When and How to Watch the London Marathon
You can follow our live coverage of the London Marathon on race day here, starting at 8:30 a.m. BST Sunday morning (30 minutes before the race start time).
And watch our London Marathon Watch Along Live Show on YouTube during the race here.
Start Date
The 2025 London Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, April 27, 2025.
Start Times
- Elite Wheelchair Race: 8:50 a.m. BST
- Elite Women’s Race: 9:05 a.m. BST
- Elite Men’s and Mass Start: 9:35 a.m. BST
How to Watch the London Marathon
In the UK, live coverage of the London Marathon will be broadcast on BBC One, starting at 8:30 a.m. BST and continuing until 2:00 p.m. BST. Coverage will then switch to BBC Two from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. BST. Additionally, a highlights show will be available on BBC Two at 6:00 p.m. BST.
For online viewers, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport app will provide live streaming of the event.
International viewers can watch the marathon through the following broadcasters:
| Region | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Australia, Canada, USA | FloTrack |
| Brazil | ESPN Brazil, Star+ |
| China | Great Sports |
| Japan, MENA, New Zealand | Olympic Channel |
| Israel | Charlton |
| Pan Africa | SuperSport |
| Pan Asia, Pan Europe | Eurosport, discovery+ |
| Pan Latin America | ESPN, Star+ |
| Spain | Teledeporte |
How to Track an Individual Runner
You can search for any individual runner participating in the 2025 London Marathon on the official marathon website. After the race, finishing results along with splits for any runner in either the elite field or the mass participation race will be available.
Course Map
The London Marathon course remains largely unchanged since its inception in 1981. The race begins in Greenwich Park and finishes near Buckingham Palace.
Key landmarks along the course include:
- Mile 6: Cutty Sark
- Mile 12: Tower Bridge
- Mile 18: Canary Wharf
- Mile 22: The Tower of London
- Mile 25: Big Ben
- Mile 26: Buckingham Palace
The course is known for being relatively flat, making it conducive to fast times.
Weather
LONDON WEATHERThe UK is expected to experience changeable weather following an unusually warm and dry early April. Forecasts predict a cloudy day with temperatures within the seasonal average range of 46°F to 68°F.
Prize Money
Prize money at the London Marathon is equally distributed among men and women in all divisions. The London Marathon offers equal prize money among the elite men, elite women, and elite wheelchair divisions.
The total prize money available in each division is $308,000, with the following breakdown:
- 1st: $55,000
- 2nd: $30,000
- 3rd: $22,500
Additionally, the following bonuses are on offer:
- Sub-2:02 (men) or sub-2:15 (women): $150,000
- World record: $125,000
- Course record: $25,000
Men’s and Women’s Elite Start Lists
Men’s Start List
| Athlete | Country | PB |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Mutiso MUNYAO | KEN | 2:03:11 |
| Eliud KIPCHOGE | KEN | 2:01:09 |
| Sabastian SAWE | KEN | 2:02:05 |
| Timothy KIPLAGAT | KEN | 2:02:55 |
| Milkesa MENGESHA | ETH | 2:03:17 |
| Tamirat TOLA | ETH | 2:03:39 |
| Mohamed ESA | ETH | 2:04:39 |
| Abdi NAGEEYE | NED | 2:04:45 |
| Hillary KIPKOECH | KEN | 2:04:45 |
| Amanal PETROS | GER | 2:04:58 |
| Sondre Nordstad MOEN | NOR | 2:05:58 |
| Yemaneberhan CRIPPA | ITA | 2:06:06 |
| Andrew BUCHANAN | AUS | 2:06:22 |
| Mahamed MAHAMED | GBR | 2:07:05 |
| Philip SESEMANN | GBR | 2:08:02 |
| Adam LIPSCHITZ | RSA | 2:08:54 |
| Jonathan MELLOR | GBR | 2:09:06 |
| Dewi GRIFFITHS | GBR | 2:09:49 |
| Weynay GHEBRESILASIE | GBR | 2:09:50 |
| Jake SMITH | GBR | 2:11:00 |
| Kevin SALVANO | USA | 2:11:26 |
| Luke CALDWELL | GBR | 2:11:33 |
| Marcelo LAGUERA | MEX | 2:11:54 |
| Dan NASH | GBR | 2:12:59 |
| Andrew HEYES | GBR | 2:13:52 |
| Ross BRADEN | GBR | 2:14:32 |
| Chris PERRY | GBR | 2:14:57 |
| Alexander LEPRETRE | GBR | 2:15:01 |
| David BISHOP | GBR | 2:15:19 |
| Logan SMITH | GBR | 2:15:49 |
| William MYCROFT | GBR | 2:15:54 |
| James HOAD | GBR | 2:16:29 |
| Alex MILNE | GBR | 2:16:30 |
| Chris THOMAS | GBR | 2:16:32 |
| Carl AVERY | GBR | 2:17:01 |
| Sean HOGAN | GBR | 2:17:02 |
| Jacob KIPLIMO | UGA | Debut |
| Alex YEE | GBR | Debut |
| Jonathan DAVIES | GBR | Debut |
| Jacob ALLEN | GBR | Debut |
| Jack ROWE | GBR | Debut |
Women’s Start List
| Athlete | Country | PB |
|---|---|---|
| Tigst ASSEFA | ETH | 2:11:53 |
| Sifan HASSAN | NED | 2:13:44 |
| Joyciline JEPKOSGEI | KEN | 2:16:24 |
| Megertu ALEMU | ETH | 2:16:34 |
| Stella CHESANG | UGA | 2:18:26 |
| Haven Hailu DESSE | ETH | 2:19:29 |
| Susanna SULLIVAN | USA | 2:21:56 |
| Charlotte PURDUE | GBR | 2:22:17 |
| Sofiia YAREMCHUK | ITA | 2:23:16 |
| Rose HARVEY | GBR | 2:23:21 |
| Phily BOWDEN | GBR | 2:25:47 |
| Molly BOOKMYER | USA | 2:28:52 |
| Eilish MCCOLGAN | GBR | Debut |
| Holly ARCHER | GBR | Debut |
| Vivian CHERUIYOT | KEN | 2:18:31 |
Key Storylines
The Greatest Women’s Field in Marathon History?
The 2025 London Marathon is being heralded as the most stacked women’s field ever assembled for a major marathon — and with good reason. Five of the ten fastest women in history are confirmed, and almost every top contender is entering the race in peak form.
Tigst Assefa: Former World Record Holder Returns With Championship-Style Experience
Tigst Assefa isn’t a debutante anymore — and that’s what makes her return to London all the more compelling.
The Ethiopian superstar — who obliterated the world record with a jaw-dropping 2:11:53 in Berlin 2023 — made her London Marathon debut last year in 2024, finishing second in 2:16:23 behind Peres Jepchirchir, who claimed the women’s-only world record.
That race was a tactical and psychological turning point. After being hyped as the favorite, Assefa was unexpectedly dropped in the final stretch. While her time still ranked among the fastest ever run in London, the defeat was a reminder: racing in a loaded major isn’t like running solo in Berlin.
Now, she’s back — wiser, more experienced on this course, and with a score to settle.
Assefa’s challenge is no longer proving she can run fast — she’s already rewritten the record books. The real test is showing she can win strategically, against a deep field of championship-style racers.
With pacers likely taking the women out at a world record pace once again, the conditions are ripe for redemption — and perhaps, another Assefa-led recalibration of what’s possible in women’s marathoning.
Sifan Hassan: Versatility Like No Other
There’s no one in distance running quite like Sifan Hassan — and after what she pulled off in Paris last summer, that statement feels even more true.
Hassan shocked the world yet again at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she pulled off a jaw-dropping triple: bronze in the 5,000m, bronze in the 10,000m, and gold in the Olympic marathon. Yep, she capped her Games with an Olympic record of 2:22:55, outkicking then world record holder Tigst Assefa in the final meters to seal one of the most dramatic finishes in marathon history.
To put that in perspective: no woman has ever medaled in all three distances at a single Olympics. She’s the Emil Zátopek of the modern era — a runner who just rewrote what’s possible.
And now she’s coming back to London.
Hassan won here in 2023 in what was her marathon debut — a race where she stopped mid-race to stretch, dropped off the lead pack, and still stormed back to win. It was pure chaos and pure Sifan. In 2024, she returned and finished fourth after slipping at a drinks table — but this year, she comes in with a golden glow and Olympic-level confidence.
Kipchoge’s Fifth Title Bid — Or the Rise of the Next Generation?
On the men’s side, Eliud Kipchoge returns to London with one clear objective: a record fifth London Marathon victory.
Kipchoge’s journey over the past year has been challenging.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, he attempted to achieve an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic marathon gold. However, the hilly course and intense competition led to an unexpected outcome. Kipchoge withdrew from the race around the 30km mark, citing discomfort around his waist, marking the first time he did not finish a marathon in his illustrious career.
Despite this setback, Kipchoge remains undeterred.
At 40, he returns to London not just as a competitor but as an ambassador for the sport. His participation is driven by a desire to inspire and give back to the running community. While he may not be the frontrunner this time, his presence adds a layer of depth and history to the race.
Alexander Mutiso: The Reigning Champ with Momentum
Last year’s London winner, Alexander Mutiso, is back to defend his title and is perhaps the most underrated 2:03 marathoner on the planet. A protégé of Patrick Sang’s training group (same as Kipchoge), Mutiso has shown major progress with every start.
He beat Geoffrey Kamworor and Tamirat Tola in a sprint finish in 2024, and has already stated that he aims to break 2:03 on this course — a time that would challenge the course record of 2:02:37.
Jacob Kiplimo: The Most Anticipated Marathon Debut of 2025
At just 24, Jacob Kiplimo is already the world record holder in the half marathon (57:31) and a two-time world cross country champion. Now, the Ugandan phenom steps up for his marathon debut in London.
His coach has confirmed he’ll not be going out conservatively, “We want to run a fast debut. Not 2:08. Something closer to 2:03.”
With his track credentials and ferocious kick, Kiplimo could create a serious shake-up if he’s in the lead group late.
Alex Yee: Triathlete Turned Marathoner?
British fans will have one more reason to tune in: Alex Yee, Olympic triathlon champion and beloved national figure, is making his full marathon debut. Yee has said he wants to “race, not just run,” and will not shy away from the front early.
He recently ran 60:26 for the half in Barcelona — a clear signal he has the wheels. His challenge? Unknown territory past 35K.
