What to know before running the London Marathon

The London Marathon is one of the World Marathon Majors, and I had the opportunity to run it in October 2022, which was one of the few times it was held in the fall instead of the spring. They had it in October in 2021 and 2022 because of the pandemic, and I wanted to run the fall edition because training through cold Chicago winters isn’t my favorite. I ran it with a charity [MS Society because my grandma had the condition], and I think I was lucky to do it that year before it became even bigger of a race. I also spectated the race in 2024, which was a ton of fun. Alongside Chicago, this is my favorite of the 5 Majors I’ve run so far. This post breaks down my experience with the race from a logistics standpoint and what you can do to best prepare if you’re racing it.

Expo:

The expo is open for 4 days, from Wednesday-Saturday, and located at ExCeL London. You can access it easily via the train - just follow the instructions provided by the race. I went on Wednesday a few hours after it opened and it wasn’t too busy.

It’s held in a large, open space, and there was plenty of gear available. I can’t speak to this if you go later in the weekend, but I would assume it’s busier and less sizes are left on Saturday. I highly recommend going on Wednesday or Thursday if you can!

Shakeout Runs:

There were several shakeout runs to choose from in 2022, and I know there are even more now as the race continues to grow in popularity. I went to the Tracksmith one, which they have every year. RunDemCrew is a big run crew in London that usually holds some events during the weekend, so check them out. And there are always shakeout runs from other big brands, so pay attention to social media as the race gets closer.

London still doesn’t have as many shakeout runs and popups as the Majors in the US, but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing, as it can be overwhelming to have tons of choices.

*Making new friends at the London Tracksmith shakeout run*

Hydration + Fuel:

Water stations are every 2-3 miles and they give out small plastic water bottles. If it’s a warm day, this is not enough water, so you may want to consider bringing your own. They do allow both hydration packs and handheld water bottles, so whatever you trained with can be used during this race. They also have refill stations at several of the mile markers. The electrolyte drink (Lucozade Sport) is not at every aid station.

Make sure you watch your step as you’re running through the aid stations, as it can get slippery with all of the water bottles littering the ground

In terms of fuel, there are gels at a few of the aid stations, but I wouldn’t rely on them for your fueling plan. It’s also worth noting that there is NO food at the finish line. I recommend packing some snacks in your checked bag to start the recovery process, as it took me awhile to get food after finishing.

Cutoff Times:

London has the most generous cutoff time of all the Marathon Majors, which is 8 hours from when the last person crosses the start line. It’s a very friendly course for back-of-the-pack runners and there are still a lot of people out cheering for the 6, 7, 8 hour marathoners.

London is truly one big party, with a ton of people wearing costumes and going for new Guinness World Records. The crowd support is amazing, with supporters along the entire course (and in some places, it was deafening). Wear your name on your shirt and people will say it!

Misc tips:

Transportation to the start line is easy. Go to the train station closest to where you’re staying and just follow all the other runners :) Read your event packet, as well, but this was not a stressful experience.
Wear your name on the front of your shirt. Spectators will cheer for you by name and hearing my name in a British accent was so fun.
Have a plan for where to meet people after in the finish area - it’s a HUGE area, so plan in advance.
As I mentioned above, you only get an oat bar, water, and sports drink at the finish, so pack some food or otherwise have a plan to start refueling. It will take you awhile to get back to your accommodations from the finish area.

If you’re spectating -

It’s easy to see people in multiple spots on the course. You can use the train to get around. I went to mile ~8 and mile ~24 when I was spectating.
The crowds are big for spectating and are rows deep in many areas. If you want to be toward the front to make sure you see your person(s), arrive early to cheer.
Make sure you tell your runner(s) where you’ll be and what side of the street you’ll be on [runner’s left or runner’s right]. Wearing something that sticks out is also helpful for them to spot you. It is a crowded race, both with runners and spectators. I spectated in 2024, and even though I was intently looking for people, I still missed a lot of my friends. It’s easier for runners to spot you so make sure they know where to look!

Let me know if you’re running the London Marathon this year or if you’re hoping to next year!

What to know before you run the London Marathon