TCS London Marathon
London, United Kingdom
- Marathon, Wheelchair Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Since its inaugural running in 1981, the London Marathon has developed a global reputation for its fast, record-setting course. Each year the London Marathon hosts representatives from more than 50 countries to compete on this world stage. Elite runners compete for a portion of £150,000, while the fairly flat, city … MORE
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A Very Crowded Race
Be prepared to swerve around plenty of walkers. Race starts pretty late in the morning. Water stations are every three miles which is not enough on a warm day. Got … MORE
Be prepared to swerve around plenty of walkers. Race starts pretty late in the morning. Water stations are every three miles which is not enough on a warm day. Got tripped by another runner early in the race but got up and kept going. The finish line is not crazy full of crowds like other races. Course is fairly flat compared to other majors. It felt like the crowds came out around Mile 20 and after.
Wonderful Race
The crowd was TOP NOTCH! May be the best of the Majors. London is NOT flat though lol. I live in a truly flat place, so cannot prepare for hills, … MORE
The crowd was TOP NOTCH! May be the best of the Majors. London is NOT flat though lol. I live in a truly flat place, so cannot prepare for hills, but the course wasn’t horrible. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
One of the best majors!
Pros: - AMAZING organization. They had plenty of bathrooms at the start, something almost no one seems able to accomplish. Very staggered start meant the 56k people doing it weren't … MORE
Pros:
– AMAZING organization. They had plenty of bathrooms at the start, something almost no one seems able to accomplish. Very staggered start meant the 56k people doing it weren’t all right on top of each other, although it was still crowded.
– Awesome course. Hits lots of the major landmarks in London.
– Great aid stations. Bottled water, lucozade, gels, etc
– Probably the best fans I’ve experienced. Applauding you on the subway after, packed multiple people deep almost the whole way down the course.
– Expo was easy to get to and easy to navigate. So much better than Tokyo’s.
Cons:
– Roads can be narrow at times which can make it feel a little more crowded.
– Not a lot of shade on the course so if it’s a sunny day, make sure to wear a hat/sunglasses/sunscreen.
Almost too big to be enjoyable
Running London has been a dream of mine for years, and after 15 years of unsuccessful lottery entries, I finally shelled out and bought an entry through a tour group. … MORE
Running London has been a dream of mine for years, and after 15 years of unsuccessful lottery entries, I finally shelled out and bought an entry through a tour group. I’m on the fence about whether it was worth it. The crowds are phenomenal – best I’ve ever experienced, even more enthusiastic than NYC marathon – and the race is well-organized, with very smooth packet pick up, kitbag drop off and pick up. However, I feel like the race organizers focus more on being THE BIGGEST MARATHON EVER with the most amount of hype on social media, and as a result, the runner experience loses out a bit. The course was unbelievably crowded, with no room to move and constant dodging of other runners. I wasted so much energy just trying to avoid runners who were stopping and walking in the middle of the course (lots of poor race etiquette was going on). At some points, the course narrowed down to allow for more spectators to the extent that it became a pinch point for runners and led to even more crowding and slowing. Water stations were only on one side of the street so it was mayhem trying to get in and out of an aid station. I liked the water bottles distributed at the water stations because it allowed me to sip water at my own pace in between water stations, but unfortunately there were virtually no trash cans on the course so the entire race was spent trying not to trip on discarded water bottles. There were only 3 electrolyte beverage stations, poorly marked (I ended up passing one without seeing it), and I was starting to get muscle cramps at the end of the race as a result. They also provided ZERO food at the finish line, other than a protein shake, which I thought was rather cheap given how much we pay to do these races. No food at the finish, but tons of selfie stations to make sure you get the perfect pic for social media – I’d prefer the food. I wasn’t aiming for a PR, just wanted to enjoy the race, but it was so crowded and so stressful trying not to get elbowed or tripped over, that it started to detract from the experience a bit. I did enjoy seeing the runners in costumes and the London spectators were all amazing. I just wish I had a little more space to actually run.
Great marathon course & organization
Great race with eccellent organization. Grest course that starts in Greenwhich and it ends in front of Buckingham Palace, passing the Tower Bridge at the halfway.Very nice the miles that … MORE
Great race with eccellent organization. Grest course that starts in Greenwhich and it ends in front of Buckingham Palace, passing the Tower Bridge at the halfway.Very nice the miles that runs ise to the Thanes River up to Westminster. A lot of cheering people and well organized aid stations. The only downside was the course very crowded because for many miles only one lane was available.
Best Crowd Support
I ran the London marathon for Team Whizzkidz. It was so much fun despite suffering from leg cramps. The crowd support was phenomenal. I expected the crowds to thin out … MORE
I ran the London marathon for Team Whizzkidz. It was so much fun despite suffering from leg cramps. The crowd support was phenomenal. I expected the crowds to thin out halfway through but they literally kept me motivated to keep going to the finish. I highly recommend this event.
My Worst Time and Best Experience
I traveled on an injury hamstring but was cleared by PT. Since it was an 8 hour finish I figured I could walk it if I had to. Ouch! It … MORE
I traveled on an injury hamstring but was cleared by PT. Since it was an 8 hour finish I figured I could walk it if I had to. Ouch! It came down to it. It’s mostly flat, but don’t believe ALL the hype there. It was the most amazing experience ever. The crowd was epic. They are worth every penny. The sights are beyond breathtaking and enjoy your experience. Big Ben, the Palace… There is nothing else like it. Do pack your own race day replenish in your packet pick up kit though because
The hype is real!
The crowds were epic. Music, scenery, people, signs and the encouragement was spectacular. The expo was easy to manage. The pre race staging and setup was 1st class. Signage was … MORE
The crowds were epic. Music, scenery, people, signs and the encouragement was spectacular. The expo was easy to manage. The pre race staging and setup was 1st class. Signage was everywhere and plenty of helpful people when needed. The police officers were very helpful and friendly as I left the race area to go back to my hotel.
Fantastic event
This is an amazing race. What a great tour of London and some fantastic sights. Thoroughly enjoyed every second! Negatives: Very little swag except a shirt. Only a bottle of … MORE
This is an amazing race. What a great tour of London and some fantastic sights. Thoroughly enjoyed every second!
Negatives: Very little swag except a shirt. Only a bottle of water at the finish – zero food so plan accordingly. They should do a better job marking how to get back to the underground after the race.
But now I’m nitpicking. Would definitely run again.
Big Race, Big Sights, Big Crowds
This race felt so similar to the NYC Marathon-- but the streets were smaller and I often was stuck in a crowd. While I enjoyed running in London and am … MORE
This race felt so similar to the NYC Marathon– but the streets were smaller and I often was stuck in a crowd. While I enjoyed running in London and am grateful I did, the crowded course combined with the spectators who were screaming and whistling on both sides of the course the entire time was loud. Since the streets were more narrow, it was just so loud.
Also, I ran this race with a friend and despite the fact we registered at the same time we were put in different start sections… we had to run the first three miles apart and meet up. We tried to get them to rearrange us but the simply refused.
So in summary and advice to officials as someone who has run 60+ marathons– spread people out more, allow people to change corrals.
All good though, still glad I did it.
Great experience, but too crowded!
I was very excited to run London. It really is an iconic race, and a special experience. The pros for me were: -the course takes you by the most amazing … MORE
I was very excited to run London. It really is an iconic race, and a special experience. The pros for me were:
-the course takes you by the most amazing sights of London. It’s stunning! I was grinning ear to ear as I crossed Tower Bridge. It was an incredible feeling.
-the crowd support is strong and continuous
-London is such a cool city in general, that it is a great excuse for a fun holiday.
-The race medal was really cool.
-The weather was perfect.
The cons:
-TOO crowded! There are just too many people running this race.
-The organizers need to do a better job of getting runners into the right waves. I was in the correct wave (based on the pacers in my wave), but I would say the majority of runners were not. The entire time I spent weaving, dodging and attempting to pass slower runners. London should require proof of previous race times to resolve this issue. Maybe a ton of people lie about their finish time to get in a “better” wave? Not sure what is going on, but I have never seen anything like this.
-Race etiquette is pretty poor. I had people stop running right in front of me without warning. The people with large bulky costumes were annoying considering the lack of space on the course. There are water bottles everywhere after the water stops and you have to have your eyes glued to the ground so as not to trip. And to all the men who are spitting on the course. It is an absolutely filthy habit, unsanitary, and poor etiquette to do while running next to someone.
-It is a challenge to get to the start waves. We had to take two different train lines, and then walk up a step hill for a half mile before we reached the start. Schedule a solid hour to get there.
-Porta potty queues are crazy long.
-After the race, there are no bananas, granola bars . . . NOTHING! Just a bottle of water and lucazaide. This is BS on London’s part.
-The race shirt was ugly, and nothing special. Disappointing.
One thing to note, this race is not pancake flat. It has lots of rolling hills. Small easy ones, but constant enough so that by mile 23 I was feeling it in my calves while going down hill.
Overall, I loved this race for it’s amazing sights, energy, and crowd support. But I would never do it again due to how crowded the course was.
Too much of a good thing
BOTTOM LINE: Though he died more than a century before his hometown marathon was born, long-time Londoner Charles Dickens' words still ring true: It was the best of times, it was … MORE
BOTTOM LINE: Though he died more than a century before his hometown marathon was born, long-time Londoner Charles Dickens’ words still ring true: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. On the one hand, I did complete my sixth World Marathon Major and earn my Six Star Medal in London (best of times); on the other, my finish time was easily a personal worst for a road marathon (worst of times, literally) for reasons outside my control and which could have been avoided. To be clear, I have mad respect for any event that raises as much money for charity as London does and which bills itself as the largest annual fundraising event on the planet. Supporting charitable causes has become, in essence, its raison d’être. That said, and despite its global popularity and party atmosphere, London was hands-down my least favorite of the six World Marathon Majors.
If you’re reading this and are not a UK resident, odds are you have no choice but to run London—you’re more than likely somewhere along the path to completing the six Majors (including London) in order to earn what is arguably the sport’s most coveted award, the Six Star Medal. I don’t blame you in the least—it’s an epic journey with an enviable payoff. And if you’ve run any of the other five Majors (Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York City and Tokyo), you know they’re all crowded races that pack thousands of fast-moving runners into limited space. And yet, I enjoyed them all. But when London posted on its Facebook page after the race that “The TCS London Marathon isn’t about running,” I couldn’t have agreed more. London hosts the world’s most popular 26.2-mile party, and as such it attracts a lot of first-timers and one-timers who are there to celebrate (not a bad thing) but who aren’t well-versed in the rules of the road (not a good thing). What set London apart from its fellow Majors was the appalling runner etiquette—dodging and weaving without looking, or throwing elbows and flapping arms wildly for the cameras or spectators, or stopping suddenly in their tracks without warning, or running in costume with little thought given as to how a bulky, oversized outfit might navigate such tight quarters. (London prides itself on the number of Guinness World Records set annually by costumed runners, so do expect to share the road with all manner of landmarks, superheroes, and extinct or endangered species.) To be sure, the lion’s share of the field was competent and mindful of their fellow runners. But every big-city marathon resembles a congested freeway in its choreographed flow of movement, and it doesn’t take long for careless (or reckless) behavior to cause avoidable accidents.
Case in point, in mile 14 I was side-swiped by a larger runner who didn’t bother to check his blind spot before cutting sharply across traffic to visit his cheering section on the sidelines. And in mile 18, I was forced to jam on the brakes after the runner ahead of me stopped suddenly to walk without warning. Together the two incidents caused an ankle injury that forced me to walk much of the remainder of the race. And walking during a marathon when you had no plans to do so sucks. Aside from a sprained ankle caused by my own carelessness in Nevada years ago, London was the first time I’ve ever injured myself during a race. The whole day felt more like a trail race than a road race in the amount of vigilance required, my eyes constantly scanning the ground ahead of me as I tried to avoid being stepped on or running into someone else. Spread that mental focus across 26.2 miles, and you’d better believe it takes a toll on physical performance.
(On a related note—if you do intend to run a sub-4-hour marathon in London, I’d recommend that on your race application you estimate your projected finish time on the speedy side, because presumably the closer you can get to the faster, more serious runners near the front, the thinner the crowds and the less chaos/fewer costumes you’ll have to contend with.)
For better or worse—and for many runners this is their favorite aspect of the race—London is also the LOUDEST marathon you’ll ever run. Admittedly I’m sensitive to volume, and so I tend to eschew loud, boisterous marathons in favor of smaller, quieter affairs. Even so, as raucous as the previous five World Marathon Majors had been, none of them consistently achieved the decibel level of London, where the cacophony of wildly cheering spectators started almost immediately and never let up. Not to mention that at several places on the course (including one stretch in mile 7 where the course bottlenecked, forcing us to slow to a walk for several seconds), the close-packed throngs felt like they were almost on top of us. I felt like I went to a rave and a marathon broke out. Rambunctious crowd support and bedlam for the sake of bedlam may look great in a 30-second sizzle reel, but the reality for an introvert like me can be unnerving and border on sensory overload. But again, I recognize that for many runners that’s the best part of race day. Different strokes, I reckon.
In the end, I feel like London’s ambition to throw the biggest running party on the planet prioritizes participant numbers over the runner experience. Hopefully this year was an outlier with its record number of finishers (48,791 per the results page), because in its 43rd year the organizers seem to have conflated “greatest marathon” with “biggest spectacle.” As a result, their race day has simply gotten TOO BIG. (For comparison, London totaled nearly 20,000 more finishers than when I ran an overcrowded Berlin Marathon in 2014 on similarly narrow streets.) For many runners and spectators, this amounted to a rollicking good time. And if you want to complete the World Marathon Majors and earn the Six Star Medal, you have no choice but to run London. But if you DO have a choice, and unless you have a specific reason to visit London (a city devoid of natural beauty and still fixated on the monarchy), I’d say do yourself a favor and skip it in favor of one of the many other excellent European marathons in a more interesting city. With so many other brilliant marathons in beautiful and rewarding destinations, London is simply not worth the hassle, the stress, and the hype—not unless you happen to be a UK resident, a raging extrovert (e.g. the runner cupping your hand to your ear and urging the already-deafening crowds to cheer even louder), or a serious Anglophile.
Independent from the marathon itself, I’d be remiss not to give a shout-out to the pros at Marathon Tours & Travel, who did a terrific job of organizing and executing for the 450 runners & 650 guests they hosted in London. MT&T has built and nurtured relationships with events like the London Marathon for 45 years, and it’s one of the reasons they’re the best in the industry. Sure you’ll pay a bit of a premium for their service—this is their business, after all—but if you’re an American who wants to run (and experience) London with minimal hassle, I can’t recommend them highly enough. Tell ’em Mike from RaceRaves sent you!
PRODUCTION: Admittedly it takes an enormous amount of time, resources and careful planning to pull off a race day as big and bombastic as London, and for that the organizers deserve huge credit. Not many races require four separate start lines to host nearly 50,000 runners, and as such it’s tough to fault the organizers for the 2½ hour wait I experienced from the time I stepped off the shuttle bus in Greenwich Park to the time I started running. (On the bright side, I’ve never seen so many Portaloos at a start line.) Despite being held across the city and an hour from our hotel, the pre-race expo too was masterfully laid out with enough packet pick-up kiosks to prevent long wait times plus a host of interesting speakers, vendors and events including the two candidate races vying to become the next World Marathon Majors, Cape Town and Sydney.
As expected, the temporary seating and fencing set up around Buckingham Palace for the Coronation inconvenienced runners and spectators alike. Fortunately, that was a one-time annoyance and not something future runners will have to contend with.
My biggest issue with London, as detailed above, is that the organizers cram their 50,000 runners onto some of the narrowest roads I’ve ever run, roads made narrower in places by the crush of spectators standing several deep on either side. Even as the notoriously crowded World Marathon Majors go, London was excessive in this respect. (See for yourself in the official race photo I’ve uploaded, taken at mile 7.) And my concerns were validated by the fact that I ended up injured due to runner recklessness and had to walk much of the second half of the race as a result—not how I’d hoped to experience my sixth Major. Try as it might, London is not New York City, and more is not necessarily better when it comes to the city’s narrow roads. After celebrating its largest marathon ever in 2023, it feels like now’s the time to pump the brakes and let some of the air out of London’s balloon before it blows up in someone’s face.
SWAG: As with most of the other World Marathon Majors, the swag was minimal but sufficient. This included a blue short-sleeve New Balance tee depicting London landmarks of interest in yellow silhouette, along with a finisher’s medal that displays the year prominently on front with those same urban landmarks subtly embossed on the back. The medal looks suspiciously like the 2022 version, which is perfectly fine if you’re Boston with its iconic blue-and-yellow unicorn, not so much if you’re London and seemingly relying on your status to excuse your lack of creativity. On the plus side, London may be the first medal I’ve earned with braille on the front, which apparently translates to this year’s race slogan, “WE FINISHED TOGETHER.”
One design note for future editions of the London Marathon: the race desperately needs a new logo. Since TCS became the title sponsor in 2022, the logo has been a stylized “LM” that feels apologetic and secondary to the TCS branding. The logo doesn’t stand out on any medium on which it’s used, and nobody who sees my London Marathon tee will recognize it for what it is. So it’s time for London to take a cue from Boston (unicorn), Berlin (Brandenburg Gate) and NYC (Statue of Liberty) and seize on one of its iconic landmarks—I’d suggest Big Ben or the Tower Bridge—as the centerpiece of a new logo for 2024 and beyond.
I also went home with my own Six Star Medal, which was all the swag I needed and the only reason I’d opted to run London in the first place. Mission accomplished!
Best racing experience Ever
This was the best race ever! You will not find any better crowds cheering you on throughout, more offers of free beer while you’re running and more beautiful and historic … MORE
This was the best race ever! You will not find any better crowds cheering you on throughout, more offers of free beer while you’re running and more beautiful and historic sights! This was the first marathon where I was so buoyed by the crowds that I actually ran faster in the final six miles than when I started. It was magical, fun and just an incredible experience
Website needs work
I agree with all that the other reviews said. I was disappointed in the lack of information on the website. No map of the start area or finish area. The … MORE
I agree with all that the other reviews said. I was disappointed in the lack of information on the website. No map of the start area or finish area. The official app was not released until the week of the race. On a positive note, the people of London showed up big time for us! Crowd support rivaled NYC.
A Race To Savor Not PR
London, one of the great world cities, for all its size exudes warmth, charm, history, world class food, delightful sightseeing, friendly pubs, exceptional public transportation, gorgeous green spaces, easy day … MORE
London, one of the great world cities, for all its size exudes warmth, charm, history, world class food, delightful sightseeing, friendly pubs, exceptional public transportation, gorgeous green spaces, easy day trips, and literally something for everyone. Worthy of wandering and discovery. Thus, London is perfect for the entire family.
As one of the Abbott Marathon Majors, London is exceptionally well organized (with, in my opinion, one flaw): an accessible expo, comfortable start area, enthusiastic spectators (the best I have ever seen/heard), easy underground travel so spectators can follow you along the course, and with an exciting finish at Buckingham Palace. My only complaint? NOT enough toilets along the course! In 2023 every toilet area had a queue of several minutes.
Be aware the course uses well paved but narrow streets and regularly has pedestrian crossing point even more narrowed. Thus, the course was moderately congested throughout the race. The frequent turns in the city added to the congestion BUT the views of this historic city were quite enjoyable. Despite carefully following the blue, optimum race line, I still added 0.5 miles to my course distance.
Advice? First, savor this generally flat race course through one of the world’s great cities; in my opinion, this is not the race for your PR. Secondly, in 2023 a number of runners became ill with COVID and other problems; travel, crowds, and training stress increase your risk for illness. Even without a pandemic take precautions to stay healthy before your race.
Nice crowded marathon race
There were so many runners and kind of crowded. Certain route was narrow and created traffic jam. Water station wasn’t on both sides and not every mile and energy drink … MORE
There were so many runners and kind of crowded. Certain route was narrow and created traffic jam. Water station wasn’t on both sides and not every mile and energy drink only available in 3 different locations.
Very poor corralling of slower runners
way, way too many slow runners in the front. A good marathon requires runners to post a previous time to get in a certain corral. I'm thinking 80% of the … MORE
way, way too many slow runners in the front. A good marathon requires runners to post a previous time to get in a certain corral. I’m thinking 80% of the runners were not in the proper corral.
Fantastic fans!
The slower runners started before faster runners, so I was always being passed on the course. Good for me, bad for them. Long lines for the toilets on the course. … MORE
The slower runners started before faster runners, so I was always being passed on the course. Good for me, bad for them.
Long lines for the toilets on the course. They ran out of toilet paper.
Too crowded
I’ve run Boston, NYC, Chicago and have never felt this crowded in a race. I was constantly elbowed and one runner actually tripped me causing me to fall on my … MORE
I’ve run Boston, NYC, Chicago and have never felt this crowded in a race. I was constantly elbowed and one runner actually tripped me causing me to fall on my hands and knees. Even for a WMM- this was too crowded
London is the GOAT!
The race starts in this quaint little English town and ends at Buckingham Palace. The crowds are massive along the course. People a packed against the barriers sometimes 2 and … MORE
The race starts in this quaint little English town and ends at Buckingham Palace. The crowds are massive along the course. People a packed against the barriers sometimes 2 and 3 deep cheering for everyone. There are DJs and random houses with music blasting. It is a party for 26.2 miles. It was raining continuously at the beginning and it was still packed with people. The best cheer zone is at Mile 21 Run Dem Crew which is amazing. I’ve run 5 big city marathons (Tokyo, Chicago, Marine Corps, Richmond and now London) and London is my favorite. I would run it again but next time I will bring my own sport drink. There are only 4 sport drink stops the 1st being at Mile 9. I was so depleted of electrolytes by the time I got to Mile 9.