FAQs London Marathon

Forget taxies! The only way to get to the start is by train, as all roads around Blackheath are closed. If you want to drive as far as you can, you will need to check the road closures and get as near as possible, but be warned, it will be a fair walk.

By train, you need to get to London Bridge Station. When you arrive, all the relevant platforms are colour coded to your race bib. So, if you have a blue bib, simply find the blue platform and get on a train. Like the bag drop, it is amazingly well organised and very easy to navigate. The train journey is around 15 minutes, and all London travel is free of charge on race day if you have your race bib. When using the London Underground, you may have to find the gate manned by an Underground employee and they will let you through.

Once off the train, everything is well sign posted – just follow the crowd. The passengers on these trains will be exclusively runners. The walk to your start area can take 10-20 minutes, depending on which start area you have. 

No! Plan to say goodbye to them at London Bridge Station. It is pointless them coming to Blackheath, as when you reach your start area they won’t be allowed in.

When you get on the train you will chat with fellow runners, then the walk to the start is the time you begin to focus on what’s ahead, without worrying about who is with you and what they are doing. Also, it isn’t that easy for them to get from Blackheath to other parts of the course. Have hugs, high-fives and kisses at London Bridge (or before), then start YOUR day and let them start theirs.

Plan to be in your bib-coloured start area 45 to 60 minutes before your start time. This gives you time to make sure your bag is sorted and dropped off, and allows time for a warmup, to make sure your shoes are tied, that your kit is all good, that your watch is ready and GPS connected, and gives you time to really focus on the race and your strategy of pace and fuelling.  

This is the time to think back over four months of training and preparation and, most important of all, this is the time we really think about our WHY. This is the time to remember who you are doing this for and the difference you are making to Brain Tumour Research.  This can be an emotional time, but it’s a special time and crucial for you getting in that mindset and reminding yourself to ENJOY IT!

It’s highly recommended. You can keep your bag with you until the last 30 minutes and then hand your bag to the teams based in a large lorry trailer that will be located in your coloured start area. There will be two or three of these trailers co-ordinated by your race number – all very straight forward! At the end of the race, you will cross the finish line and collect your medal, walk through the freebie food area and then see all the lorry trailers parked up. You simply need to look for your bib colour and number, and which trailer applies to you. It’s incredibly well organised and made very easy, despite there being thousands of people. 

Some key advice on this... think about what you will need immediately after the race and pack that, but don’t pack anything valuable. And don’t let this aspect of the marathon day worry you, it’s really well organised and a simple process to follow.

Don’t leave your bag with your Support Crew – you may not be able to find them at the finish and really need your bag to change. Rely on yourself for this.

You cannot change your wave – don’t waste your time trying! 

If you are incredibly lucky, you will be in the same wave, if not, you will have to arrange to meet on the course. 

Your best option is to plan a meet up at three miles into the course, where all runners converge from every start point. However, to do that you need to work out a pace that will get you there at roughly the same time. If you have a smart phone, install a tracking app (for example, Life360) so you can see where the other person is. Be warned, there will be a lot of people around and this isn’t easy to do, even with the very best of preparation and intentions.   

If you don’t have matching bib colours or start times, don’t waste your time trying to get it changed; it won’t happen – LM has more than 50,000 runners to organise and never deviates from its plan, which does allow it to deliver the BEST event for the most people.    

Our advice is not toover commit or plan too much post-race. You don’t know when you will finish – you may be injured and have to spend time in the medical tent;others may not finish in the time they predicted. We can guarantee you will be very emotionalpost-race and would advise you plan little and see how you feel at the finish. You can always head out from the centre and find somewhere to eat and sit down – IF YOU WANT TO. This is your day and should be planned with you in mind. 

Yes. We have two cheer points, at 12 miles and 24 miles into the course, which are great points to see your runners as there will be a crowd in pink all looking and shouting for Team Brain Tumour Research runners. There are big sail flags for the runners to spot, which makes it a bit easier. 

For your Crew, it is hard work getting around London on race day – Tubes are rammed and often hold people outside until space frees up in the station. We advise that Support Crew choose no more than three locations to see you, perhaps at 5/6 miles, then at 12 miles – Cheer Point 1, Rotherhithe Station – and then Cheer Point 2, Embankment, at 24 miles. They can then walk up to Trafalgar Square and meet you post-race. Full details will be shared with our team closer to race day.  

Yes, details will be shared closer to the event when the App launches. The service in the afternoon tends to be patchy as the Wi-Fi and phone service often dies. 

Mobile phone and Wi-Fi are limited and often dies completely during the afternoon due to the number of people using services. Plan to meet your Crew ahead of the event – Trafalgar Square is excellent as you have to come through there on your way to the Tube. The lettered meeting points post-race are often not logical and there are often people walking around for ages trying to meet up – not what you want on aching legs. Be prepared!

As you cross the finish line, the first people you see are the lovely people handing out medals. Get it around your neck and plan to keep it there for a few days 😊 There are many medical areas in case you need it. If you are okay, you will be funnelled along to collect a drink and freebie food from the race sponsors. Careful what you eat at this point: you might be very hungry but a sudden influx of a snack or drink with lots of sugar can make you feel sick. Then, it’s the bag drop – look for your colour- and number-coded lorry trailers. Get your warm dry clothes on; you will cool down very quickly afterwards. 

It’s important not to leave your bag with your Support Crew, as you may not be able to find them quickly and need your warm, dry clothes.

Your Support Crew will not be able to see you until after you clear the bag drop and exit the official finish area. There are a whole host of signposted meeting points, but do make sure you pick somewhere and stick to it, as there will be thousands of people about and you have no chance of meeting up unless you have a mutual point, and the meeting points are not always logical.

Carol and Lee will be at the Brain Tumour Research meeting point in Trafalgar Square, just a few minutes’ walk from the finish area. As you walk through Admiralty Arch into Trafalgar Square, Carol will by right by the roundabout with a Brain Tumour Research banner flag fluttering. You’ll find Carol, other Brain Tumour Research staff, runners, family and friends there. There will be food and maybe even a chair to sit on, but don’t use that for too long, or you will never get back up!

The closest station is Charing Cross, five minutes’ walk away. This is both a mainline station and Underground, and can take you pretty much anywhere you want in London, as it’s so central.