London Marathon 2026 — iconic central route

London’s marathon route will again turn central streets into a 26.2-mile racecourse on Sunday, April 26, 2026, with runners starting in Blackheath and finishing on The Mall. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) The TCS London Marathon is scheduled to start with the elite wheelchair race from 8:50 a.m., the elite women from 9:05 a.m., and the elite men and mass field from 9:35 a.m. Organizers list the finish area at The Mall by Buckingham Palace, with the meet-and-greet area at Horse Guards Parade. (visitlondon.com) The course runs east to west through south-east and central London, taking runners past Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament before the finish near St James’s Park. London Marathon Events says the race is the 46th annual edition. (visitlondon.com, londonmarathonevents.co.uk) For Londoners, the bigger immediate change is transport. London Marathon Events says road closures, parking suspensions and some footpath closures will be in operation along the route, with police and stewards managing access on race day. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) The disruption starts well before the leaders arrive. Official event guidance says drivers who need to cross the course should use designated vehicle crossing points, which close at set times and reopen only when stewards judge it safe. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) Royal Greenwich, which hosts the opening miles, says the first six miles pass through Blackheath, Woolwich, Charlton and Greenwich town centre. The council says Cutty Sark is one of the most popular viewing spots, but also one of the most crowded. (royalgreenwich.gov.uk) The same council points spectators toward quieter early-route alternatives including Shooters Hill Road at mile 1, Charlton Village between miles 1 and 2, Woolwich Road between miles 4 and 5, and Trafalgar Road around mile 6. It also says the Greenwich foot tunnel can help people reach the Isle of Dogs, another busy viewing area. (royalgreenwich.gov.uk) The race remains one of London’s biggest annual participation events. London Marathon Events describes it as one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and the world’s biggest annual one-day fundraising event. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) The 2025 edition set a Guinness World Record for 56,640 finishers, according to Visit London, and the official 2026 app is being promoted for live runner tracking and event alerts. That means Sunday’s crowds will be following both the elite race and tens of thousands of personal charity and mass-entry runs across the same route. (visitlondon.com, apps.apple.com) By late morning, the same landmarks that sell London to tourists — Tower Bridge, Westminster and Buckingham Palace — will double as the city’s spectator line. For anyone heading in, the official advice is to plan around closures, crowds and limited crossing points before the starting gun. (visitlondon.com, londonmarathonevents.co.uk)