London, United Kingdom · Rev
The 2027 London Marathon Runs Over Two Days—A 7-Hour-45-Minute Cutoff on Saturday, Open Until Midnight on Sunday
The 2027 TCS London Marathon will stage the full marathon on both April 24 and 25. Both days start in Greenwich, but the finish line and the closing time differ from day to day.
The same race will run on back-to-back days. On Saturday, April 24, 2027, and Sunday, April 25, the TCS London Marathon covers the full 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles) both days.
That much is just a matter of scale. The real difference is at the finish line.
Saturday runners finish on The Mall, while Sunday runners come in through a secondary finish line at Green Park. The cutoffs differ, too.
Saturday allows 7 hours, 45 minutes, and the finish line on The Mall closes at 5:30 p.m.
On Sunday, Green Park stays open until 11:59:59 p.m.
When you look at the London Marathon schedule, these are the two numbers to check before the dates.
1A race over two days, with two finish lines
The 2027 TCS London Marathon, the 47th edition, will be split between Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25. Both days feature the full marathon, and on both days the start areas are in Greenwich and Blackheath. The split comes at the finish.
Saturday's course uses the traditional finish, turning in front of Buckingham Palace onto The Mall. On Sunday, a secondary finish line goes up at Green Park. Runners cover the same 26.2 miles, but the final 200 meters look different.
Start times also differ: 9 a.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.
m. Sunday. Organizers still list both times as provisional and will confirm them to entrants separately.
Individual wave start times arrive by email about three weeks before the race. The 2026 race set a Guinness World Record with 59,830 finishers. The event has outgrown a single day, and splitting it across two is the answer.
London MarathonSat, April 24, 2027 · D-162 · London, United KingdomSee race details
2Cutoffs: 7 Hours, 45 Minutes on Saturday; Midnight on Sunday
Saturday's cutoff is 7 hours, 45 minutes. With a 9 a.m.
start, the finish line on The Mall closes at 5:30 p.m. Sunday runs until 11:59:59 p.
m.—more than 14 hours from a 9:30 a.m.
start. On paper, Sunday looks endlessly generous. It isn't.
Sunday has its own 8-hour pace line. Fall behind it and some timing equipment starts coming down; from then on, volunteers scan bibs by hand to track each runner's location and progress. In other words, Sunday's midnight isn't a guarantee of a recorded finish time—it's closer to the time the course is cleared.
If you plan to be out there longer than 8 hours, know going in that timing won't work as usual on that stretch. For runners who can finish within 6 hours, 30 minutes, the two days are the same race. If you might go past that mark, your assigned day can decide whether you finish.
3Color-coded start areas and bib pickup at ExCeL London
The start areas in Greenwich are color-coded. The Blue, Green, and Yellow starts are a 10-minute walk from Blackheath station, Pink is 10 minutes from Maze Hill station, and Red is 20 minutes from Greenwich station. Your color determines which train you take and when you need to head out.
Runners from the different start areas don't merge until Woolwich, just before mile 3. On race day, your bib gets you free travel on Southeastern trains, the DLR, the Elizabeth line, the Underground, the Overground, and buses. Signs at central London stations tell you not to tap in at the gates.
The first DLR trains run at about 5:30 a.m. from Tower Gateway and Lewisham, and at about 7 a.
m. from Bank and the rest of the network. Thames Clippers run to Greenwich Pier every 20 minutes.
But there's something to take care of first. Bibs can be picked up only at the Running Show at ExCeL London; there's no race-day pickup. In 2026, the show was open 10 a.
m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.
m. Saturday. If you can't make it, someone else can collect your bib by following the procedure in the participant guide.
That's why, when you plan your London trip, one day has to be blocked out first.
4The first 3 miles are the most dangerous stretch of the course
The course fools runners early. From mile 1 to mile 3, the road is wide and trends downhill, so your legs carry you forward almost on their own. It's also the most crowded stretch.
The pacer advice the race passes on is blunt: don't try to weave from side to side, don't speed up on the downhill around mile 3, and hold a straight line until you settle into marathon pace. Twenty seconds saved here can buy you two minutes later. From mile 4 to mile 14, the course is relatively flat, with a gentle net downhill continuing.
Those 10 miles are why London has a reputation as a fast course. There's one awkward climb just before Tower Bridge. Cross the bridge over the Thames and you're exactly at halfway.
How you feel at halfway goes a long way toward deciding how the second half plays out.
5The second half: from Canary Wharf to the finish on The Mall at Buckingham Palace
Between miles 15 and 20, the course enters Canary Wharf, threading between high-rises. The road narrows, passes through the Westferry underpass, and picks up wind as the buildings act like a tunnel. There are several turns, too.
Go in expecting a long, fast straightaway, and you'll lose your rhythm first. Just after mile 21, Limehouse has a 250-meter stretch called Rainbow Row. Past it, the crowds thicken again.
The final 5 miles run along The Highway and through Tower Hill to Victoria Embankment. Flat and alongside the river, this section is laid out to favor tired legs. After Parliament Square and Birdcage Walk, the final turn in front of Buckingham Palace opens onto the finish line on The Mall.
It's worth mapping your route after the finish, too. The nearest station is St James's Park, and Westminster station is exit-only that day. The Underground, Overground, Elizabeth line, buses, and DLR are free until 8 p.
m. The meeting area for friends and family is up to a 30-minute walk from the finish line.
6Mile-by-Mile Guide to Water, Sports Drinks, Gels, and Restrooms
At this race, fueling only makes sense alongside the mile markers. Water comes every 3 miles from mile 3 through mile 12, then every 2 miles from mile 12 through mile 24. The spacing tightens as the race goes on.
Sports drinks are at miles 7, 15, 21, and 23; gels are at miles 13 and 19. Separate refill points for runners using bottle belts or hydration packs are at miles 5, 10, 14, 17, and 20. Restrooms are at the start and finish, and at every mile from mile 1 through mile 24.
Accessible restrooms are at the start and finish, at miles 1 and 2, and then at every even-numbered mile through mile 24. Aid stations are accessible to wheelchair users, and volunteers can hand you drinks or open lids. Bladder-leak pads and period products are available at information points and aid stations.
The finish area includes a sensory room, a breastfeeding and baby-care area, and a multifaith prayer room. Pacers run within their own start waves and wear flags on their backs showing their target finish times. The gap between runners who've memorized the aid-station map and those who haven't usually shows after mile 20.
7Missed the Ballot? Charity and Good For Age Entry Options
It's a World Athletics Platinum Label race on an AIMS-certified course. Saying it's harder to get into this race than to run it is no exaggeration. The 2027 general ballot (lottery) opened at 9 a.
m. on April 24, 2026, closed at 4 p.m.
on May 1, and drew 1,338,544 applicants. Results went out on July 9, 2026. Three routes remain.
For a charity entry, the charity pays £400 plus VAT per spot, and the runner typically pledges to raise £2,000 to £2,500. It's the surest route to a confirmed entry. Good For Age is open only to U.
K. residents. Its 6,000 spots are split evenly, 3,000 for men and 3,000 for women, and the standard for ages 18 to 39 is 2:52 for men and 3:38 for women.
Championship Entry is the tier above, with 1,200 spots and standards of 2:38 for men and 3:10 for women. The standards for 2027 will be published in fall 2026. The two time-based routes come with one catch.
Hitting the standard only makes you eligible to apply; if applications exceed the available spots, entries go to the fastest times. That means in some years, a 2:51 runner really does miss out.
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The field falls into three groups. If you're chasing a time close to sub-3, the answer is the net downhill from mile 4 to mile 14—that 10-mile stretch is where your time is made here. Factor in the wind and turns around Canary Wharf after mile 15, and your goal pace will hold steady.
If finishing is the goal, start with your assigned day. If 7 hours, 45 minutes feels tight, the Sunday finish at Green Park is far safer. Just know that once you fall behind 8-hour pace, timing works differently than usual.
For runners who live outside the U.K., the realistic way in is a charity entry.
A fundraising pledge in the £2,000 range may sound daunting, but it's a route you can plan around, rather than waiting again on a ballot that draws more than 1 million applicants.
Your next move comes down to two paths. If you plan to get in with a qualifying time, check the 2027 Championship Entry standards when they're released in fall 2026.
If you go the charity route, compare fundraising pledges and deadlines across organizations first. Either way, block out a day for ExCeL London before you plan the rest of the trip.
Entry period · Accommodation
| Races | Itinerary | Entry period | INFO. |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Marathon | Sat, April 24, 2027 | Fri, April 24, 2026 ~ Fri, May 1, 2026 | Accommodation · See race details |
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