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London Marathon 2024: Date, times, route and how to watch race

Harry Latham-Coyle
·4 min read
Sifan Hassan won the elite women’s London Marathon in 2023 (Getty Images)
Sifan Hassan won the elite women’s London Marathon in 2023 (Getty Images)

The London Marathon returns in 2024 with another action-packed day of elite and charitable racing.

The annual road race in the English capital is again held in a traditional slot in April, with thousands entering the mass participation event and bidding to complete the 26.2-mile course.

Two strong elite fields and the best wheelchair racers in the world will also be competing on a busy day.

Sifan Hassan was the winner of last year’s women’s elite race, while the men’s event will be tinged with a hint of sadness after the passing of Kelvin Kiptum, the 2023 champion, in February.

Here’s everything you need to know:

When is the London Marathon?

The 2024 London Marathon will be held on Sunday 21 April.

What time does it start?

The exact timings for this year have not yet been confirmed, but are likely to resemble last year’s schedule, which was:

8.30am BST: Mini London marathon

8.50am: Elite wheelchair races

9.00am: Elite women’s race

9.30am: Elite men’s race and mass start

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the London Marathon live on the BBC, with extensive television coverage and online streaming available via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.

What is the route?

The course for the event remains largely unchanged since the first running of the race in 1981. Entrants will start in the south of Greenwich, embarking on a largely flat course to the east before folding back towards the centre of London on Woolwich Church Street.

From there, runners weave past the Cutty Sark by the Thames, hugging the river as they travel through Bermondsey and crossing Tower Bridge. A right turn will take competitors into the heart of the old Docklands, winding through Canary Wharf before doubling back to begin the final stretch through central London. A dip through an underpass at Blackfriars will take runners down to the Embankment with the Thames to their left, turning right at Westminster Bridge.

Two more right turns on the edge of St James’s Park will take the field on to the famous finish on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.

What is the women’s elite field?

The elite women’s marathon will be headlined by Tigst Assefa, who smashed the world record in Berlin last September. Previous record holder Brigid Kosgei will look to challenge her. The field in full is:

  • Tigst ASSEFA (ETH, 2:11:53 WR)

  • Brigid KOSGEI (KEN, 2:14:04)

  • Ruth CHEPNGETICH (KEN, 2:14:18)

  • Tigist KETEMA (ETH, 2:16:07)

  • Almaz AYANA (ETH, 2:16:22)

  • Megertu ALEMU (ETH, 2:17:09)

  • Peres JEPCHIRCHIR (KEN, 2:17:16)

  • Joyciline JEPKOSGEI (KEN, 2:17:23)

  • Yalemzerf YEHUALAW (ETH, 2:17:23)

  • Sheila CHEPKIRUI (KEN, 2:17:29)

  • Tsige HAILESLASE (ETH, 2:22:10)

  • Susanna SULLIVAN (USA, 2:24:27)

  • Manon TRAPP (FRA, 2:25:48)

  • Becky BRIGGS (GBR, 2:29:04)

  • Alice WRIGHT (GBR, 2:29:08)

  • Anya CULLING (GBR, 2:34:45)

  • Rachel HODGKINSON (GBR, 2:34:46)

  • Helen GAUNT (GBR, 2:35:38)

  • Mhairi MACLENNAN (GBR, Debut)

  • Lucy REID (GBR, Debut)

What is the men’s elite field?

Reigning New York City Marathon champion Tamirat Tola, legendary Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele and last year’s runner-up Geoffrey Kamworor are among an intriguing men’s field:

  • Kenenisa BEKELE (ETH, 2:01:41)

  • Mosinet GEREMEW (ETH, 2:02:55)

  • Alexander Mutiso MUNYAO (KEN, 2:03:11)

  • Tamirat TOLA (ETH, 2:03:39)

  • Dawit WOLDE (ETH, 2:03:48)

  • Kinde ATANAW (ETH, 2:03:51)

  • Leul GEBRESILASE (ETH, 2:04:02)

  • Geoffrey KAMWOROR (KEN, 2:04:23)

  • Seifu TURA (ETH, 2:04:29)

  • Daniel DO NASCIMENTO (BRA, 2:04:51)

  • Addisu GOBENA (ETH, 2:05:01)

  • Milkesa MENGESHA (ETH, 2:05:29)

  • Henok TESFAY (ERI, 2:07:12)

  • Emile CAIRESS (GBR, 2:08:07)

  • Callum HAWKINS (GBR, 2:08:14)

  • Hassan CHAHDI (FRA, 2:08:19)

  • Mahamed MAHAMED (GBR, 2:08:40)

  • Brian SHRADER (USA, 2:09:46)

  • Weynay GHEBRESILASIE (GBR, 2:09:50)

  • Andrew HEYES (GBR, 2:13:52)

  • Alexander LEPRETRE (GBR, 2:15:01)

  • Hiko Tonosa HASO (IRL, 2:15:01)

  • Norman SHREEVE (GBR, 2:16:17)

  • Alex MILNE (GBR, 2:16:30)

  • William MYCROFT (GBR, 2:17:02)

  • David BISHOP (GBR, 2:17:06)

  • Adam BOWDEN (GBR, 2:17:18)

  • Kieran WALKER (GBR, 2:17:30)

  • Alexander LAWRENCE (GBR, 2:17:41)

  • Daniel HAMILTON (GBR, 2:17:59)

  • Dominic JONES (GBR, 2:18:15)

  • Fraser STEWART (GBR, 2:18:34)

  • Tom FRITH (GBR, 2:18:35)

  • James HOAD (GBR, 2:18:38)

  • Ryan THOMSON (GBR, 2:18:46)

  • Martin HOARE (IRL, 2:18:57)

  • Charlie SANDISON (GBR, 2:19:22)

  • Paulos SURAFEL (GBR, No Time)

  • Daniel MATEIKO (KEN, No Time)

  • Jacob ALLEN (GBR, Debut)

  • Kieran CLEMENTS (GBR, Debut)

  • Marc SCOTT (GBR, Debut)

  • Sean TOBIN (IRL, Debut)