What is it?
It’s the London Marathon in 2022. Last year, for the first time, the event took place in the traditional way in October, rather than in the spring.
When is it?
The marathon will take place on Sunday, October 2.
What time does it start?
- 08.30: London Mini Marathon
- 08.50: Elite wheelchair races
- 09.00: Elite ladies race
- 09.30: Elite men’s race and mass start
What TV channel is it on?
The elite races and mass entry event on Sunday will be broadcast live on the BBC from 8.30am BST – via BBC One and BBC Two, as well as the Red Button and iPlayer.
Of course you can also follow the full coverage with us via our live blog.
What are the current marathon records?
2hrs 1mins 09secs is the fastest time for men set by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin in 2022.
The average time for male runners is about 3 hours 48 minutes.
Brigid Kosgei set the women’s world record of 2:14:04 at the 2019 Chicago Marathon.
4 hours 23 minutes is the average time for female finishers.
What is the latest weather forecast?
Currently the forecast is for sunshinewith temperatures around the mid-teens, peaking at 18C.
How is transportation affected?
Roads in south east and central London will be closed between 4am and 7pm, while buses in central London and Greenwich will stop earlier or be diverted from 6:30am to 7:30pm. DLR is running a modified service until 5pm.
Runners in Sunday’s marathon will be hindered in their preparations due to the national train strike on Saturday, forcing some participants to either travel or run on Friday.
Positive talks have been held with Southeastern Railway and National Rail regarding the Sunday when the tube and Docklands Light Railway will be operational.
There are also plans to counter any disruption caused by protests. The Just Stop Oil group is planning a two-day protest in the capital this weekend and London Mayor Sadiq Khan has already urged them to stay clear of the 40,000 runners who will be raising around £70 million for charities , including those committed to climate change.
“What the London Marathon is all about is inspiring people to use their legs, to exercise – not to use transport – and to raise funds for charities,” Brasher said. “We have taken appropriate measures, but we really hope that the race will not be disrupted.”
What is the trajectory?
The track is very flat with only one small rise. The triple start winds out of Greenwich Park and Blackheath Park, passing through Greenwich and over Tower Bridge. Around Canary Wharf, the course runs along the Thames past the Tower of London via Trafalgar Square to The Mall, ending in front of Buckingham Palace. The track is one of the world’s fastest and holds the existing women’s world record.
What are the best viewing spots?
Here’s what the official London Marathon website suggests…
If you want to follow your loved ones and try to catch a glimpse of them as they pass, we recommend that you avoid very busy areas, where it can be difficult to find a vantage point, difficult to move around and difficult to enter come and out.
Busy areas include Greenwich city center and the Cutty Sark. While the ship is undoubtedly a beautiful setting for the race, the crowds attracted here can make viewing uncomfortable and transport in and around Greenwich becomes particularly busy. We strongly advise spectators to avoid this area.
Tower Bridge is always extremely busy, like anywhere from mile 24 to the finish in The Mall. Obviously, many of you will end up in this area later in the day when you head to the runners meeting and greeting area in Horse Guards Road.
Latest news
The London Marathon organizers have urged Sir Mo Farah to end his athletics career on the streets of London in much the same way as Paula Radcliffe’s emotional farewell to club runners in 2015.
Farah will be 40 by the time of the next London marathon, but having retired from track racing earlier this year, he will start among the elite runners on Sunday for what could be his last race ever.
Hugh Brasher, the event director, has known Farah since he was 12 years old at Hounslow Athletics Club and, having also seen him win the mini-marathon as a teenager and then finish third as a senior in 2018, he hopes he will sign off in the iconic event.
Brasher doesn’t know when that will be, highlighting the example of Eliud Kipchoge, who broke a new marathon world record on Sunday at the age of 37 and will be in London this weekend as an event ambassador. “The door will always be open for Mo – he is Britain’s greatest endurance athlete in terms of Olympic gold medals and World Cup gold medals,” said Brasher.
“Eliud has shown that the age limits we thought existed don’t necessarily exist now. I hope Mo runs great, but you never know because marathon running is the hardest thing there is. If you’re 99%, not 100%, you won’t get away with it.
“We will always talk to him. Look at what happened to Paula Radcliffe – her last run was in the London Marathon in 2015. It was the most incredible goodbye I think the British public has ever been able to give to an athlete When Mo decides to run his last marathon, we’d love to be in London. The crowd would love it. He should be celebrated.”