The 2025 TCS London Marathon is gearing up to make history. Celebrating its 45th edition, the event is set to become the world’s largest marathon, surpassing the New York City Marathon's
current record of 55,646 finishers.
Since its humble beginnings in 1981 with just over 6,000 finishers, the London Marathon has grown into one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors and an iconic event on the global running calendar.
A look back: how the London Marathon began
The modern London Marathon debuted on 29 March 1981, created by Olympic steeplechase medallists Chris Brasher and John Disley, inspired by the New York City Marathon. But marathoning in London actually traces back to 1908, when the Olympic Games introduced the now-standard 26.2-mile distance from Windsor Castle to White City.
Another early iteration, the Polytechnic Marathon, ran from 1909 to 1996. While originally men-only, Violet Percy defied the rules in 1926 to become its first female finisher, though her result wasn’t officially recognized for decades.
Growth of a global phenomenon
The inaugural 1981 race had 20,000 applicants, 7,055 starters, and 6,255 finishers—including fewer than 300 women. Since then, over 1.3 million runners have crossed the London Marathon finish line.
Participation has soared:
1988: 20,000+ finishers
1999: 30,000+
2018: 40,000+
2024: 53,890 finishers
For 2025, over 840,000 people entered the public ballot, with a record 49% female applicants.
More than a race: a force for good
London isn’t just massive in size—it’s also the world’s biggest one-day annual fundraising event, with over £1.3 billion raised since 1981. Each year, 750,000+ spectators line the streets, and millions more watch live broadcasts on the BBC and around the world.
London’s place among the majors
A founding member of the World Marathon Majors, alongside Boston, New York, Chicago, and Berlin, London welcomed Tokyo in 2013 and will see Sydney join the series in 2025. Runners who complete all six races earn the coveted Six Star Finisher Medal.
Record breakers on the Thames
Though the world record marathon times were set in Chicago, London’s course has seen some lightning-fast performances:
Men’s course record: Kelvin Kiptum, 2:01:25 (2023)
Kiptum, who tragically passed away in 2024, went on to set the world record in Chicago later that year.
Women’s mixed-race course record: Paula Radcliffe, 2:15:25 (2003)
Women-only course record: Peres Jepchirchir, 2:16:16 (2024)
In the wheelchair division:
Men’s record: Marcel Hug, 1:23:44 (2023)
Women’s record: Catherine Debrunner, 1:38:54 (2024)
What to expect in 2025
The 2025 London Marathon takes place on Sunday, 27 April, with a packed elite field and an estimated 56,000+ finishers, aiming to set a new global record.
Start times (UK):
8:50am: Wheelchair races (Hug, Debrunner, Weir among contenders)
9:05am: Elite Women (featuring Sifan Hassan and Ruth Chepngetich)
Photo by DanHuddleston, Wikimedia commons.
9:35am: Elite Men (including Eliud Kipchoge, Jacob Kiplimo, and Alex Yee)
9:35–11:30am: Mass start waves
Stay tuned for a full race preview, featuring top contenders and how to catch all the live coverage of this landmark event.