London Marathon draws 59,000 runners
- The 2026 TCS London Marathon brought a record field of more than 59,000 starters to London on Sunday, as Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe and Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended their elite titles. - Sawe won in 1:59:30, the first sub-two-hour men’s marathon under record-eligible race conditions, while Assefa ran 2:15:41, lowering her own women-only world record by nine seconds. - London entered the day chasing another participation record after 56,640 finishers in 2025 and 1.13 million ballot applications for 2026. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk)
More than 59,000 runners started the 2026 TCS London Marathon on Sunday, turning the race into the biggest field in the event’s history. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) The elite races produced two headline performances. Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe won the men’s race in 1:59:30, and Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa won the women’s race in 2:15:41. (olympics.com) (apnews.com) Sawe’s time made him the first man to break two hours for the marathon in record-eligible race conditions. Assefa’s time lowered her own women-only world record by nine seconds. (apnews.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The mass race was almost as central to the day as the elite fields. London Marathon Events said 1.13 million people applied through the ballot, the highest total in the race’s history. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) Organizers also billed 2026 as the most inclusive London Marathon yet. More than 1,900 people with a disability were registered for the mass event, another race record. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) The backdrop was already historic before the gun went off. Olympics.com noted that 56,640 runners and walkers finished the 2025 race, the largest finisher total ever recorded for a marathon. (olympics.com) London also leaned into the event’s carnival side. Olympics.com reported that 76 participants were attempting 73 Guinness World Records, including costume runs, blindfolded efforts and even mid-race knitting. (olympics.com) The wheelchair races added more front-end speed. Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race in 1:24:13, and Catherine Debrunner won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:38:29. (olympics.com) By late Sunday, the 2026 London Marathon had delivered both of the things the event now sells best: record-level participation and record-level racing. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) (apnews.com)
