The 46th London Marathon is expected to see over 59,000 finishers on Sunday, aiming to break last year's record. Elite champions Sabastian Sawe, Tigst Assefa, Marcel Hug, and Catherine Debrunner will defend their titles.
Key points
46th London Marathon expected to have over 59,000 finishers
2025 event set a world record with 56,640 finishers
Defending champions include Sabastian Sawe and Tigst Assefa
Plans for a two-day event in 2027 are under discussion
Potential to raise over £130 million for charity
London MarathonSabastian SaweTigst AssefaMarcel Hug
The 46th London Marathon is set to be another record-breaker, with more than 59,000 people expected to complete the 26.2-mile course on Sunday.
The 2025 event set a world record for the number of finishers, despite hot conditions, with a total of 56,640 entrants completing the distance.
Before this year's race, organisers confirmed discussions are ongoing over holding a two-day event in 2027, which event director Hugh Brasher says could allow for 100,000 finishers and raise over £130m for charity.
This year's elite races feature all four defending champions, as Sabastian Sawe, Tigst Assefa, Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner return to defend their titles.
Britons Mahamed Mahamed, Phil Sesemann, Patrick Dever, Rose Harvey, Eilish McColgan, Jess Warner-Judd, David Weir and Eden Rainbow-Cooper will be among those hoping to star on home soil.
Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah and England's Women's Rugby World Cup winner Ellie Kildunne have the honour of officially starting the event in Greenwich Park, live on the BBC.
Here's everything you need to know.
London Marathon 2026 route map
The course begins at Greenwich Park and ends on The Mall, where runners will cross the finishing line after passing Buckingham Palace.
The mostly flat route - there is a total elevation gain of 246 feet - takes in several other London landmarks, including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and Big Ben.
Last year, Ethiopia's Assefa ran a world record for a women-only field, crossing the line in two hours 15 minutes 50 seconds, while Kenya's Sawe won the men's race in 2:02:27.
The official cut-off time to complete the course is eight hours after the last runner starts at 11:30. The Mall closes at 19:30, when the finish line moves to St James's Park.
London Marathon elite fields and prize money
Not only will Sawe aim to retain his men's marathon title, but the 30-year-old will have the late Kelvin Kiptum's course record of 2:01:25 in his sights.
Sawe, who finished 62 seconds slower than Kiptum's London best in winning last year, has a personal best of 2:02:05. He targeted the world record in Berlin last September, but his bid was undone by the hot weather.
Q&A
How many participants are expected in the 2026 London Marathon?
More than 59,000 participants are expected to complete the 2026 London Marathon.
What record was set during the 2025 London Marathon?
The 2025 London Marathon set a world record with 56,640 finishers.
Who are the defending champions in the 2026 London Marathon?
The defending champions are Sabastian Sawe, Tigst Assefa, Marcel Hug, and Catherine Debrunner.
What plans are there for the London Marathon in 2027?
Organisers are discussing a potential two-day event in 2027, which could accommodate 100,000 finishers and raise over £130 million for charity.
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Sawe will again go head to head with Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, who was runner-up in London last year and regained the half-marathon world record by clocking 57:20 in Lisbon in March.
With Ethiopian Deresa Geleta (2:02:38) for company, the race features three of the nine fastest men in history.
Ethiopia's Olympic silver medallist Assefa will take centre stage in the elite women's race following the withdrawals of Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and world champion Peres Jepchirchir.
The third-fastest woman in history, Assefa is aiming to improve the women-only world record of 2:15:50 which she set last year and will be favourite to triumph again, with Kenya's 2021 winner Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:14:00) and New York Marathon winner Hellen Obiri (2:17:41) her closest challengers.
The elite women begin the marathon 30 minutes before the men start, meaning their race classifies as women-only.
In the elite wheelchair events, Swiss great Hug will attempt to match Britain's Weir as the most successful athlete in the event's history with an eighth win - and fifth in a row.
Women's wheelchair record holder Debrunner seeks to retain her title after missing the world record by just two seconds in London last year.
The elite race winners will each receive $55,000 (£40,500), while there are time bonuses up to $150,000 (£111,000) and world record bonuses of $125,000 (£92,500) available to the elite men and women.
Which British athletes are competing in this year's London Marathon?
While Emile Cairess' hopes of breaking Farah's British record in London were ended by a calf injury, the likes of Mahamed, Sesemann and Dever will have big ambitions.
They are among 12 athletes in the elite men's field with personal bests below 2:09:00 as they aim to feature at the front of the race.
Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee had been confirmed as a pacemaker for Cairess, reversing their roles from December when Yee was paced by Cairess to the second-fastest marathon by a British athlete.
Less than two years after suffering a mid-race seizure on the track at the European Championships, caused by undiagnosed epilepsy, Warner-Judd makes her London Marathon debut.
The four-time Mini London Marathon winner impressed on her marathon debut in New York in November, where she finished seventh in 2:24:45.
McColgan, who set a Scottish record on her London debut last year (2:24:25), and Rose Harvey (2:23:21) also have best times which rank in the top 10 in the women's field.
The 46-year-old Weir will attempt to stop Hug from equalling his eight London victories after finishing runner-up to the Swiss in New York in 2025.
Fourth in London last year, Rainbow-Cooper will aim for a podium place after regaining her Boston Marathon title on Monday - when she beat Debrunner by more than two minutes.
Weather forecast for London Marathon day
After last year's hot temperatures, runners will be hoping for more favourable conditions in London this time - and that looks to be the case.
The latest forecast suggests settled, dry conditions, with bright skies following a cool start.
Temperatures of 11C are expected when the elite races get under way, rising to 18C in the afternoon.
What are the records to beat?
London Marathon course records
Men: 2:01:25, Kelvin Kiptum (Ken), 2023
Women (mixed): 2:15:25, Paula Radcliffe (GB), 2003
What world records will be attempted at the London Marathon?
A total of 41 records were set or broken at the 2025 London Marathon - including charity fundraising totals, fancy dress challenges, and all participants contributing towards the largest number of finishers in a marathon.
The London Marathon smashed its own record as the world's biggest annual one-day fundraising event by more than £13.8m in 2025, raising £87.3m.
As ever, there are countless inspiring stories behind the runners in this year's event - including the former British superbike champion showing those who suffer spinal injuries what is possible, the 'Running Cricketer' fundraising in memory of his wife, and the Southport dads who have become "like brothers" through running in memory of their daughters.
A total of 76 people will target 73 Guinness world records at this year's event. Among them are:
Jennifer Ferris, 40, targeting the fastest marathon with a double mastectomy (female), after she was diagnosed with aggressive stage-three breast cancer in 2022
Cancer survivor Arnie Delstanche, 29, aiming to break his own record for the fastest marathon in a full-body inflatable costume (male), dressed as a dinosaur
Mark Goulder, 35, running blindfolded while tethered to his guide and close friend Alex, after his younger brother was diagnosed with a rare condition that causes progressive vision loss
Ben Spencer, 52, aiming to set the fastest marathon in a non-racing wheelchair (male), to challenge perceptions and encourage more wheelchair users to take part in mass participation sport
Which celebrities are running the London Marathon?
Those participating in this year's London Marathon will share the course with Olympians Dame Laura Kenny and Sir Ben Ainslie, both running for charity.
Former Arsenal and England football captain Tony Adams, horse racing great AP McCoy, England cricket legend Sir Alastair Cook, and F1 racing driver Sebastian Vettel are also among the famous sports stars present.
Oscar nominee and Wicked star Cynthia Erivo runs the London Marathon for the second time.
Cartoon character Daddy Pig will take part - linked to an upcoming episode of children's TV show Peppa Pig - to raise funds for the National Deaf Children's Society, following the show's storyline that son George Pig is moderately deaf.
What time does the London Marathon start?
08:50 - elite wheelchairs
09:05 - elite women
09:35 - elite men
09:35-11:30 - mass event
How to watch the 2026 London Marathon and mini marathon
Here is how to follow coverage of the London Marathon and Mini London Marathon this weekend across BBC platforms (all times BST and subject to late changes):
Saturday, 25 April
08:15-10:45 BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app - Mini London Marathon
13:30-14:00 BBC One, BBC iPlayer - My Reason To Run
Sunday, 26 April
08:30-14:00 BBC One - London Marathon live coverage
08:45-12:30 BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app - elite races live coverage
10:30-15:30 BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app - Tower Bridge camera
12:30-17:00 BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app - finishing-line camera
14:00-15:00 BBC Two - London Marathon live coverage
18:00-19:00 BBC Two - London Marathon highlights
When does the London Marathon 2027 ballot open?
The ballot for the 2027 London Marathon opened on Friday, 24 April and will close at 16:00 (BST) on Friday, 1 May.
There was a world record total of 1.13 million ballot applications for this year's event.
The 2027 event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 25 April.
Should the London Marathon be successful in gaining approval to hold a two-day event next year, it would also take place on Saturday, 24 April.