24–25 Apr 2027 · Athletics

Hotels for London Marathon 2027

Name: London Marathon 2027
Start: 2027-04-24T01:00:00+01:00
End: 2027-04-25
Location: London

In London running 24–25 Apr 2027. 575 hotels within 2 miles as the crow flies — book close and make a trip of it.

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About London Marathon 2027

The TCS London Marathon is the world's most popular marathon ballot and one of its most spectacular — 26.2 miles through the capital's greatest landmarks, from Greenwich past the Cutty Sark, over Tower Bridge, through the City and down the Mall to Buckingham Palace. The 2027 edition is historic: for the first time the race runs across two days, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April, expanding to 100,000 runners to meet demand from the 1.

3 million who entered the ballot. It's a multi-day trip, not a race-day dash — everyone collects their number in person at the expo (the Running Show at ExCeL London, in the Docklands) in the days beforehand, so plan to arrive early — and where you stay decides how your race morning goes. The guidance below is written for that: the start is out at Blackheath and Greenwich in south-east London, a world away from the finish on the Mall, so the right base saves a tense, crowded journey before the gun.

Where to stay & getting to the start

The start areas sit around Greenwich and Blackheath in south-east London — a long way from the finish on the Mall — so it pays to base yourself for the start, not the finish. Race weekend is busy across the whole city, and because entry is by ballot many runners hold a refundable room well before they know they're in. The areas below trade off nicely between how close you are to the start and how much choice you'll find; each has its own hotel search centred on it.

Greenwich or Blackheath — closest to the start

Staying in Greenwich or Blackheath puts you within reach of the start on foot, which takes the whole race-morning transport question off the table on a morning when local trains and the DLR are at their busiest. It's the calmest way to reach your pen on time. Rooms here are limited and go early for marathon weekend, so book ahead — and refundable if your place still depends on the ballot.

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Canary Wharf — a short DLR hop, usually better value

If Greenwich is full, Canary Wharf is a natural second choice rather than heading into the centre: it sits on the DLR just across the river, a few stops from Greenwich and Cutty Sark, and it often has more availability at friendlier rates. Give yourself plenty of time on the morning, as trains towards the start fill up quickly.

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London Bridge — direct trains to the south-east

London Bridge is a good balance of central and convenient: mainline trains run from here into south-east London and Blackheath, so it's a straightforward rail route towards the start while keeping you near the river and the City for the rest of the trip. Aim to travel early to stay ahead of the race-morning rush.

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Central London — most choice, allow extra time

The centre has by far the most hotels and is the easy default, but it's the furthest from the start and the slowest to leave on race morning, so treat the journey as part of the plan and set off early. If you'd rather not gamble on a single connection, a base nearer the river — or south of it — makes the trip to the start noticeably simpler.

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Transport for London and the organisers publish specific travel advice for marathon weekend — special services, road closures and recommended routes — so check both in the days before and confirm your own start time and journey.

This is an AI-assisted planning guide. Dates, start times, transport and event details can change — please confirm everything with the official event and transport websites before you book. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.

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History

The London Marathon began with a bet and a newspaper article. In 1979 the Olympic steeplechase champion Chris Brasher ran the New York City Marathon, came home enchanted, and asked in print whether London could stage a race of its own; two years later, on 29 March 1981, he and John Disley delivered it, and around 7,000 runners set off on a course threading the capital's great river landmarks.

It has since grown into one of the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors and the largest single-day fundraising event on the planet, its ballot so heavily oversubscribed — more than a million people applied for 2027 — that the race will run over two days for the first time in its history, expanding towards 100,000 finishers.

From Greenwich and Blackheath it winds past the Cutty Sark, over Tower Bridge and along the Embankment to a finish on The Mall, and its fast, flat course has made it a favourite of world-record breakers and first-timers alike.

Records & quirks

The very first London Marathon, in 1981, ended with its two leaders — Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen — crossing the line hand in hand in a dead heat.
It holds the Guinness World Record as the largest annual single-day fundraising event on the planet, having raised over £1 billion for charity since 1981.
The 2027 race is the first to be run over two days, expanding to around 100,000 finishers after 1.3 million people entered the ballot.
Paula Radcliffe set a women's marathon world record of 2:15:25 on the course in 2003 — a mark that stood for 16 years.
The route is famously flat and fast, dropping around 40 metres from the start at Greenwich to the finish on The Mall.
Every year thousands run in fancy dress for hundreds of charities, setting a string of Guinness records for costumed marathon running.