London Marathon goes 5K
The London Marathon team launched a new 5k in Battersea Park designed for broad participation — the course will feature music and laser tunnels to build event energy. (timeout.com) Separately, four‑time F1 champ Sebastian Vettel and broadcaster Tom Clarkson confirmed they’ll run the 2026 London Marathon to raise money for F1 charities. (motorsport.com)
The TCS London Marathon x Friday Night Lights 5K is scheduled for Friday 24 April 2026 with a 19:45 start in Battersea Park. (fridaynightlights.run) Standard public entries for the evening 5K are listed at £45 and the event is being sold as an open entry (no London Marathon ballot required). (letsdothis.com) Organisers describe the route as a flat two‑lap, out‑and‑back course around Battersea Park with chip timing to produce precise results for participants. (fridaynightunderthelights5k.co.uk) The 5K is a formal collaboration between London Marathon Events and Friday Night Lights; London Marathon organisers previously invested in Friday Night Lights as part of an expansion programme in February 2025. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) Sebastian Vettel and Tom Clarkson’s fundraising drive will support two named charities: the Grand Prix Trust and the Brain & Spine Foundation, and Motorsport reporting notes Vettel will run alongside Clarkson and their children. (motorsport.com) The TCS London Marathon itself is scheduled for Sunday 26 April 2026, and organisers reference a field of 56,640 runners in 2025 while noting charity and ballot allocations are being managed through official charity partners. (brainandspine.org.uk) The Grand Prix Trust is a long‑standing motorsport charity registered with the UK Charity Commission that provides financial and welfare support to F1 team personnel, while the Brain & Spine Foundation runs a formal London Marathon fundraising programme for 2026. (register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk)
