The world’s most popular marathon becomes a two-day Double for the first and only time, with 100,000 runners across April 24 and 25.
Professional access: Runner entry is by ballot application (the 2027 ballot has closed), charity place, or international tour operator. Spectators watch free from public points along the 26.2-mile course; the finish on The Mall has managed spectator areas.
Photo credits:Acabashi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Katie Chan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Paul Hudson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)Acabashi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Images cropped and resized for display.
Runner entry is by ballot application (the 2027 ballot has closed), charity place, or international tour operator. Spectators watch free from public points along the 26.2-mile course; the finish on The Mall has managed spectator areas.
Check official access requirementsThe public ballot for 2027 has closed. The organizer points runners who missed the ballot to charity places and international tour operators; 2027 entry pricing has not been published on the official site.
Open official ticket informationThree starts in Greenwich and Blackheath converge onto a single 26.2-mile course through the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and the Embankment, finishing on The Mall by Buckingham Palace.
London 2027 is a closed-ballot race with a once-only format: the two-day Double across April 24 and 25 will not be repeated. The planning work now is securing one of the remaining entry paths, charity or tour operator, and locking refundable lodging near the finish. The course itself is the known quantity, flat, riverside in stretches, and lined with London’s densest crowds.
The TCS London Marathon 2027 takes place across two days, Saturday April 24 and Sunday April 25, 2027, the first and only time the race has used the “Double” format. Around 100,000 runners will take part, with the elite men’s and men’s wheelchair races on Saturday and the elite women’s and women’s wheelchair races on Sunday. The 26.2-mile course starts in Greenwich and Blackheath and finishes on The Mall by Buckingham Palace, passing the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and the Tower of London.
The public ballot for 2027 drew a record 1.33 million entries and has now closed. Runners who missed the ballot can still take part through a charity place or an international tour operator, the two paths the organizer points to on its official site. Entry pricing for 2027 has not been published by the organizer. The 2027 race also hosts the UK Athletics Marathon Championships and serves as the official trial for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
First held in 1981, the London Marathon is the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event, with runners raising more than one billion pounds for charity since the race began.
The final stretch down The Mall toward Buckingham Palace, the most photographed finish in marathon running.
The course crosses Tower Bridge near the half-marathon mark, with the Thames and the Tower on either side.
Two consecutive race days, the first and only time the London Marathon has run this format.
The 2027 ballot has closed. Apply for a charity place directly with a partner charity or book through an international tour operator; the organizer lists both paths on its official site. Do not pay a third party for a “guaranteed” ballot place.
Official reservation guideBase near the finish in Westminster and travel to the Greenwich and Blackheath starts by rail on race morning; the organizer publishes start-specific travel guidance. Allow generous time: 100,000 runners move through the start areas across two days.
Official transport guide2027 entry pricing has not been published by the organizer; charity places carry a fundraising commitment set by each charity. Central London hotels price at a premium on race weekend, so book refundable rooms early.
Around one million spectators line the course. The Mall finish and Tower Bridge are the densest zones; arrive early for a barrier spot and agree a meeting point away from the finish funnel.
The course is free to spectate and family-friendly at most points. The finish area on The Mall is managed and busy; plan meeting points and keep children clear of the barriers at the funnel.
Official family guidanceStep-free access varies by course zone; the organizer publishes an accessibility guide for spectators. Contact the organizer in advance for accessible viewing areas near the finish.
Official accessibility guideSite rulesRunners use the official baggage system with designated trucks at the starts; the organizer publishes the 2027 bag rules closer to the race. Spectators should expect bag searches at the managed finish area.Check the official safety guidance
Stay in Westminster, Victoria or St James’s to walk to the finish on The Mall. The starts are in Greenwich and Blackheath, reached by rail on race morning; most runners base near the finish and travel out at dawn.
Best for: Walk to the finish on The Mall; the race-weekend footprint.
Tradeoff: Highest race-weekend rates in London; book refundable and early.
Best for: Major rail and Underground hub a short walk from the finish.
Tradeoff: Race-morning road closures complicate early transfers; allow extra time.
Victoria, opposite Buckingham Palace
Directly opposite the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace, a two-minute walk from the finish on The Mall, with consistently exceptional service scores and a renowned afternoon tea.
Know before booking: Luxury pricing that spikes on race weekend; the entry rooms are compact by London standards, so book the room size you need early.
South Bank, Westminster
Historic County Hall on the South Bank with Big Ben views from many rooms, a 25-metre indoor pool, and a short walk across Westminster Bridge to the finish.
Know before booking: Premium rates and a popular executive lounge that fills on event weekends; river-view rooms sell out first, so book early.
Whitehall, St James’s
Grand Whitehall hotel minutes from the finish, with some of London’s largest rooms, a destination spa, and consistently top-tier review scores on both platforms.
Know before booking: Ultra-luxury pricing, the most expensive of the three; race-weekend availability is limited and sells out early.
Hotel ratings move over time. We check at least two independent sources and include a drawback, but you should still read recent reviews before paying.
The finish sits on The Mall by Buckingham Palace in Westminster, central London. The three starts are in Greenwich and Blackheath in southeast London, reached by National Rail and DLR on race morning. Heathrow (LHR) connects to central London by the Elizabeth Line and Underground in under an hour.
Collect your race number at the official Running Show expo in the days before the race; the organizer confirms the venue and hours closer to April.
Walk St James’s Park from the finish toward Westminster for an easy recovery stroll, then refuel along the South Bank.
Westminster and Victoria hold the race-weekend dining; book dinners ahead because 100,000 runners carb-load across the same weekend.
Victoria · British brasserie
Reliable all-day British brasserie five minutes from Victoria station, well placed for a pre-race dinner near the finish footprint.
Know before booking: Race-weekend tables go fast; book as soon as the 2027 dates are in your calendar.
Piccadilly, St James’s · European café-restaurant
The grand all-day café-restaurant on Piccadilly, a London institution for breakfast through dinner, an easy walk from the finish.
Know before booking: Upscale pricing and a popular breakfast room; reserve ahead for race weekend.
Restaurant details and hours can change. Reconfirm the operating day and reserve directly before relying on a recommendation.
Saturday April 24 and Sunday April 25, 2027, a two-day “Double” format used for the first and only time. The course starts in Greenwich and Blackheath and finishes on The Mall by Buckingham Palace.
The public ballot has closed after a record 1.33 million entries. The remaining paths are a charity place with a partner charity or an international tour operator, both listed by the organizer on its official site.
The organizer has not published 2027 entry pricing. Charity places carry a fundraising commitment set by each charity rather than a fixed entry fee.
The elite men’s and men’s wheelchair races are on Saturday April 24; the elite women’s and women’s wheelchair races are on Sunday April 25, per the organizer’s September 2026 announcement.
Westminster, Victoria or St James’s put you within walking distance of the finish on The Mall. Travel to the Greenwich and Blackheath starts by rail on race morning.
Race dates, the two-day Double format, the 100,000-runner field, the elite day order, the closed ballot and the charity and tour-operator paths verified against the official London Marathon news page and the organizer’s September 2026 announcement on 2026-10-11. 2027 entry pricing had not been published on the official site at review time. Hotel scores verified same-day on Booking.com and Tripadvisor.
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