A family of ducks brought a stretch of the London Marathon to a brief standstill on Sunday, April 26, after waddling across the course at Embankment in central London during one of the busiest editions of the race in its history.
The moment was filmed by Laura Starck, 31, from Watford, and shared on TikTok, where the clip has now been viewed more than 300,000 times. Her footage shows runners slowing to a halt at the 39km mark of the 26.2-mile course as a small line of ducks made their way across the road.
A St John’s Ambulance staff member can be seen walking in front of the birds, shielding them from the oncoming runners and making sure no one accidentally collided with the family as they crossed.
Rather than pushing past, runners gave the ducks space. Many took the chance to catch their breath, with several pulling out their phones to film the unexpected interruption alongside spectators lining the route.
“Spectators and runners quickly stopped to take pictures,” Starck told the Watford Observer.
The 2026 London Marathon was the largest in the event’s history, with a record 59,000 runners taking part. The race winds through the capital and passes some of London’s most recognised landmarks, with the Embankment stretch coming late in the course as runners push toward the finish on The Mall.
The duck crossing joins a long list of memorable moments from this year’s race, which also saw a runner take on the course in full medieval armour and produced two world records at the front of the field.
There were no concerns for the ducks’ safety during the crossing. According to Starck, the family eventually made it across to the riverside without incident, leaving runners free to continue on toward the final kilometres of the race.
