London Marathon 2025 – everything you need to know

Image source, Getty Images

Harry Poole

BBC Sport journalist

Records will be under threat when the 45th edition of the London Marathon takes place on Sunday.

Stacked elite fields will have course and world records in their sights, with a 98,000 bonus available to anyone successful in achieving the latter in the men’s and women’s races.

This year’s event is aiming to break the world record for the most participants in a marathon, with more than 56,000 people expected to compete.

That record had been the 55,646 finishers at last year’s New York Marathon, but this month’s Paris Marathon recorded 56,950 participants.

The streets of London will be packed with people running for causes close to their hearts, some pursuing their own records and being cheered throughout the 26.2 miles by electric crowds.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 London Marathon, including how to follow it live across the BBC.

The course begins at Greenwich Park and ends on The Mall, where runners will cross the finishing line after passing Buckingham Palace.

The mostly flat route takes in several other London landmarks, including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and Big Ben.

Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao won the men’s race in two hours four minutes one second last year, with compatriot Peres Jepchirchir victorious in a women’s only world record of 2:16:16.

Image source, TCS London Marathon

Eliud Kipchoge, who became the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours in 2019 and is widely regarded as the greatest distance runner in history, returns to the London Marathon for the first time since 2020.

The record four-time winner is joined in the elite men’s race by defending champion Munyao and Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Tamirat Tola, but Kipchoge’s long-time rival Kenenisa Bekele was a late withdrawal.

Half marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo makes his debut after becoming the first person to run a half marathon in under 57 minutes in February.

World record holder Ruth Chepngetich and 2024 winner Jepchirchir have withdrawn from this year’s elite women’s race.

But a stacked line-up still features two of the three fastest women in history in Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and Paris 2024 silver medallist Tigst Assefa.

All four reigning Olympic and Paralympic marathon champions will be present, with Swiss athletes Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner contesting the elite wheelchair events.

Hug, who won a third consecutive Paralympic marathon in 2024, bids for a seventh – and fifth consecutive – London Marathon triumph, while compatriot Debrunner aims for a third London victory following five golds at Paris 2024.

The race winners will receive 41,000, while a 112,000 bonus will be paid to any man running under 2:02:00 or woman under 2:15:00.

Image source, Getty Images

Olympic and world triathlon champion Alex Yee will make his highly anticipated marathon debut.

With Emile Cairess forced to withdraw because of injury, Mahamed Mahamed and Philip Sesemann are among the British men aiming to star towards the front.

Eilish McColgan will make her debut at this year’s London Marathon, competing over 26.2 miles for the first time after injury prevented her participation in 2023.

Among the Britons joining McColgan in the women’s race are Charlotte Purdue, Rose Harvey and Phily Bowden.

Record eight-time winner David Weir returns for his 26th consecutive appearance in the men’s wheelchair race.

In the women’s event, last year’s Boston Marathon champion Eden Rainbow-Cooper will aim to improve on her best London finish of third in 2022.

London Marathon course records:

Marathon world records:

Those participating in this year’s London Marathon will share the course with Britain’s most successful Olympian of all time – seven-time gold medal-winning cyclist Sir Jason Kenny.

Also among the sporting royalty present will be former England cricketers Sir Andrew Strauss and Sir Alastair Cook, running for the Ruth Strauss Foundation – the charity set up following the death of Strauss’ wife.

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan returns after his debut last year to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust, while singer Alexandra Burke runs for the first time in support of Diabetes UK.

Well-known footballers including former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere, former Chelsea and England captain John Terry, and former Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci are taking part.

A record 840,318 people applied to take part in this year’s London Marathon via the public ballot, with more than 56,000 expected to compete on the day.

The race is the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event, with more than 1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.

There will be 103 participants attempting to break 87 Guinness World Records at this year’s London Marathon.

Broadcaster and DJ Adele Roberts, already the fastest woman with a stoma to complete the London Marathon, will attempt to become the fastest woman with a stoma to complete all six world marathon majors in the space of eight months.

Attempts will be made to break records in two, four and 10-person costumes.

Also watch out for:

• 08:50 BST – elite wheelchairs

• 09:05 – elite women

• 09:35 – elite men

• 09:35-11:30 – mass event

The forecast for London on Sunday is currently looking good for marathon runners.

Sunny intervals and light winds are forecast, although there could be some rain in the morning.

Temperatures of about 12C are predicted for the start of the race, although that is expected to rise to a warm 20C for those finishing later in the afternoon.

Here is how to follow coverage of the London Marathon on Sunday, 27 April across BBC platforms (all times BST and subject to late changes):

Thursday, 24 April

19:30-21:00 BBC Radio 5 Live – London Marathon preview

Saturday, 26 April

08:30-10:30 BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app – Mini London Marathon

13:15-13:45 BBC One – My Reason To Run

Sunday, 27 April

08:00-18:00 BBC Radio London – live coverage

08:30-14:00 BBC One – live coverage

08:30-15:00 BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app – uninterrupted coverage

11:00-14:00 BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app – Tower Bridge camera

12:30-18:00 BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app – finishing-line camera

14:00-15:00 BBC Two – live coverage

18:00-19:00 BBC Two – highlights

Related topics