TCS London Marathon
London, United Kingdom · April · World Marathon Majors
Why people love it
- Crowds several people deep for most of 42.2 km (26.2 mi), loudest on Tower Bridge.
- Flat course with about 85 m (278 ft) of gain, finishing on The Mall by Buckingham Palace.
- Passes Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and Canary Wharf.
- Roads fully closed, and organisation is rated highly by most runners.
Watch out for
- Ballot odds are a few percent; charity places need at least GBP 2,750 raised.
- Packed road all the way; expect weaving, sudden stops and bottles underfoot.
- Water stations can be hard to spot and sparse on warm days; carry your own gels.
- Bib pickup at the ExCeL expo is mandatory, so plan an extra trip.
- Little food at the finish and some stations close; agree a meeting point.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionBucket list4.6
Ratings of 4.2 to 4.7 of 5 across 270 reviews. Crowds and landmarks draw the praise; 2026 scored lower on congestion and finish logistics. · High confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.2
Staff, navigation and logistics rate near 4.7 or higher. Faults: unsignposted water stations, a crowded expo, closed stations after the 2026 finish and scarce food. · High confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.9
Flat at 85 m (278 ft) gain with loud support and no published cutoff. Crowding, long start waits and the tough ballot count against novices. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.0
A flat 85 m (278 ft) course, but mass runners lose time weaving through packed streets and GPS drifts around Canary Wharf. · High confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful4.4
Tower Bridge, Cutty Sark, Big Ben and the Palace get the praise. The Isle of Dogs loop near 26 km (16 mi) is plainer. · High confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points2.8
The most common complaint: narrow streets, walkers and costumed runners stopping, and sudden bunching at aid stations. About 59,800 finished in 2026. · High confidence
- Road surfaceGood4.2
Mostly smooth asphalt with no surface complaints in the reviews read. Discarded bottles underfoot at drink stations are the hazard. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresFully closed4.8
Central London roads are fully closed for the whole 42.2 km (26.2 mi). · High confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessPancake flat4.6
About 85 m (278 ft) of gain, a little above the 60 m (200 ft) pancake mark. · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.3
Start near 40 m (130 ft) at Blackheath, finish near 10 m (35 ft) by the Thames: a small net drop. Boston-eligible. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.5
Quick bag drop and plentiful toilets per several 2025 and 2026 reviewers. Others report packed trains, urinal queues and a 2.5 hour wait. · High confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.8
Chip timing and a tracking app, though one supporter found the app poor. Mile markers hold up where GPS fails. Pace group details not confirmed. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportElectric4.9
Near-universal praise, crowds several deep calling names. Quieter spots: the first 5 km (3 mi), Westferry Road near 27 km (17 mi) and Poplar. · High confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.7
Water every 5 km (3 mi), then every 3 km (2 mi), plus Lucozade and two gel points. Several runners found stations unsignposted or sparse. · High confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.7
City streets give shelter and no reviewer complains of wind. Few athletes have written about it either way. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
Usually 5 to 15 °C (41 to 59 °F), but late mass starts run into midday. 2018 reached about 24 °C (75 °F). · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.4
April ranges from cold rain to heat. Mostly mild, and the race has not been cancelled for weather. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.8
Supporters can see runners near 20 and 35 km (12.5 and 22 mi) by Tube. Crowds four or five deep make spotting hard. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
The course lies roughly 5 to 45 m (16 to 150 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.3
One of the largest hotel markets in the world, with plenty of choice if booked early. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valuePricey2.4
London hotels are expensive and race weekend pushes prices higher. · Medium confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.5
The start is about 10 km (6 mi) east of the centre by one crowded train. The finish on The Mall is central. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeVery easy4.7
Five airports and direct flights from almost everywhere. Heathrow is about 25 km (16 mi) from the finish with fast rail links. · High confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.3
Bibs are not posted, so an extra trip to the ExCeL expo is required, and the 2025 expo was overcrowded. Three starts add steps. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.8
A world city with endless food, museums and sights within a short Tube ride. · High confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inQualifier or lottery1.1
The 2027 ballot drew 1,338,544 applications, so odds are a few percent. Charity places need at least GBP 2,750 raised; good-for-age needs fast times. · High confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.0
UK entry of GBP 79.99 (about USD 107) is fair, but international entry is GBP 225 (about USD 300) and finish food is thin. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- London, Greater London, United Kingdom
- Typical month
- April
- Latest or next date
- 25 April 2027
- Organiser
- World Marathon Majors
- Field size
- About 59,800 athletes
- First held
- 1981
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Climbing
- 85 m (280 ft)
- Start time
- 10:00
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Asphalt city streets; narrow in places (Cutty Sark, Narrow Street in Limehouse)
- How to get in
- mixed
- Sells out
- Yes
- Entry fee
- About $300
- Air temperature
- 9–15 °C (48–59 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate
- Altitude
- 20 m (66 ft)
- Nearest airport
- London Heathrow (LHR); also City (LCY), Gatwick (LGW), Stansted (STN), 25 km (16 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Greenwich, London Bridge, Westminster, Canary Wharf
- Booking
- Huge hotel stock but expensive, and race weekend pushes prices up. Stay on a direct rail or DLR line to Greenwich or Blackheath.
What racers and reviewers say
- RacecheckRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
All-time 4.7 of 5 across 224 reviews, but 2026 averaged 3.3. Runners agree the crowds and organisation are excellent. Repeated complaints: water stations hard to spot or too sparse in heat, start toilet queues, an overcrowded expo, congestion forcing extra distance, and a messy 2026 finish with closed Underground stations.
- RaceRavesRaced 2026 · aggregator · mixed-positive
4.2 of 5 overall, scenery 4.2, swag 3.3. Reviewers from 2023 to 2026 rave about deep, loud crowds and Tower Bridge, but the top complaint is a packed road that never thins. Others note bottles underfoot, few sports drink stops, little food after the finish and corral placement problems.
“This was the best race ever!”
- Racecheck review (Cara S.)Raced 2014 · aggregator · Positive
Charity runner who found organisation faultless from emails to the finish. Thought the course more unusual than pretty and the charity route costly, but felt finishing the event made it worthwhile.
“I cannot fault the organisational team at all.”
- Claremont Road RunnersRaced 2024 · blog · Positive
Club runner walked to the Blackheath start, used the baggage lorry and crossed the line around 10:40. Cold at the start. Crowds shouting her name carried her through a tough last 10 km (6 mi); finished in 4:09 on The Mall.
“A really good day if I ignore the last 6 miles”
- Marathon Handbook: mile-by-mile 2026 courseRaced 2026 · article · neutral
Course guide: gentle downhill first 6 km (3.7 mi), narrowing at Cutty Sark and Narrow Street, a 'wall of noise' on Tower Bridge, thin crowds on the Isle of Dogs, GPS drift at Canary Wharf. Lists water, Lucozade, gel and hydration-pack refill points.
Show 3 more
- Marathon Handbook: everything to know, 2026Raced 2026 · article · neutral
Race-week preview: elite starts from 08:50, blue, red and green mass starts, only two official gel stations so runners should carry their own, forecast 5 to 15 °C (41 to 59 °F) with light winds. Names Westferry Road and Poplar as the quietest crowd sections.
- TrustpilotRaced 2026 · aggregator · Negative
Small sample, 2.7 of 5. Two reviewers vent about years of ballot rejections and feeling pushed into charity places; a 2014 runner liked the event but disliked the mandatory early bib pickup at ExCeL and parking fees.
- Wikipedia: London MarathonRaced 2026 · article · neutral
Reference facts: first held 1981, three Blackheath starts merging at 4.5 km (2.8 mi), about 85 m (278 ft) of gain, ballot applications above 1.3 million for 2027, and the 1:59:30 men's record from 2026.
Raced TCS London Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
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