Here’s the thing about Flora. If you’re British and over 35, you don’t need an explanation. The yellow tub lived in your parents’ fridge, probably next to some questionable leftover gravy. You spread it on toast without thinking. You didn’t ask questions.
But running has never been a sport that stops asking questions — especially about food. So when Flora announced this month that it’s returning as an official partner of the TCS London Marathon, three decades after it first served as title sponsor, it seemed worth pausing to ask: what exactly is it, and should you be eating more of it during your training?
First, the reunion story
Flora and the London Marathon go back. Way back. The brand was the race’s title sponsor from 1996 to 2009 — 13 years of Flora-branded finish lines, Flora-branded bibs, and Flora presumably on every breakfast table in the country. Then it stepped away, returned as a supporting partner from 2020 to 2023, and now it’s back again for a third stint, this time locked into a three-year deal starting with this year’s race on Sunday, April 26.
Thirty years since it first put its name on the start line. That’s a long time. Some of the runners lining up in April weren’t born yet.
Right. So what actually is it?
Flora is a plant-based spread. A butter alternative, if you want to be diplomatic about it. Margarine, if you don’t.
It’s made primarily from plant oils — sunflower being the main one historically — and it was originally created as a lower-saturated-fat option for people who wanted something that wasn’t butter but also wasn’t, you know, nothing. Over the past decade or so, the brand has gone fully plant-based and positioned itself firmly in the world of dairy-free eating. No animal products. Suitable for vegans. Works straight from the fridge, which butter famously does not, a fact that has ruined more toast than anyone cares to admit.
You can cook with it, bake with it, spread it. That’s the pitch. And for runners curious about a plant-based diet for athletes, it’s the kind of everyday swap that adds up over the course of a long training block.
Why should runners care?
Honestly? Probably more than most people do.
Fuelling for a marathon is one of those things that almost every runner underprioritises. You nail your long runs. You do your tempo sessions. You buy the shoes. Then you get home, exhausted and starving, and eat whatever’s nearest because you simply cannot be bothered to think about it.
Flora’s role in the partnership is built around that problem. The brand has committed to creating nutritious recipes specifically aimed at runners in training — meals designed to support the kind of calorie demands that come with high-mileage training weeks, when eating enough of the right things actually matters. Getting your fats from the right sources — unsaturated over saturated — is one small piece of a puzzle that also includes carb loading, protein timing, and making sure you’re not running on empty by mile 18.
Flora will also have a presence on race day itself, joining the already packed lineup of supporters along the course.
What they’re saying
Ian Hepburn, Head of Marketing at Flora, said: “Returning to the TCS London Marathon feels incredibly special for Flora. This event has always stood for inclusivity, determination and community, values that align perfectly with our brand. Flora brings culinary credibility, taste and nourishment to help fuel runners in their marathon training and all people who want to make positive choices about what they eat.”
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Flora back as an official partner of the TCS London Marathon. Flora has a proud history with the event and a genuine commitment to supporting participants at every stage of their journey. Their focus on fuelling and wellbeing will be a valuable addition for participants as they prepare for and take part in this year’s event.”
A brand that’s been around as long as you have
There’s something quietly interesting about Flora and the London Marathon growing up together. In 1996, when Flora first had its name on the race, mass participation running was still finding its identity. The marathon was already a big deal, but the culture around it — the GPS watches, the nutrition gels, the obsessive Strava analysis, the 17-week training plans — hadn’t fully taken hold yet.
It has now. And so has plant-based eating. The two worlds — serious amateur running and conscious food choices — overlap more than ever. Whether a spread best known for living in the fridge door can carve out a meaningful space in that conversation is genuinely unclear. But Flora at least arrives with 30 years of brand recognition and a race that draws 50,000 runners to the streets of London every April.
They’ll be on the course on race day too, which — given what you eat in the final miles can do to a person’s outlook on life — may be where any brand message actually lands.
The 2026 TCS London Marathon takes place on April 26.
Butter has 10,000 years of recognition, contains many nutrients that protect against heart disease including vitamins A, D, K2, and E, lecithin, iodine and selenium, contains fats that are critical to lung function and asthma protection, grass fed butter is high in CLA which helps control weight gain and protects your joints by reducing inflammation (key for runners)…I’ll stick with my pastured butter.