2026 London Marathon: Greenwich to Westminster
- Mass-participation London Marathon takes place Sunday 26 April 2026, running from Greenwich Park into central London past the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. - Expect major road closures, cheering crowds, elite runners and thousands of participants along the traditional route. - Full route, start times and spectator info at timeout.com.
London’s marathon returns on Sunday, April 26, with more than 50,000 runners set to start in Blackheath and head west to The Mall. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) The 26.2-mile course follows the familiar route through Charlton, Woolwich and Greenwich town centre, then over Tower Bridge and on into central London past the London Eye, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. Time Out says elite runners usually start around 8.30am, with mass runners joining from 10am. (timeout.com) The biggest pinch point for drivers is the road closure plan that stretches across southeast and central London. In Greenwich, several roads close from 07:00 to 16:00 on race day, while roads around Trafalgar Square are due to shut from 07:30 until 22:00. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) Parking restrictions start even earlier in some areas. Greenwich’s residents’ notice says vehicles left on the route can be removed from 04:00 on Sunday, April 26, and one Creek Road vehicle crossing is expected to close before 08:40 and reopen at about 15:10. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) For spectators, the route is easiest to follow on foot or by hopping between stations outside the busiest zones. London Marathon Events lists Cutty Sark/Greenwich, Canada Water/Rotherhithe, Tower Bridge/Tower Hill, Canary Wharf, Limehouse and Victoria Embankment/Westminster as the six busiest areas. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) Queues are likely at the stations nearest the headline viewing spots. The official spectator guide warns that Cutty Sark Docklands Light Railway station and Limehouse station can see waits of up to 90 minutes at peak times, and says London Bridge is a better option than Tower Hill or Tower Gateway for Tower Bridge. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) The race has grown beyond a single morning of road running. Time Out reports that 55,600 people crossed the finish line in 2025, making last year’s event the biggest marathon in the world by finishers. (timeout.com) It is also one of Britain’s biggest charity days. London Marathon Events says the race has raised more than £1 billion for charity since 1981, and calls it the world’s biggest annual one-day fundraising event. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) For anyone trying to cross the city on Sunday, the simplest plan is to avoid driving near the route and pick one section to watch rather than chasing runners across town. For everyone else, it is the same London ritual as ever: an early start in Greenwich and a finish by Buckingham Palace. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk)
