The TCS London Marathon 2026 is underway today, with up to 59,000 runners taking to the streets of the capital to conquer 26.2 miles. Defending champions Sabastian Sawe and Tigst Assefa return to lead the elite fields, with substantial prize money and bonuses for record-breaking performances. Rumours of a two-day London Marathon in 2027 also circulate as the running boom continues.
When is the London Marathon 2026?
The 2026 London Marathon takes place on Sunday, 26 April. The race starts in Blackheath and Greenwich, finishing near Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Road, opposite St James's Park.
Start Times (BST)
- 08:50 – Men's and women's elite wheelchair races
- 09:05 – Elite women's race
- 09:35 – Elite men and first mass participation wave (championship wave)
- Regular additional waves through to 11:30
How to Watch the London Marathon 2026
Follow the elite races and mass participation with Independent Sport's live blog. In the UK, the race airs on BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer. Coverage begins at 8:30am on BBC One, moving to BBC Two at 2pm. A second live stream on BBC iPlayer allows family and friends to spot runners at Tower Bridge from 10:30am and the Finish Line from 12:30pm. Highlights with Gabby Logan air on BBC Two at 6:00pm.
London Marathon 2026 Elite Fields
Women's Field
- Tigst Assefa 2:11:53
- Joyciline Jepkosgei 2:14:00
- Hellen Obiri 2:17:41
- Degitu Azimeraw 2:17:58
- Magdalena Shauri 2:18:02
- Eunice Chebichii Chumba 2:20:02
- Catherine Reline Amanang'ole 2:20:34
- Balemelay Shumet 2:21:59
- Rose Harvey 2:23:21
- Florencia Borelli 2:24:18
- Eilish McColgan 2:24:25
- Jessica Warner-Judd 2:24:45
- Fadouwa Ledhem 2:25:50
- Marta Galimany 2:26:14
- Lucy Reid 2:26:35
- Julia Paternain 2:27:09
- Louise Small 2:27:48
- Verity Hopkins 2:31:19
Men's Field
- Sabastian Sawe 2:02:05
- Jacob Kiplimo 2:02:23
- Deresa Geleta 2:02:38
- Amos Kipruto 2:03:13
- Tamirat Tola 2:03:39
- Amanal Petros 2:04:03
- Geoffrey Kamworor 2:04:23
- Joshua Cheptegei 2:04:52
- Shunya Kikuchi 2:06:06
- Mahamed Mahamed 2:07:05
- Philip Sesemann 2:07:10
- Hassan Chahdi 2:07:30
- Adam Lipschitz 2:08:54
- Patrick Dever 2:08:58
- Peter Lynch 2:09:36
- Tim Vincent 2:09:40
- Weynay Ghebresilasie 2:09:50
- Tewelde Menges 2:09:58
- Liam Boudin 2:10:28
- Jake Smith 2:11:00
- Jack Rowe 2:12:31
- Andrew Fyfe 2:13:20
- Alex Milne 2:14:03
- Peter Le Grice 2:14:45
- Sean Hogan 2:14:51
- Christopher Thomas 2:14:55
- Chris Perry 2:14:57
- David Bishop 2:15:16
- Charlie Sandison 2:15:38
- William Mycroft 2:15:54
- Yomif Kejelcha (Debut)
- Hagos Gebrhiwet (Debut)
- Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi (Debut)
- Alfie Manthorpe (Debut)
Prize Money
Men's and Women's Elite Races
- 1st place – $55,000
- 2nd place – $30,000
- 3rd place – $22,500
- 4th place – $15,000
- 5th place – $10,000
- 6th place – $7,500
- 7th place – $5,000
- 8th place – $4,000
- 9th place – $3,000
- 10th place – $2,000
- 11th place – $1,500
- 12th place – $1,000
Additional Bonuses
Elite Men:
2:02:00 – $150,000
2:03:00 – £100,000
2:03:30 – $75,000
2:04:00 – $50,000
Elite Women:
2:15:00 – $150,000
2:15:30 – £100,000
2:16:00 – $75,000
2:17:00 – $50,000
Course and World Records:
First and men's course record (2:01:25) – $25,000
First and men's world record (2:00:35) – $125,000
First and women's course record (2:15:50) – $25,000
First and women's world record (2:15:50) – $125,000
Wheelchair Records:
First and men's wheelchair course record (1:23:44) – $5,000
First and women's wheelchair course record (1:34:18) – $5,000
How to Run the London Marathon 2027
The ballot for the 2027 TCS London Marathon opens on Friday, 24 April 2026, with the race on Sunday, 25 April 2027. The ballot runs from 09:00 BST on 24 April until 16:00 on 1 May. Entry is random, with results announced in early July. Next year's race may expand to a two-day event on Saturday, 24 April and Sunday, 25 April, pending authority approval. Ballot entrants will be automatically entered for both days (but can only run one). Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said: 'The TCS London Marathon is one of the most iconic and inclusive sporting events in the world... Entering the 2027 ballot could be the first step towards something truly life changing.' Enter at tcslondonmarathon.com.
