of the athletes I’ve worked with will nap if they’ve got a long training session in the morning and a long training session in the afternoon. 

But don’t worry if you’re not a napper – some people just aren’t. It’s still good just to have a break, but if you feel really sleepy, I would always recommend a nap versus more caffeine.

Do you recommend using a sleep tracker?

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with trackers. I think they are brilliant for encouraging a little bit of accountability. The time you really benefit from them is when you’re looking for consistency in your sleep. A consistent wake time is probably one of the most important elements for getting your circadian rhythms on track. And they do give you a bit of an indicator of whether you’re skimping on your time asleep or not. 

But the most important metric for the quality and quantity of your sleep is really how you feel during the day, because we’re all different, and we all need slightly different amounts of sleep. I would encourage people not to compare themselves with others, but to really think about how they’re feeling. So if they are finding that they are reliant on caffeine or lots of sugary snacks throughout the day just to keep themselves awake, that’s a pretty good clue that they’re not getting enough sleep and it doesn’t matter what that tracker says. 

An over-reliance on that tracker can lead to quite an unhealthy obsession with the perfect night’s sleep. Very often I meet people who are suffering from insomnia who will give me some kind of data from the tracker and I usually tell them to take it off as a first intervention. Until you worry a little bit less about what the tracker says, take it off.

Sanam Saleh lost her first born, Idrees, at just five days old after he was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Her husband started running marathons to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in Idrees’ memory, and this year, Sanam is taking on the challenge for the first time.

Could you tell me about your story and why you’re raising money for the BHF?

When I was pregnant with our first child, Idrees, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. It was diagnosed quite early on in my pregnancy due to scientific research from the British Heart Foundation which has allowed doctors to detect these issues in the womb.

Idrees was diagnosed with one of the most serious heart defects, called HLHS. We were told that there was a 50/50 chance that he would make it to birth, and if he was born alive, he would have to have life-saving open heart surgery as a newborn to give him any chance at life. With HLHS, the heart doesn’t develop properly in the womb, so the surgery is necessary to be able to breathe and for the body to pump blood around properly.

Like most people, my husband and I didn’t know that this was something that could happen. The British Heart Foundation has a lot of informative fact sheets and offers help and support for families who find themselves in similar situations. We found that really useful to help prepare us for what was to come. 

Our baby was born full term and everything went OK at the beginning, but he did have a few other complications, which meant that the doctors didn’t recommend him for the open heart surgery. He passed away at just five days old.

Ever since Idrees’ birth and death we’ve committed ourselves to his legacy. A big part of our grieving process and trying to make sense of everything that has happened has been to focus our efforts on raising money and awareness, not just for congenital heart defects but also other heart research. We learned more about the incredible work that charities like the British Heart Foundation were doing, and focused a lot of our fundraising efforts around raising money for them.

My husband ran his first marathon a few months after Idrees passed away, and he’s run three more since. This year will be my first one.

What made you decide to run the marathon this time?

I think you could call it a a postpartum high! We were in the hospital after I had my son. I turned to my husband and said, “One day I’m going to run a marathon.” To be honest, it was an idea that was completely “out there” because I’ve never really been a runner. At the time I said I was going to do it, I couldn’t even run 5K! But it felt like one of those life challenges that you set yourself.

I was supposed to run the London Marathon in 2020 and I was midway through my training when it was cancelled, which was a bit of a blow. In the end I deferred it to this year.

How have you found training for the marathon?

Training is tough! It’s gruelling, it’s time-consuming and it can feel very intense. The fact that you have to train alone, going out early in the morning, means that it can feel lonely at times.

When I set myself the challenge of running the marathon, I wasn’t a runner at all, but I’ve now completed a couple of 5Ks and a half marathon, so I’m a bit more experienced at this point and know what to expect.

Luckily the weather has been great, although the heatwave has brought its own challenges!

What do your two children think about you running the marathon and raising money?

They’re aware that I’m running it and they’re very excited. They actually think I’m going to win it! I don’t have the heart to tell them that that’s probably not going to happen, but they’re only five and six so I’ll let them think that for now!

They’ve been part of the mini marathon in their school, which is one of the London Marathon initiatives. Primary school children around the country commit to running a mini marathon, so they have a month to do 2.6 miles. The class walks or jogs around the playground and they count up how many laps everyone does. Everyone gets a certificate to say that they’ve completed the mini marathon.

What are your top tips for anyone running a marathon for the first time?

I’m a project manager, so I really approached it as just a massive project. My main tip would be to do a lot of research and prepare properly – it’s not something that you can blag. When training gets really intense, there are a lot of things you need to look at outside of the actual running, such as avoiding injury, conditioning and nutrition. Those things seem like extras, but in some ways they’re actually a larger part of preparing than the running itself.

Another thing would be to talk to people who have run a marathon before because they can give you invaluable advice.

What does it mean to you to be able to do this for the British Heart Foundation?

After everything that we’ve been through, we know that the biggest impact that anyone has in this life is the legacy that they leave behind. As parents of our son, who sadly didn’t live very long, we believe that it’s our responsibility to set his legacy. We commit to doing these challenging things with the intention of raising money for future parents who might find themselves in a similar situation, and through the light of making Idrees’ legacy as positive an impact as possible.

• How To Get A Charity Place For The London Marathon
• What It’s Like To Run The London Marathon For A Charity

You can donate to the British Heart Foundation on Sanam’s JustGiving page. 

The British Heart Foundation is the official Charity of the Year for the 2022 TCS London Marathon. It aims to help heal hearts across the UK by aiming to raise over £3 million for research into regenerative medicine that could one day find a cure for heart conditions.

This year, Team BHF runners will be running to help fund cutting-edge research into regenerative medicine. The BHF has identified nine regenerative medicine research projects to benefit from the money raised at this year’s London Marathon. These projects aim to find ways to regrow, repair and replace damaged heart muscle and blood vessels – and could one day find a cure for heart failure.  

Among this year’s BHF marathon runners is Professor Sanjay Sinha from the University of Cambridge, who is leading the groundbreaking research behind the Heart Healing Patch.

Made of stem cells, the patch could be applied to the heart to help repair damage caused by a heart attack and could help save and improve the lives of millions worldwide affected by heart failure. This year the BHF wants the nation to rally behind Sanjay and help get the Heart Healing Patch over the finish line. To find out more and to support Sanjay, visit gosanjay.bhf.org.uk

The most important information about the London Marathon route is that by and large it’s flat. It’s a great route for PB seekers and you can tailor your marathon training around a flat race without the fear of a climb or two knocking you off your rhythm on the day.

It’s important to note that your London Marathon start point will determine your route, because runners are split up for the first few miles to avoid too much congestion in the early stages of the race.

Another thing London Marathon runners need to know is that during the race you’ll notice blue lines on the road. These mark the fastest route and sticking to them throughout will mean you run the exact marathon distance. However, owing to the huge number of runners you’ll encounter, this is impossible for all but the fastest elites, and all the unavoidable weaving and running wide at corners means you’ll probably run slightly more than 26.2 miles/42.2km, so don’t get angry at your running watch if this is the case.

One other thing to note is that the London Marathon provides both mile and kilometer markers along the route, so you can race using whichever measurement you prefer and use the markers to help judge your pacing. More useful details about the route can be found in our London Marathon route FAQs section, below.

And if you’re a spectator looking for advice on where to stand, these are the best places to watch the London Marathon.

London Marathon Route Map

London Marathon Route Mile By Mile

The Start

Depending on the color marked on your race number, you’ll begin from one of three start zones. These keep runners separate for the first few kilometers, before everyone merges together.

Miles 1-2

Runners head east from the start in Greenwich for a couple of miles, where the aim is just to avoid going too quick and/or getting tripped up in the swarm. Stay calm and don’t worry if you feel like you’re losing a tiny bit of time in the mêlée—better to do that than expend energy weaving past people.

Miles 3-4

The Green and Blue runners join the Red and Yellow route around 2.8 miles in, and although they’re kept separate for a while eventually everyone merges, so if you’ve just escaped a crowd from your start wave, expect to be part of another. The good news here is that this section is downhill, considerably so in places. Don’t be alarmed to find you’re running 10 seconds per mile faster than your planned pace here—you’ll make up some time from the crowded first few miles by easing down the hills.

Miles 5-7

The crowds of supporters really press in on the runners at some points of this section, which makes it easy to high-five people but also means the route can be a little narrow. Just after 10K you’ll reach the Cutty Sark, one of most popular points on the whole course for supporters. Revel in the crowd and the knowledge that you’ve completed the first quarter of the marathon.

Miles 8-12

There’s not a lot going on here, to be honest. The crowds are still great, but the route is pretty bland as you wind around Rotherhithe and on towards Tower Bridge. Settle into your pace after the excitement of the Cutty Sark—you should be feeling strong during this section.

Miles 13-14

Get ready for a whirlwind of emotions. First there’s the joyous experience of going over Tower Bridge. Then there’s the slight downer of turning right after the bridge at a point where you can probably see the fastest runners coming back the other way on their way to the finish. And then you hit halfway and all the joy comes back. With runners and supporters on both sides of the road, this is one of the loudest and most inspiring sections of the race. Headphones out.

Miles 14-21

Headphones back in—this tends to be the section where it starts to hurt. Although the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf have more supporters than they used to, it’s still the least exciting part of the course and as you pass the 20-mile mark you’ll probably be reaching the limits of your training runs. The route winds around Canary Wharf a bit and you’ll have to watch out for runners starting to slow down as they hit the wall. Not you, though—you’re killing it.

Miles 22-23

As you pass the hordes of supporters around Shadwell, enjoy the boost of knowing you’re in the home straight now. Whip off the headphones and gain as much energy as you can from the crowd.

Miles 24-25

Just three miles (5km) to go. That’s a parkrun—you can do that. And this is the most picturesque part of the race, with landmarks aplenty to look out for as you run along Embankment. Before that, however, you run through the Blackfriars Underpass. This is a rare moment where the crowd disappears, which is a bit of a relief if truth be told, and allows you to gather yourself before the last mile or so. The other thing to know about the Underpass is that some runners will use the relative privacy of the tunnel to relieve themselves, or have a little cry, or throw up. Or all three.

The Finish

Once you turn off the Embankment on to Birdcage Walk you’re unbelievably close to the end. Buckingham Palace is ahead of you, but you have to endure a long slog of a straight to get there so we recommend keeping your head down to avoid the despair when you feel that it doesn’t seem to be getting any closer. Then you suddenly reach it, turn the corner on to the Mall, and the finish line is right there. Congratulations, you’re a London Marathon finisher!

London Marathon Route FAQs

Where can I get a GPX file of the route?

You can easily find GPX files for the London Marathon online, and organizers have helpfully posted the route on Strava. 

However, the race has three different starts which that route doesn’t account for, and only after around three miles do the routes converge. The Good Run Guide offers the route from the Red Start, but your best bet might be searching Strava for a runner’s activity from a previous event and downloading that. Here’s my 2021 run from the Blue Start.

The London Marathon Running Show, or Expo, is where your race experience for the London Marathon really begins. After many months of marathon training, joining thousands of fellow runners to collect your race number only serves to heighten the anticipation of race day.

Your Expo experience will be significantly better if you plan your trip to ExCeL in east London carefully, and ideally try to avoid going on Saturday, which is by far the busiest day.

The greatest reward when you cross the London Marathon finish line is that you can stop running. All that marathon training has paid off and you’re about to get your hands on some well-earned bling—your London Marathon medal.

While the medal will become a treasured souvenir, don’t hang it on the wall straight away. That’s because there are many establishments that will shower you with freebies when you flash your London Marathon medal at them. 

Many are found close to the London Marathon route so you can stagger over to them after finishing to claim some free food and drink. Some freebies are available not just on the day of the race but on the days following too.

It’s not always easy to find exactly what freebies are available ahead of time: Most are now announced by the individual brands and restaurants on social media in the week of the race. However, some medal freebies have already been revealed ahead of the London Marathon 2024. There are several that seem to crop up every year, so I’ve included their details below in the hope they’ll be back.

Confirmed London Marathon Medal Freebies And Discounts

£10 Voucher For Boots At Deliveroo

To aid your recovery Deliveroo and Boots have teamed up to offer runners a £10 voucher (when you spend more than £20) to use on recovery products like bath salts, blister treatments and electrolytes to rehydrate. The marathon roo-covery hub is found on Deliveroo, and 125 Boots stores across the UK are participating. Use the code ROOCOVERY10 to get the £10 off, with 1,981 vouchers available on a first-come, first-served basis.

A Steak At Heliot Steak House

The first freebie I’ve seen confirmed for 2024 is a new one, with Heliot Steak House offering runners a free Argentinian Rib Eye Steak or Claire Heliot Burger if they flash their medal on either race day or the Monday after. Heliot Steak House is located at the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square, just a short but slow walk from the marathon finish line.

Free Pint Of Gipsy Hill At Warehouse Bar

The first pint after a marathon always goes down smoothly (the second one usually sends me to bed), and you can get it for free on Sunday 21st at Warehouse Bar in Seven Dials Market. The pint in question is Gipsy Hill’s carbon negative beer, so you’ll be refreshing yourself while helping the planet out, making it all the more enjoyable.

Burger And A Drink At Bill’s

The restaurant chain Bill’s is offering runners a free burger and a drink if they come into any of its London branches on race day. You can get a Peroni, a Lucky Saint, an Aperol Spritz or a soft drink as part of the offer, which also extends to those who have volunteered at the London Marathon. You can book on the website to guarantee a table or wander in with your fingers crossed and hope there’s space. The four Bill’s restaurants closest to the route are found in Soho, Covent Garden, Victoria and Clink Street (Bankside).

Travel On TfL

The freebie almost every runner will make use of is free travel on the London Underground and DLR on race day. You’ll need to show your bib to take advantage of this and the free travel is only available up until 5pm. It’s not clear whether you can travel for free on buses—it’s gone both ways for me in the past on marathon days, sometimes I have to pay and sometimes I don’t, so it may well be down to how charitable the driver is feeling!

The Real Greek

The good people at The Real Greek have been dishing up free meals to London Marathon runners for years, and 2024 is no exception. Flash your medal to get a free Greek Plate (vegan options available). The offer is usually for dine-in customers only, but can be used at any branch including those outside London. The nearest one to the marathon route is in Covent Garden.

Pizza At Franco Manca

This is my favorite freebie. Take your medal into any Franco Manca restaurant on the Sunday of the race, or the Monday after, and get yourself a free pizza. It’s as simple and as fantastic as that, and with every Franco Manca restaurant in England, Scotland and Wales participating, runners who travel to the capital and leave after the race don’t miss out.

A Protein Shake At Barry’s

Clearly you won’t be up for tackling one of the demanding exercises classes at Barry’s straight after your marathon, but if you head to the SW1 studio by Victoria station there’s a marathon afterparty you can join where you get a free protein shake to aid in your recovery. It’s free to join the party, but you need to sign up in advance.

An Ice Bath At Gymshark

If the idea of plunging your aching body into an ice bath after the marathon doesn’t terrify you, you can do it for free on the 21st at Gymshark’s flagship store on Regent Street. The ice bath is provided by LUMI Therapy and might be just the thing your muscles need to kickstart their recovery.

Free Kebab At Kebhouze

If thinking about the loved ones waiting for you at the finish isn’t providing enough motivation to help keep you going in the marathon, then perhaps the idea of a free kebab will? Go to Kebhouze on Oxford Street to get a free Chick & Chips Kebab or Chicken Classic Kebab, and any spectators also benefit from a 26% discount across the entire menu. You’ll need your medal for the free meal, while spectators should mention the code RUN26 at the self-checkout in-store to get the discount.

Free Bath Salts And Massage Bar From Lush

One of the most enjoyable parts of your marathon recovery is a bath, and Lush will upgrade that experience by giving you a free Epsom Salt Cube, a new product that is about to hit its shelves. The salt cube is designed for use in cold water, but will also work if you prefer a hot bath after your marathon. Along with the salt cube you can get a free Wiccy Magic Muscles massage bar to help ease your aching body. To get the freebies take your medal to any participating Lush store (these are Waterloo Station, Oxford Street, Paddington Station and Victoria Station) between Sunday April 21 and Sunday April 28.

Anticipated London Marathon Medal Freebies And Discounts

Stamped Race Poster At Tracksmith 

This medal benefit is sure to be back in 2024, with the times when you can get a stamped post to be confirmed in the build-up to the race. Head to Tracksmith’s London store on Chiltern Street in Marylebone and you can get a commemorative race poster stamped with your London Marathon time. While you’re there it’s also worth checking out Tracksmith’s range of limited-edition London Marathon gear, which is far from free but makes for a great and useful souvenir from the race.

A Burger At MEATLiquor

Another fixture of the freebies calendar: You can usually head to any of MEATLiquor’s London locations on race day and your medal will entitle you to any burger on the menu, which includes vegetarian and vegan options. The nearest restaurant is MEATLiquor W1 on Margaret Street, near Oxford Circus, which is a little over a mile from the meet and greet area in Horse Guards Parade, but the offer is available at any of MEATLiquor’s nine London branches. Usually anyone who has volunteered at the London Marathon is also eligible for a free burger—just show your badge.

Greenwich Park is among the nicest places in London. It is not, however, a place that many people would describe as easy to get to early on a Sunday morning, let alone when nearly 50,000 people are also attempting to get there for the start of the London Marathon.

Even with runners’ London Marathon start times spread out it’s always chaotic, and planning ahead is vital. To make the experience as pain-free as possible, give yourself as much time as you can to complete the journey and heed these five bits of advice.

1. Check Your Arrival And Start Times

Your registration email gives you a lot of information to help you plan your journey, including recommended stations for your bib color, an arrival window with suggested trains and your start time. These details are also available in the My Marathon section of the London Marathon app. Sticking to these suggestions will make the whole experience as easy as possible for you and all the other runners, so plan your journey around this advice if possible.

2. Download The Event Guide

Download the London Marathon Event Guide to your phone before you start traveling. This means if you want to check something on the way, you won’t be relying on the same cellular service 48,000 panicked souls are trying to access simultaneously. The instructions contain maps of the start areas and general advice for getting to where you need to be to start on time.

3. Keep Your Race Number Handy

Race-day travel is free for runners who flash their race number on the Underground, Overground, bus network, TfL Rail, DLR and the relevant Southeastern trains that get you to the start line. There will be crowds at many stations on the main routes to the start, so don’t delay everyone by having to dig your number out every time it’s needed.

4. Be Prepared For A Short Walk

You’re about to run 26.2 miles so understandably you’ll want to avoid any extra activity on Sunday morning, but the start areas are all 10 to 15 minutes away from a station. Making sure you arrive at the right station will ensure your walk to the start is no longer than 15 minutes. Consider that walk the last part of your marathon training, and a useful way to warm up for the race.

The Blue start is a 10-minute walk from Blackheath station, as is the Yellow start. The Green start is 10 to 15 minutes from Maze Hill, and the Red start is 10 to 15 minutes from Maze Hill or Greenwich. If you arrive at the station suggested in your registration email, there will also be signs to follow to your start. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time for this walk because you don’t want to be running to make your start on time.

5. Bring Warm, Old Clothes

Once you drop your bag off you can be waiting for as long as an hour before you start the race—enough time to get pretty cold if you don’t have warm clothes to wear. Wear older clothes you’re happy to donate to charity via the collection points around the start, and if you don’t have any of those then a bin bag is a good alternative.

6. Check TfL Status Updates Before You Leave

There are no significant TfL engineering works planned for Sunday, but it’s worth checking the live status of all the lines before you start traveling to the race in the morning, in case something has gone awry and your planned route is unavailable. You can also use the TfL journey planner to work out your route to the race within London, and any disruptions will then be flagged up.

7. Bear The Football In Mind

The FA Cup semi-finals take place on the same weekend as the London Marathon and Coventry are playing Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday, with kick-off at 3.30pm. This will add tens of thousands of other visitors into the capital on Sunday, and you can expect the Metropolitan line to be busy in the afternoon with people heading to the game. 

There shouldn’t be too much overlap with the London Marathon crowds in the morning, but if you’re planning to stick around in town after the race you can expect London stations with trains heading north—Euston in particular—to be busy in the evening after the match finishes at around 5.30pm (or later if the game goes to extra time).

If you have been marathon training ahead of tackling the London Marathon for the first time this year, you’ll have spent a few months preparing yourself for the physical demands of running 42.2km (we hope!). You may also have prepared mentally by working out strategies for pushing through when the going gets tough.

There are, however, aspects of the London Marathon that are hard to prepare for if you haven’t done it before. With more than 40,000 people on the course and several times that number lining the London Marathon route to cheer them on, it’s one of the best races in the world. Even if you’ve completed one or two other races the chances are they won’t have entirely prepared you for what you’ll experience on the streets of the UK’s capital.

Fortunately, more than a million people have already completed the London Marathon, so there is a huge body of knowledge available to first-timers looking for useful advice. I’ve run the race six times, and Coach has been publishing advice from race veterans and elite runners like Olympian Mara Yamauchi since 2016. All that experience is gathered for your benefit right here. Read on for our top tips for first-time London Marathon runners. 

1. Don’t Get New Gear At The Expo

“Tried and tested” is the mantra to live by for the gear and nutrition you use on marathon day. Snazzy new shoes could lead to blisters, a new T-shirt could be a chafing nightmare and that tasty new energy gel could result in a mid-race dash to a Portaloo. It’s worth checking out the range of gear at the London Marathon Running Show and maybe picking up some kit to use after the big day, but stick with what you know for the race. Stay familiar, stay safe.

2. Download The Official Race App

The London Marathon is a supremely well-organized event and that extends to its free app, which is the best way to find out your exact finish time and splits quickly, as well as tracking other runners you might know around the course.

• Follow your favourite runners with the London Marathon tracker app

3. Check The Wind Direction

Checking the London Marathon weather forecast will become a part of your daily routine in the days leading up to the race, and the first things to check are the temperature and whether it’s going to rain. However, wind can also really affect the London Marathon, especially if it's blowing from west to east, because runners spend most of their time running from east to west during the race. There’s a long stretch in that direction in the first half on the way to Tower Bridge, and then when running from Canary Wharf to the finish line on The Mall. There’s not much you can do about the wind, but if you know about it then you can make more of an effort to run in a group, which can help shelter you.

4. Use Vaseline

You can tackle chafing in all sorts of ways—tight base layers and 2-in-1 running shorts are a good bet—but having a trusty tub of Vaseline is a time-honored solution. It’s also useful for using as lip balm because breathing hard through your mouth, even on a warm morning, for 26.2 miles will chap your lips something rotten. A sticking plaster over each nipple is also an excellent preventative measure to consider.

5. Plan Your Routes To And From The Race Meticulously

Public transport on both Transport for London and Southeastern trains is free with your race number (tip 4½: don’t forget your race number), but with huge crowds of people heading to the race, don’t let travel become a nightmare. Work out how much time you need, then double it to be safe. And don’t underestimate how big Greenwich Park is—once you get there, you still have a pretty long walk to the starting area. On the way back time is less of an issue—but plan a route with minimal walking and stairs, obviously.

• London Marathon travel: How to get to the race

6. Download The Runner Guide

In the past, runners received a magazine containing all the details you needed to get to the start line, including relevant train times—but in a bid to become more sustainable, the race organizers now email these details and put them on the event website. Just make sure you download the final instructions to your phone before leaving for the start. You don’t want to be trying to access it on your phone as the signal strains under the demands of the crowds.

7. Get In The Loo Queue ASAP

More than 40,000 people will be running the London Marathon. That’s a lot of pre-race nerves, which leads to a lot of pre-race dashes to the Portaloos. Even if you don’t think you need to go, get into the queue when you can. Chances are by the time you make the front you’ll be grateful you did. Oh, and you'll probably need to go two or three times before the race starts. Funsies.

8. Bring Some Old, Warm Clothes With You

Once you’ve dropped off your bag at the race you’ll probably still have an hour or so to wait before you start running. Even if the weather looks great it’ll still be chilly when you’re in your shorts and T-shirt waiting for the start. There will be charity collection points around the start so you can wear old clothes to stay warm and then give them away before you start. You can also opt for the tried-and-tested “black bin bag” approach, if you have no clothes you’re happy to donate.

9. The Start Is Not The Start Of Your Race

It can take anywhere from two to 40 minutes to actually cross the line after the gun sounds because of the number of people filing through. This can be stressful if you’re not expecting it. Just relax and make sure you’re in the right pen. Speaking of which…

10. Get In The Right Starting Pen

Your London Marathon start time and place will have been determined in advance. There are four start zones—Blue, Red, Yellow and Green—and within those there are pens for runners expecting certain times. It’s important to be with runners going at your predicted pace so you don’t have to dodge slower people for the first few miles, or get swept up and set out too fast.

11. Don’t Panic If You’re Going Too Slowly At First

If you do start in a crowd of people running more slowly than you’d like, it’s not worth dodging around and pushing through in an attempt to up your pace. This will tire you out and you’ll probably still be running slowly anyway. Go with the flow for a couple of miles and you’ll find the crowds will start to thin out—then you can pick up the pace more easily. There are 26.2 miles to cover, so losing 30 seconds over the first couple of miles won’t kill your PR.

12. Don’t Succumb To Adrenaline In The First 7km

You will feel amazing at the start of the London Marathon. The excitement of the event coupled with a week or two of tapering means it’s easy to start quicker than you planned. That’s especially true between miles two and four where there is a long downhill section. It’s vital to stick with your planned pace and not let the adrenaline push you on too quickly. There’s a lot of distance still to cover. More than you think, in fact…

13. Remember You’re Going To Run More Than 42.2km

Bit of a downer, right? With all the people you have to dodge, the chances of you following the most direct racing line are more or less nil. It probably won’t be that much more than 26.2 miles, but it’s another reason to go with the flow early rather than weaving constantly to try to get through the starting scrum. And there’s one more way to minimize wasted effort. 

14. Keep An Eye On The Thin Blue Line

During your marathon you’ll notice a blue line on the road. This line marks the most direct race line for the event, and is the accurately measured distance for the marathon. If you’re shooting for a PR, this is the line to stick to where possible.

15. Prepare For Your GPS Tracker To Be Wrong…

The GPS on even the best running watches isn’t perfect, so you can expect the total distance it logs to be a few hundred meters out. Pace yourself with the mile and kilometer markers on the course and use your tracker as a general guide. If you’re set on a certain time, grab a pacing band at the Expo or online so you see what time you need to hit at each mile without having to do the math on the fly.

16. …Especially Around Canary Wharf

The GPS accuracy in the first half of the London Marathon is usually pretty good, but once you arrive at Canary Wharf and have to run in the shadow of its skyscrapers your watch will struggle. Try and maintain your pace and ignore the readings from your watch—sometimes it will say you’re running way too fast, sometimes it will say you’ve slowed down. Once you’re back at Limehouse and running towards the center of London, the GPS accuracy should get back to normal.

17. Don’t Be Afraid To Use The Toilet During The Race

This might sound obvious, but if you’re gunning for a time and you feel the urge to answer the call of nature, don’t fight it. Just go to the toilet—they’re found every two miles on the course. Running in discomfort with the added stress of trying to hold it in will ruin that part of the event for you, and you have a lot of distance to make up any time lost. Plus you’ll feel so good after you’ve gone that you’ll probably sprint the next bit fast enough to get back on pace anyway.

18. Look At The Race Map In Advance

Check the London Marathon route not to avoid making a wrong turn but to find out what is on offer along the way and when. Water is available every two miles, and sometimes there is Lucozade Sport on offer as well or instead; at miles 14 and 19 you get running gels if you want them. It’s worth using these to save on the ones you have to carry yourself.

19. Don’t Down Your Gels

It’s vital to top up your carb stores during the race, but sip your gels—don’t down them. As running coach Nick Anderson told us when we spoke to him about long runs, if you gulp your gels the odds of upsetting your stomach will rise fast.

“Quite often people whack the gel down like it’s a Jägerbomb, and suddenly 40g of carbohydrate is hitting the stomach wall and the body can’t deal with it,” says Anderson.

“The side effects of that are stomach ache, needing to go to the loo, feeling nauseated. The best thing you could do is to sip on a gel and take five to 10 minutes to finish it. Then the absorption rates are higher.”

20. Take Headphones

The London Marathon is a uniquely well-supported event full of incredible landmarks, but the whole course doesn’t involve the screaming crowds on Tower Bridge or the Mall. There are sections like the Isle of Dogs where the crowds will thin and you’ll be pleased to have some music or podcasts to listen to. Some people also find the constant cheering a bit wearing, so you may want to block it out after a while anyway.

21. Consider What You Need At The End Carefully

After you put your body through a marathon it understandably needs some support once you cross the finish line, so it’s worth packing some select items into your race bag to collect afterwards. Warm clothes are a must—your body temperature will drop after running a marathon even on a hot day—and a change of shoes is usually nice as well. You may also want a certain kind of food to help you kick-start the recovery process.

• This London Marathon recovery plan is essential pre-race reading

22. You Get A Load Of Free Stuff With Your Medal

Naturally, completing a marathon is its own reward, but it’s also great to get free things with your medal afterwards. Check out our London Marathon medal freebies round-up to see what you can get.

23. Kit Makes The Best Souvenir

I’ve run London six times and picked up a variety of trinkets, like keychains, along with medals and race tees, but a souvenir you’ll use regularly is the one to go for to commemorate the day, and running kit fits the bill perfectly. The race sponsor, New Balance, has a range of kit including the official London Marathon jacket, or for something even more eye-catching, US brand Tracksmith sells limited-edition gear around all the major marathons.

A marathon, as you’re probably well aware, is a long way, and that final stretch to the finish line can feel like you’re running through treacle. The title sponsor of the London Marathon and the creator of its official app, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has come up with an ingenious way to give runners that extra boost to power through the last 195 metres.

The Belief Booster feature in the app lets you select a participant and then send them a message of support. The idea is that a message will be triggered as the runner approaches the finish line and your motivating, heartfelt sentiment will scroll across an LED display on the gantry, spurring them on to the promised land of not having to run anymore. 

TCS says the app will display as many messages as possible and that every message will be emailed to the participant afterwards in case it didn’t display or they missed it – understandable after running that distance. There are limits on what you can write. There’s a 30 character maximum and each message will be approved to ensure it is appropriate for an event that will be broadcast on the BBC.

The Belief Booster is a welcome addition to an event already well known for its levels of support, with cheering crowds lining almost the entire course. In fact, one perennial bit of advice is for runners to get their name printed on their racing top at the London Marathon Expo so you can run to a chorus of people cheering your name. Of course, funny things happen to your state of mind throughout a marathon, so you may wish to heed one of our tried-and-tested London Marathon tips and bring headphones in case it gets a bit much after a while.

That’s not everything the app can do, as it also operates as the London Marathon tracker. Spectators can use the app to see when any runner passes through timed gates, but if a runner carries their phone, they can enable GPS tracking in the app and up to three people can follow their live location. For the first time, that feature will be enabled for runners of the Virtual London Marathon too.

The London Marathon is one of the highlights of the racing calendar for runners and spectators alike, and this year’s event is the first to take place in spring since 2019. Tens of thousands of runners who have been marathon training all winter will be making their way around the London Marathon route cheered on by the crowds of spectators that line the course.

If you’re running the race, you have no doubt had the London Marathon 2023 date etched into your mind for months. But for those planning to go and watch the race, all the info you need to spot your runner is below. First, a top tip—download the London Marathon tracker app to make following your runner as easy as possible.

The London Marathon is big. Tens of thousands of runners big. But despite the size of the field it’s a hard race to get into. Unless you run for charity or are fast enough to claim a Good for Age or Championship place, you have to take your chances in the London Marathon ballot.

For runners who still want to complete the distance under the official auspices of the London Marathon, there’s the virtual London Marathon.

The London Marathon went virtual in 2020 after COVID-19 restrictions caused the cancellation of the in-person event. Close to 38,000 runners took part in the first virtual event, and it now runs in tandem with the mass-participation race.

As well as earning a bona fide London Marathon medal, there’s another incentive for signing up for the virtual London Marathon this year: Runners are automatically entered in a draw to win entry to the in-person 2024 marathon, with 24 spaces up for grabs.

There’s more to it than that, though, as I discovered when I spoke to Michelle Taylor and Gowri Prabhu from title-sponsor TCS—which also develops the London Marathon tracking app that logs the virtual marathon—to find out more.

Ever since the London Marathon ballot stopped capping entries at 125,000 people, the number of people throwing their hat into the ring for a race place has grown every year. Unfortunately the number of places available through the ballot has stayed the same, with the result that the ballot disappoints an increasing number of runners every year. 

The results of the 2023 ballot have now been announced and hundreds of thousands of runners will have been told they’ve missed out. The only option for people seeking a spot now is a charity place – unless they’re quick enough to claim a Good For Age or Championship place. Getting a charity place at the marathon, however, is the most rewarding way of all to complete the 42.2km – and it’s arguably a more reliable method of obtaining a place than simply entering the ballot.

More than 410,000 people entered the ballot for the London Marathon 2023, and even more are expected to apply for a ballot spot in the London Marathon 2024. Only around 20,000 race places are awarded via a ballot, so the odds are not in your favor.

The other main option available is a London Marathon charity place—unless you’re quick enough to claim a Good For Age or Championship place. Getting a charity place at the marathon, however, is the most rewarding way of all to complete the 26.2 miles, and it will keep you motivated though the long months of marathon training as well.

It’s arguably a more reliable method of obtaining a spot than entering the ballot, though that’s not to say it’s easy to get a charity place. You’ll need to move quickly: Some charities are so oversubscribed that they close registrations more than six months before the race.

If you want to apply for a charity spot and already have a cause that’s close to your heart, look at that charity’s website to see if it is accepting applications for places in the 2024 London Marathon. If you don’t already have a cause in mind, visit the London Marathon website to see a list of charities that have guaranteed places in the race.

You can apply to more than one charity to boost your chances of getting a place, though it is best to stick to organizations that you have a genuine connection with. That’s because charities will generally choose their runners based on that connection, as well as an estimation of how much the runner will be able to raise. If you have taken part in other events to raise money for a charity in the past, that could help your chances.

Each charity’s website will have details on how to apply and what it expects from its runners. Charities have to pay for places, so bear in mind you’ll be required to bring in a large amount of sponsorship money if you are given a place—£2,000 (around $2,500) is typical. This will probably not be a voluntary target, which means you’ll have to make up any shortfall yourself. Some charities also charge a registration fee, payable on offering you a place, which is likely to be in the region of £100.

If that figure seems daunting, take a look at this fundraising advice for a marathon for some recommended strategies. It’s only a small taste of the support and ideas you’ll receive from the charity you’re running for—they’re invested in your success after all.

You don’t just get a race place. The charity will offer support for your marathon training and fundraising, and on the day itself you’ll have your own dedicated cheer squads looking out for your organization’s vest. It can make all the difference, as we found out when we spoke to Tom Barron, who ran the London Marathon to raise money for Afghanaid.

“I hit a real low point at the 22nd mile of the race,” says Barron. “I was struggling, but I remember looking up and seeing 30 or so people wearing green Afghanaid shirts in the crowd all cheering me on. That was such a well-timed pick-me-up.”

Most charities will let you know at least six months before the race if you have been successful in applying for a place, so you can start training in good time for the event.

Finally, even if you get a place in the London Marathon through the ballot rather than a charity spot, you can still raise funds for a cause you believe in. Once you have your ballot place, inform the charity that you’ll be running the event and that you’d like to raise money for it. You’ll still be provided with excellent support and you won’t have any mandatory fundraising goals—you’ll just be trying to raise as much as possible. It’s a win-win.

• What It’s Like To Run The London Marathon For A Charity
• How To Fundraise For Your Marathon
• Great Charity Challenges
• Marathon Training Plans

Some people will glide through the London Marathon without any problems. Everything will go exactly to plan and they’ll finish in the time they want without their body falling to pieces. However, those people will be in the minority, because a marathon is a serious undertaking.

We’ve run the London Marathon three times and experienced one huge blow-up at the event in 2018, when it was very hot and we made the all-too-common mistake of starting too fast. What helped us get through that day was switching to a walk/run strategy in the second half of the race – running slowly, and walking for a couple of minutes every mile or so.

Going out too fast is just one problem that crops up repeatedly when running a marathon, so we’ve enlisted running coach Nick Anderson from Running With Us, Polar’s official training partner, to provide some solutions for when these mini (or indeed maxi) marathon crises arise.

You’ve Gone Out Too Fast

You knew this was a potential pitfall and yet here you are, running way faster than you should be. Fortunately, in some ways at least, the marathon is looooong.

“You’ve got time to rein it in,” says Anderson. “The real problem area in the London Marathon is Cutty Sark to Tower Bridge. That period, between six or seven miles and halfway, is where the real damage is done. People always say, ‘I felt fantastic’. Well of course you felt fantastic, you’ve been training for a marathon and this is only six to 13 miles. Please, please slow down and bank the energy.

“People try to create a buffer – get ahead of time – and that goes horribly wrong. You can lose that three or four times over at the other end. If you bank the energy you’ll be able to push on in the second half, especially at 18 to 20 miles.”

You Need The Toilet

In almost every life situation people are happy to just go to the toilet when they need it. The exception, it would seem, is when they’re on pace for a marathon PB.

“Look, the guy who came second in the Brighton Marathon in 2018, he stopped twice in the first half because he had a dodgy tummy,” says Anderson. “He sorted himself out and on he went – there are plenty of loos on the course.

“What you can’t do is run for 5K or 10K in agony, slowing down, trying to contract your pelvic floor and everything else. You just need to go to the loo. If you lose a minute sorting it out you’re probably going to gain five to ten minutes later on through avoiding things going wrong.

“If you were going to win the London Marathon and were on world record schedule and your name was Paula Radcliffe, well, we’d all do what Paula did, wouldn’t we? But for most people losing a minute is the wise thing to do.”

You Feel A Niggle

An altogether more serious issue than needing the toilet, when you feel a niggle it’s important to work out how bad it is quickly, because it’s always better to stay healthy and race another day.

“If the pain is getting progressively worse over the miles I would stop at the side of the road and stretch the affected area to see if that can alleviate it.” says Anderson. “If it’s a niggle you’ve had in training and it’s raising its head again, stop every mile or every few miles and stretch to try to get rid of it.

“If you’re chasing a time or a PB you’ve got to make a calculated decision. Athletes often try to push through it and then it suddenly goes wrong. That’s the risk – sometimes you are better off getting treatment. If it’s getting really bad and it’s early in the race or mid-race and you know you’re going to struggle later on, I would stop and get it sorted out. You can always race another marathon.”

THE CHAFING! THE CHAFING!

This is one issue you really should have sorted out though savvy pre-race planning, but there should be some Vaseline available on the course if you keep a sharp eye out.

“Vaseline and various gels – they do work,” says Anderson. “Look at the fabric you’re wearing, and there are plasters and pads you can put on which will stop you having an issue. You need good running underwear, and you should think about lubricating various areas. There’s no reason to experience chafing – it’s all about planning.

See related

• 21 Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• How To Cope Mentally When The Going Gets Tough In Your Marathon Training
• Nine Things I Learned Running The London Marathon At 45

You’re Only Ten Miles In And You’re Screwed

If running one more mile, let alone 16, feels impossible, focus on your motivation for signing up to the event in the first place. And maybe start walking.

“Why are you running? Are you running to raise money for a charity? Is this something you’ve got to do? In which case slow down and move towards a walk/run strategy,” says Anderson. “Reduce the pace – everything is now about getting round. Make it a fun day out, rather than trying to run a time.

“One bad mile does not mean the marathon has gone wrong. The marathon is 26 miles and every mile will feel different. But if you’ve had a number of bad miles and you’re starting to struggle and it’s getting worse and worse then there is an issue. You need to back off and decide if you want to finish. And if you’ve got to get around, you have to change your strategy, because if it’s not right at ten miles it’s definitely not going to be right at 20.”

Your Running Partner Has Left You For Dead

“There are thousands of people to run with!” says Anderson. “If you’ve made a pact to finish together, look after each other. But if you start together and one feels better than the other, you have to decide – and maybe accept that if one of you feels better, they carry on ahead.

“Don’t try to stick with someone you know you can’t stick with, then get to 18 miles absolutely knackered. Be realistic.”

No matter how many marathons they’ve taken part in, almost every runner experiences pre-race nerves in the week before the event. It’s so common that the pre-42.2km anxiety has picked up its own name – maranoia.

A few months away from race day, the idea of maranoia is easy to scoff at, but come race week every runner will start to worry to some extent. When it’s a huge event like the London Marathon it’s even worse, because everyone knows it’s happening, coverage of the event is almost impossible to avoid, and most of your friends and family probably know you’re doing it. Especially if you’ve been tapping them up to donate to your fundraising efforts.

As a result the marathon is always on your mind and worries will start to build, and these concerns can have a real impact on your race. You’ll start questioning all the decisions you made about gear weeks ago, wondering if you should swap your tried-and-tested long run shoes for something entirely new. You’ll be tempted to ignore the advice to taper your training and knock out a fast run to boost your confidence (tip: don’t do this).

You’ll also probably be terrified of getting ill, especially this year, and anyone who dares to sneeze or cough anywhere near you risks becoming a lifelong enemy.

The good news is that this is all normal, and all of your doubts and fears are almost certainly groundless. The bad news is that us telling you that isn’t going to actually stop you worrying. To help with that, we’ve enlisted sport psychologist sport psychologist Jo Davies for some advice on how to reduce the impact maranoia has on your race week.

How common is maranoia?

It is absolutely normal to feel some nerves or butterflies before the marathon. This is particularly true if it is your first marathon, because there is some fear of the unknown if you haven’t yet run the full 26 miles.

Even runners who have completed a marathon before may feel some apprehension about the physical and emotional challenges that running the distance brings. Seasoned or competitive marathon runners may experience a slightly different form of nerves, concerning their time or result.

What are the usual ways it manifests itself?

Runners may experience “what if” thoughts. What if my body gives up on me? What if I don’t achieve my goals? Or they may imagine worst-case scenarios, such as not being able to complete the race.

Sometimes the emotional centre of our brain will blow challenges out of proportion. It may say, “The forecast is for warm weather but I’ve trained all winter in the cold, so I’ll never be able to run all that way in the heat!” Or catastrophise scenarios illogically – “I just sneezed, am I getting a cold? What if I’m unwell on race day?!”

Nerves may also be experienced physically when thinking about the marathon or on race day, for example feeling butterflies in the stomach, nausea, or increased heart rate or adrenaline.

See related

• How To Cope Mentally When The Going Gets Tough In Your Marathon Training
• What To Do When Your London Marathon Doesn’t Go To Plan
• 21 Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• Nine Things I Learned Running The London Marathon At 45

What are some good ways to ease your fears about the race in the days leading up to it?

Remind yourself of why you are capable of achieving your goals, such as the preparation you have done and the training experiences you have accumulated. Write all these reasons down and look at them whenever self-doubt begins to creep in.

Focus on what you can control. Often our fears will take us to uncontrollables like the weather or the outcome. Bring yourself back into the present moment and what you can directly influence by asking yourself what’s important now. It could be that you need some rest, or to fuel your body sensibly, or to have a gentle run, or to do some stretches, or to plan your journey to the race.

Imagine achieving your goals. Visualising yourself crossing the finish line will prime your mind and body to be race-ready. You might also work through any anticipated challenges to develop confidence in your coping mechanisms. For example, imagine keeping your pace up despite discomfort.

Remind yourself of what you are most looking forward to to fuel your motivation. That could be passing iconic landmarks, raising money for charity or the personal accomplishment of running further or faster than you ever have before!

Marathon race week has arrived, and for most runners that’s exciting and terrifying in equal measure. The good news for everyone is that the hard work of training is done. You cannot get any fitter at this stage, and all you have to do now is keep yourself ticking over until race day itself, when you will achieve your goal of scoring a new PB or simply getting around the course in one piece.

That is, you will as long as you avoid doing something silly in the last few days before the race. This week is a time to be as sensible as possible – eat smart, avoid too much booze, get to bed early, and generally rest and relax as much as life allows. This is not the week to start redecorating your house or take up the barbell back squat, and hopefully everyone around you will forgive you for doing the bare minimum.

Coach Nick Anderson of Running With Us – the official training partner of fitness tracker company Polar – is familiar with many of the common pre-race pitfalls that can undermine all that hard work. Here he explains how to avoid them so you can come through the final week unscathed and put in a great performance on the day.

1. Not following your training plan

Don’t start questioning if you’ve trained enough. Keep to your running plan and don’t suddenly add an extra hard session, long run or conditioning workout. It’s too late to get any fitter. At this point, less can be more – you don’t want to start the race tired.

2. Changing your diet

This is one where I see so many mistakes made and races ruined. Giving in to the temptation to try something new or eat a little less because you aren’t running as much on race week can be disastrous. Stick to the foods and fuels that have worked for you in training and before hard sessions or key long runs. For example, don’t suddenly eat porridge for the first time on the morning of the race. It might work but equally you might find out halfway into the race – in the worst possible way – that it hasn’t!

3. Tapering too much

Resting too much on race week will leave you feeling sluggish. Try to run as frequently as normal but reduce the distance, intensity and duration as race day gets near. Resting for days – unless you have to through injury or illness – can leave the body confused and result in your metabolism dropping, leaving you tired. I even recommend an easy 20-minute run the day before the marathon, with a stretch afterwards.

See related

• Tapering Tips For The London Marathon
• Pacing Tips To Make You A Better Runner
• London Marathon 2021 Travel Guide: How To Get To The Race
• How To Carb-Load Before Running A Marathon

4. Forgetting to plan

It sounds simple but have you looked at the weather forecast and planned your kit for the day? Are your racing shoes packed? How are you getting to the race – can you park or is the train station near to the start? Will your hotel have your normal race day breakfast or have you packed this just in case?

It really is worth taking 20 minutes early in the week and listing all that needs to be done. Tick these off and you are already taking control of your race day experience. It’s one less thing to worry about and will reduce stress.

5. Not running your race

You should run at a pace that’s familiar to you and that you’ve practised in training. Be mindful to keep an eye on your own pace, even if somebody is trying to be helpful by telling you that they’re heading for the same pace as you and that you should run with them. Take control of your race and speed up gradually to your race pace. Get to halfway feeling good and attack the second half of the race with confidence, rather than feeling tired and hanging on.

6. Being unrealistic

This is probably my hottest tip of all when it comes to racing. Train and race for a time or result that’s within your grasp. It might be a new PB or a return to racing form, but keep it achievable.

The London Marathon went virtual in 2020 with great aplomb. It set a Guinness World Record for the number of people running a remote marathon in 24 hours, with 37,966 runners covering the distance.

Although the mass-participation element of the London Marathon returns in 2021, the organisers are retaining the virtual event and 50,000 people have signed up to do it (entries are now closed).

Runners have to complete a marathon on the same day as the main event, running 42.2km on Sunday 3rd October. The run needs to be tracked via the Official Virgin Money London Marathon App to earn the race medal and T-shirt.

While there are some advantages to the flexibility of a virtual race, runners will of course miss out on both the special London Marathon atmosphere and the logistical support provided during the race.

That means careful planning is required to make sure your marathon is enjoyable. Last year we spoke to the London Marathon’s resident coach, Martin Yelling, for some advice on how to plan your virtual run.

What advice do you have when it comes to route planning?

Fixing your route is really important, because you can make mistakes easily when you’re tired. Set a finish line – a physical point that you know in advance. My recommendation would be to do loops. It’s a bit more boring but you’ve got more control.

With no water stations on route, how should you stay hydrated?

It’s really important for runners to think through the logistics of their event. Are you running loops? Are you carrying fluid?

People are running in different places around the world so you have to think what your environmental demands and conditions are, and then what your strategy is to meet them. For runners looking to run it in three hours they might just carry 250ml with them, but others might be out for six or seven hours, and they might need to stop and refuel with fluid. If the strategy is loops, you can make fluid accessible.

There also won’t be any medical support available, so what should runners do to reduce any risks on that front?

Firstly you have to do the basics – make sure you’ve got everything you need to survive the distance, tell people where you’re going and take some Vaseline with you!

Then you have to think about contingencies. What if it all goes wrong and you’ve got to make a choice when tired and emotional? Especially if you’re running solo, not in a particularly populated place. Identify a “response person”, let them know and have their number in your phone. It’s a good idea to tell some people that you’re doing it, but in the event that you need some help you have that response person. That could be anything from just some encouragement right through to saying you’re in need of medical assistance.

Something I recommend is an app called what3words. If you’re in need of support and to tell somebody where you are quickly, you describe your location in three words by dropping a pin on a map. They put those three words into the same app to find out where you are. If you were on a country lane and somebody asked, “Where are you?”, you might not be sure, you’re by a tree! what3words will give you “orange, spanner, court” and those three words would give your response person a precise location within three square metres.

So I would say plan your route and share it with someone so they know where you are. Have an emotional support contingency, and then a full bail-out plan in case it all goes wrong.

Do you have any pacing tips for running a virtual event?

All the marathon pacing rules still apply. If you go out at a pace that you cannot hold, it is going to get hard and you’re more likely to need those contingencies you put in place. Evenly paced, consistent running to get you through the distance is the best advice.

There are also some amazing flexibility benefits because you’re doing it virtually. Because of how uncertain everything is at the moment, you might not have done all your training or be as fit as you’d like, so take the pressure off. If you want to stop, stop. Have a rest. Refuel, walk a bit. There doesn’t need to be any pressure here.

The key thing is to accept your fitness level. Understanding and accepting where you’re at is really important.

Should you take painkillers to deal with pain that arises during the run?

I keep seeing these flat-lays where people lay all their gear out, and there’s always a packet of ibuprofen or something. My understanding is that taking a painkiller is only masking pain, pain that’s there for a reason, and it can also cause gastrointestinal issues.

I would rather people listened to their body, noticed the discomfort they were experiencing, and worked safely within it. More often than not that means slowing down. That’s not the end of the world. There are instances where the discomfort is really considerable, an injury, but even then you shouldn’t manage pain with painkillers, particularly in a virtual event where you don’t have race support.

If your body hurts, you need to make an adjustment. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop. It can, but most times when I’ve been really hurting it does pass. Unless it’s something really acute and serious, you can work through it with patience. You’ve not got the pressure of time either, so you should just let yourself work through it. That’s a safer option than smashing yourself and scoffing a load of painkillers.

See related

• Should You Take Painkillers During A Marathon?
• Pacing Tips To Make You A Better Runner
• The Best UK Virtual Running Events To Sign Up For Right Now

Any other tips for the day?

There are going to be a lot of people running at the same time. So for a little motivation, I’d say even if you’re running on your own, remember – you’re not really. There are 50,000 other people out there pounding 26.2 miles with you.

Also, if you’re doing it on your own, line up some virtual spectators. Get people to call you at certain times, maybe at three hours, four hours, five hours. Or, you can say when you’re going past people’s houses so they can cheer you on.

It’s fantastic that the London Marathon is able to go ahead at all in 2021. It’s going to be a different event from usual, but – touch wood – 40,000 people will be able to run the course, in person, which will be an amazing experience.

To make that possible, there is one particular change to the usual routine that runners need to be aware of: there is no bag drop at the start of the race. Instead you leave your kitbag at the Expo when picking up your race number earlier in the week, and it is taken from there to the finish line for you to collect afterwards.

This means a longer bag drop process that requires a little more thought than usual, which is detailed in the Six Steps to the Start Line email sent out by the organisers, which can also be found on the London Marathon website.

The process starts by updating your contact details and giving an estimated finish time. You will receive an email by Friday 27th August asking for this info, and have until Sunday 5th September to respond.

It’s essential you make sure your details are right because they will be used to send out your official race kitbag, which will arrive by Friday 24th September. Load this up with everything you think you’ll need at the end of the race and drop it off at the London Marathon Expo when you collect your race number.

See related

• What You Need To Know About The London Marathon Expo 2021
• Training Tips For The Final Four Weeks Before The London Marathon

The Expo runs from Wednesday 29th September to Saturday 2nd October at the ExCel in east London. You have to go there to collect your race number anyway, but there’s now an extra very important thing to do there, which is leave your bag.

You will need to show proof of a negative lateral flow COVID-19 test to enter the Expo. This can be acquired through a free home lateral flow test kit. Register the test with the UK government to get an official negative result.

Your kitbag will be waiting for you at the finish line of the race along with a couple of extras. The organisers will add your race medal and T-shirt, plus a bottle of water and a sports drink. Where your bag is found at the end of the race will depend on your estimated finish time, so be realistic when entering that to make life a bit easier for yourself.

The changes to the bag drop for the London Marathon 2021 will make running the event a little trickier than usual, but with a bit of careful planning it shouldn’t affect your race too much. If you want to wear more clothes than just your running kit to the race, opt for gear you’re happy to give away – the British Heart Foundation will be accepting donations at the start.

If you cannot make it to the London Marathon Expo, you can nominate someone to drop off your kitbag and collect your race number for you. They’ll also need a negative COVID-19 test to show to enter the Expo, and to act on your behalf they’ll need a letter from you authorising them to collect your number and drop off your kitbag, plus a photocopy of your passport or driving licence. Plus their own ID. You might owe them a serious favour after all that.

The London Marathon is less than one month away. If that doesn’t both excite and terrify you, it’s probably safe to assume you’re not running it.

If you are running it, there are probably a couple of things running through your mind right now. The first is “HOW CAN IT BE SO SOON?!” and the second is “How long before I get to taper?”

The good news is that the tapering – reducing the amount of running you do in order to be fresh for race day – can start soon. There are one or two more long runs to tick off before that happens, but you’re definitely over the hump as far as your training plan’s concerned.

Alongside a little more running, there is plenty of other prep to be done before you line up at the start. This includes settling on the kit you’re going to wear, then changing your mind several times before going back to your original choice, which hopefully you’ll have been testing during your longest training runs. You’ll also be finalising your nutrition plan for the big day and then, in the days before the race itself, consuming a boatload of carbs. That last part is the really fun bit.

This year it’s also vital to pack your kitbag earlier than usual because it will need to be dropped off at the Expo in the days before the marathon, rather than by the start line on the morning of the race.

For all the advice you need on what to do during the final four weeks before the London Marathon, here’s running coach Nick Anderson from Running With Us, Polar’s official training partner.

Four Weeks To Go

“This is when you get the voices in your head, making you think, ‘Have I done enough training to successfully finish this marathon?’” says Anderson. “This is a common worry in the final weeks, but it is important to remember that less becomes more. It’s time to let the body start to recover and build its strength for race day.”

“You should start focusing now on protecting your fitness and feeling great on race day. You can use the final weeks to sharpen up slightly with a couple of shorter, faster sessions.”

That doesn’t mean skipping your Sunday long runs, however. Anderson recommends scaling down the final few.

“Your longest marathon training run should take place three or four weeks out from race day. Aim for a three-hour run, with the last 60 minutes at your target marathon pace.

“Two weekends before the marathon, reduce the long run to about two hours with the last 45 minutes at target marathon pace.

“One week before, it’s time to shorten your runs and enjoy tapering. I would recommend not going over a 60-minute run.”

See related

• One Excellent Piece Of Gear For Your Marathon Training You Might Not Have Considered – But Should
• Recovery Tips For Your Marathon Training
• Running Supplements For Marathon Runners
• How To Carb-Load Before Running A Marathon
• How To Ease Your Maranoia Ahead Of The London Marathon

One Week To Go

Tapering is in full swing at the point, but that doesn’t mean you should be sitting on the sofa all week.

“Don't taper too much – you don’t want to have too many rest days and then feel sluggish by race day. Your body loves routine, so aim for short and easy runs that are no longer than 60 minutes long.

Aside from running, don’t go too hard in the gym and get some early nights.

"Avoid heavy strength and conditioning or gym work this week to let your muscles recover,” says Anderson.

“Sleep and rest – you always need to respect this key element as a runner if you want to improve. Try to get a few early nights in race week and protect your immune system – late nights and picking up a cold will wreck race day.”

The Final 24 Hours

Your “maranoia” will peak at this point, especially if you’re a first-timer, but follow these three tips from Anderson and your nerves should settle a little.

“We often advise runners to jog for around 20 minutes the day before the race and stretch. It helps you to feel loose on race day and can calm the nerves a little.

“Snack on small meals throughout the day and stay well hydrated. Eat your last main meal at 6-7pm and snack on easily digested carbohydrate snacks afterwards if needed.

“Get to bed early! If you find it hard to sleep don’t worry, this is normal, but stay in bed and rest, read and relax.”

Nick Anderson is co-founder of Running With Us and head coach for Polar

Photograph: courtesy Virgin Money London Marathon

The London Marathon is not normally an easy race to get into. Every year hundreds of thousands of people are left disappointed by the ballot process, and with more and more entering the ballot each year, the chances of getting a place on the start line aren’t improving.

The virtual race taking place in 2020 is, then, a unique opportunity to get hold of a coveted London Marathon medal. While it won’t be the same as completing the route itself alongside 40,000 other runners, the event organisers have made every attempt to create a special day on Sunday 4th October when entrants can complete the marathon distance however slowly they like and wherever they want.

You have from midnight to midnight on the day to complete your marathon, so you can take all day about it and walk the distance if you like. Or, if you have been training hard just in case the event went ahead, find a nice flat route and go for your best time. If you’re fast enough, you will be able to qualify for a Good For Age or Championship place at next year’s London Marathon through this virtual event.

See related

• Everyone Should Enter The Free Great North Run 2020 Virtual Race
• The Best UK Virtual Running Events To Sign Up For Right Now
• You Can Now Join A Virtual Running Club

A new app is being developed by the London Marathon and its partner TCS to officially log your 42.2km so you get a place on the list of finishers for the 2020 event. You will probably need to carry your phone with you for this, so a running belt or backpack is going to be useful, especially because you’ll also need to take all your hydration and nutrition with you since there won’t be people handing out water.

It costs £20 to enter the virtual London Marathon, with all profits going to the London Marathon Charitable Trust. You get a race medal and finisher’s T-shirt if you complete the virtual event.

If you’ve not started training yet, we’d strongly recommend opting to take the marathon on the 4th October nice and easy, and walk it in a silly costume with friends (at an appropriate social distance of course).

Whenever and wherever you run, we also urge you to watch the elite London Marathon race on the 4th, which is taking place on a short, closed loop in St James’s Park and features the two fastest marathoners of all-time – Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele – going head to head, as well as the female world record holder Brigid Kosgei. The short version is, it’s going to be fast.

Enter the 2020 virtual London Marathon | £20

The organisers of the London Marathon have announced the postponement of the 40th annual event, which was due to take place on Sunday 26th April. Rather than cancel the event entirely, a new date of Sunday 4th October has been set.

Hugh Brasher, event director, said: “The world is in an unprecedented situation grappling with a global pandemic of COVID-19, and public health is everyone’s priority.

“We know how disappointing this news will be for so many – the runners who have trained for many months, the thousands of charities for which they are raising funds and the millions who watch the race every year.

“We know that there will be many, many questions from runners, charities and others and we ask you to please bear with us as we work through the detailed planning process to deliver the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon on its new scheduled date. We will email all runners and charities today and then update them via email by the end of next week at the latest. We will also post regular updates on our website and social media channels.”

The organisers have also issued further guidance, but have stressed runners don’t need to do anything at this point. 

If you have a ballot place you’ll be able to run on the rescheduled date without any further payment. If you can’t make the new date for whatever reason you can receive a refund or donate it to the charitable trust. There’s also the option to defer your place to the following year. 

If you happened to defer your ballot place until 2021, but can run the race in October, you’ll be given the option to change your mind, although you can stick with your decision to wait until 2021 if you wish.

If you are running through a charity, talk to the charity which “owns” the race place. London Marathon Events will communicate with those bodies to arrange substitutions if required. 

If you qualified through the Good For Age process you will be automatically entered into the race in October. If you cannot take your place on the start line you will receive a full refund, but you won’t be able to defer your place to the following year.

A whole load of goodies are waiting for you once you cross the finish line of the London Marathon. There’s the medal, of course, plus a T-shirt and a range of food, drink and other items to help you recover from your exertions.

It’s all good stuff and the medal in particular will be a source of pride for years to come (and get you a smörgåsbord of sweet perks the next day), but if you want something to celebrate your race that you’ll actually use in everyday life, then check out the New Balance London Marathon range.

There are special-edition running shoes and gear emblazoned with the marathon’s logo, along with some casual gear you can slip into when not running. The range is also a great place to find gifts for anyone who’s running the race.

Here are a few of our favourite products in the range.

This comfortable workhorse of a running shoe is perfect for the long miles of training marathoners have to put in and it’s a solid pick for race day itself, if not as fast as some of the racier shoes in New Balance’s line-up. The London Marathon edition of the 1080v10 has special logos dotted around the shoe to mark the occasion.

Buy men’s from New Balance | Buy women’s from New Balance | £140

While we have found past editions of this windproof jacket a little too warm to run hard in for long, it’s a great option for warm-ups and easy days, or just romping around town letting everyone you pass know that you’re a London Marathon runner.

Buy men’s from New Balance | Buy women’s from New Balance | £100

The technical T-shirt in the range is an absolute beauty, with the red and black design sure to help you feel raring to go on the start line. The tee wicks sweat away and the NB ICEx tech in the fabric is designed to keep you cool, which could be handy on race day if conditions are anything like the heatwave that scorched runners in 2018.

Buy men’s from New Balance | Buy women’s from New Balance | £38

See related

• 21 Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• The Best Marathon Running Shoes For Training And Racing
• The Best Cushioned Running Shoes For Your Marathon Training
• The Best Running Gear For Men And Women, And What to Know Before You Buy

Finishers of the London Marathon are given a free technical T-shirt, which is handy to use when training for future events but not great for day-to-day wear, so treat them to this cotton tee to wear when not running.

Buy from New Balance | £20

If you’re dead set on a London Marathon edition shoe but want something racier than the 1080v10, check out the Tempo. It’s a better option for fast running than the 1080v10, being lighter and more responsive, so if you’re shooting for a PB on race day it’s the best option you’ll find in New Balance’s London Marathon range.

Buy men’s from New Balance | Buy women’s from New Balance | £115

No matter how many marathons you run, the pre-race nerves never go away completely, but it those nerves will almost certainly be at their worst before your very first one. Especially if it’s the London Marathon, which is such a huge event that you can’t escape mentions of the race in the days leading up to it.

A little advice from someone who has experienced the buzz of the London Marathon can go a long way towards helping first-timers handle their nerves and prepare for the day. That’s why we enlisted Gary McKee, who is running it for the fifth time in a row in 2019, to give us his tips. McKee runs to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and when he took part in the London Marathon in 2017, it capped an epic endurance feat in which he ran 100 marathons in 100 days. Basically, McKee knows his marathon onions, so listen up.

How did you get into running marathons?

“I took part in a half marathon in 2008 with a few friends in memory of someone who’d died,” says McKee. “I hadn’t done a lot of training and the next day I had legs like Pinocchio’s, coming down the stairs wishing I had a stairlift! I did more half marathons over the next couple of years, and then my first full marathon was in 2010, when I did the Edinburgh Marathon. I was aiming for four hours. It was one of the hottest days of the ear and I ran 4hr 36min, I was absolutely shattered – I felt ten times worse than after my half marathon!”

Not to be deterred by this, McKee stepped up his running even further by running from Land’s End to John o’ Groats in 2011, before returning to the Edinburgh Marathon.

“When I ran Land’s End to John o’ Groats I covered around 900 miles [1,450km] in 26 days, so I was doing 32 miles a day. Then I went to Edinburgh a couple of weeks after I’d finished and ran it in three hours thirty-something – I took nearly an hour off my previous time, so I was pretty pleased!”

See related

• What London Marathon Runners Need To Know About The Race’s Sustainability Changes
• Tapering Tips For The London Marathon
• Everything You Need To Know About The London Marathon Ballot 2022

What tips do you have for marathon first-timers?

Warm up: “When I go to a marathon now I will stretch and jog a couple of miles beforehand, which I didn’t used to do,” says McKee. “That way you hit the ground running, so to speak, and you’re into your pace before you know it, rather than setting out cold.”

Have a strategy: “In your own head you have to process how you’re going to complete the race. Are you going to run it all? Are you going to walk a bit, run a bit, walk a bit? You have to understand the strategy you’re going to use.”

Talk to people: “If you’re running with a partner, try to talk to each other and have happy thoughts. And if you’re running solo, talk to other people to pick yourself up. If you encourage other people, it seems to do the trick for you too. During that 26 miles you might need some encouragement and help yourself, and you’re only going to get that from your fellow runners, so talk away. It’s diversional therapy – taking your mind off the pain that your body’s going through.”

Get your name on your vest: “When someone is shouting your name, it’s personal to you and it picks you up, it’s unbelievable. The thing about London is there are supporters from the first to the very last step you take, and you’re cheered along the way by thousands and thousands of people.”

Why do you run to raise money for Macmillan?

“We’ve all got a cancer story, it affects every one of us,” says McKee. “I’ll never forget the day I was told my dad had cancer and I just wanted to do something. When you’re facing cancer you tend to think you’re facing it alone but I want to show people that although I can’t fight it for you, I’ll be in your corner trying to help, raising as much money as I can.’

Gary is running the London Marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support as part of #TeamMacmillan. To take on your own challenge event to help Macmillan be right there with people living with cancer visit macmillan.org.uk/challenge.

Pictured: Matilda and Lloyd. Photograph: Paul Ward – Stink Films

There’s a good argument for not listening to anything while running the London Marathon. There are no parts of the course where supporters don’t line the streets and the noise of the cheering can motivate you to keep on keeping on, especially if you’ve got your name on the front of your vest so people can shout it.

However, we’ve run the London Marathon twice and are tackling it again this year, and we will be taking headphones for the third year in a row. That’s because, although the support is brilliant, running a marathon takes a long time and even well-intentioned cheering can start to grate after a while – especially if you’re having a tough race.

Another reason to consider headphones is that the crowd can actually knock you off your race plan, especially if you’re spurred on by the crowd in the first few kilometres and go off too fast.

So having a playlist lined up is a great strategy, and New Balance and Runners Need have even done the heavy lifting for you in creating four playlists on Spotify that you can use on race day.

The playlists come from New Balance ambassadors Leon, Lloyd, Matilda and Matt, who are all running the London Marathon themselves. Each has been designed to fit a different pace, ranging from six minutes per mile up to nine minutes per mile, but we don’t think you have to hold to that idea – just pick the one that suits your music preferences best. Or use all of them – each playlist is 20 songs long, so one won’t last you the entire marathon, but you may also want to spend some time without headphones to take in the crowd at times anyway.

Lloyd’s Running Playlist

Notionally for those running a six-minute mile pace (which is really very quick), this playlist from student athlete Lloyd is heavy on indie classics, including “I Am The Resurrection” by the Stone Roses, which would be a hell of a soundtrack to have as you finish on the Mall.

Leon’s Running Playlist

This playlist is designed for seven-minute milers (which is still very quick) and comes from Leon, who works on Savile Row. There’s a strong mix of genres, with The Doors’ “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” on there which will hopefully come on just as you’re hitting a sticky patch.

See related

• 21 Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• What London Marathon Runners Need To Know About The Race’s Sustainability Changes
• Training Tips For The Final Four Weeks Before The London Marathon
• The Only Running Music You’ll Ever Need with Trevor Nelson

Matt’s Running Playlist

Matt is a London Marathon veteran, and the 2019 race will be his third year in a row at the event. His playlist is designed for eight minutes per mile pace and has the perfect one-two punch to get your race going – “This Is The One” by the Stone Roses and “Right Here, Right Now” by Fatboy Slim.

Matilda’s Running Playlist

Matilda founded a group called Fly Girl Collective to encourage more BAME women to get into fitness, and she’s leading by example by taking on the London Marathon. Her playlist is designed for nine minutes per mile pace and she has smartly included not one, but two, London-repping tracks – “London Town” and “It’s A London Thing”.