The London Marathon is an annual marathon race held in London, England, typically in April. Founded in 1981 by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley, the largely flat course follows the River Thames from Blackheath to The Mall.
The event combines mass participation with elite competition. Alongside the main public race, it hosts professional races for men and women, elite wheelchair divisions, and a mini marathon for under-17 athletes. Since 2006 it has formed part of the World Marathon Majors alongside six other top-tier races. The London course has witnessed seven marathon world records, including Khalid Khannouchi’s men’s mark in 2002 and multiple women’s records by Paula Radcliffe (2002, 2003, 2005). In 2026, Sabastian Sawe became the first person to break two hours on the London course, setting the current elite men’s record of 1:59:30. Radcliffe’s 2:15:25 from 2003 remains the women’s course record. The race carries significant weight in endurance sport and has raised over £1.4 billion for charity since its founding, making it one of the world’s largest fundraising events.
