London is the flattest of the majors, about 125 meters of gain along the Thames, from Greenwich past the Cutty Sark and over Tower Bridge to The Mall. The catch is getting in: the 2026 ballot drew 1.13 million applications for roughly 17,000 spots, a 1.5 percent shot, so most of us run it on a charity place instead. Late April sits 7 to 15 degrees, usually dry. For 2027 it runs over two days, 100,000 finishers.
Better info coming — we're still verifying 2 fields on this race.
Major race decision brief
Know the catch before you book the flight.
Four facts shape this weekend: entry, course load, the start-to-finish problem, and whether your crew gets a good trip too.
01 · Secure the bib
Closed · Lottery
$106 listed entry. Treat travel as refundable until your place and any qualification requirement are confirmed.
02 · Read the load
125 m climbing
Flat and fast along the Thames, from Greenwich to The Mall past the Cutty Sark, over Tower Bridge near halfway, and through the Canary Wharf canyons before the flag-lined finish by Buckingham Palace. Around 125 meters of total gain, much of it the early downhill out of Blackheath; the course nets downhill and runs that way. The crowds are loud the whole route, but the opening miles bottleneck hard with the pack packed onto narrow southeast-London streets.
03 · Solve the base
Point-to-point logistics
Start and finish sit roughly 10 km apart as the crow flies. Choose a base around the official transport plan or finish—not from a map pin that only looks close to the start.
04 · Pack the range
7–15°C typical
Historical rain signal: 25%. Use it for packing, then switch to the live forecast inside race week.
Crew fit is 5/5. Use the spectator guide to decide whether this is a shared city weekend or a runner-first operation.
Why we'd pick it
- The 125 m climbing estimate is useful for planning, not a verified pacing number.
- The ballot is closed for this edition.
- A non-racing partner gets a real weekend here — 5/5.
- Race day usually sits 7–15°C, about 25% chance of rain.
The course
Flat and fast along the Thames, from Greenwich to The Mall past the Cutty Sark, over Tower Bridge near halfway, and through the Canary Wharf canyons before the flag-lined finish by Buckingham Palace. Around 125 meters of total gain, much of it the early downhill out of Blackheath; the course nets downhill and runs that way. The crowds are loud the whole route, but the opening miles bottleneck hard with the pack packed onto narrow southeast-London streets.
