Essential facts

Founders

  • Chris Brasher and John Disley



First held

  • Marathon: 29 March 1981 (first wheelchair race: 1983)
  • Mini Marathon: 1986
  • Virtual Marathon: 2020



First champions

  • Men: Inge Simonsen (NOR) and Dick Beardsley (USA)
  • Women: Joyce Smith (GBR)



Reigning champions

  • Men: Kelvin Kiptum (KEN)
  • Women: Sifan Hassan (NED)
  • Wheelchair men: Marcel Hug (SUI)
  • Wheelchair women: Madison de Rozario (AUS)

  • Kelvin Kiptum wins the 2023 TCS London Marathon elite men's race
  • Sifan Hassan crosses TCS London Marathon finish line
  • Marcel Hug at the Finish Line of the TCS London Marathon
  • Madison de Rozario at the Finish line
  • Kelvin Kiptum wins the 2023 TCS London Marathon elite men's race

Men: Amos Kipruto (KEN)

Most victories

  • Men: 4 (Eliud Kipchoge, KEN)
  • Women: 4 (Ingrid Kristiansen, NOR)
  • Wheelchair men: 8 (David Weir, GBR)
  • Wheelchair women: 6 (Tanni Grey-Thompson, GBR)     



Most victories by country

  • Men: 17 (KEN)
  • Women: 14 (KEN)
  • Wheelchair men: 16 (GBR)
  • Wheelchair women: 15 (GBR)
Kelvin Kiptum smiles and waves after winning the TCS London Marathon

Course records

Men: 2:01:25, Kelvin Kiptum (KEN), 2023
Women (mixed): 2:15:25, Paula Radcliffe (GBR), 2003
Women only: 2:17:01, Mary Keitany (KEN), 2017
Wheelchair men: 1:23:44, Marcel Hug (SUI), 2023
Wheelchair women: 1:38:24, Catherine Debrunner (SUI), 2022

Sir Mo Farah running over Tower Bridge

Fastest Britons in London

Men: Sir Mo Farah, 2:05:39 (2019)
Women: Paula Radcliffe, 2:15:25 (2003)
Wheelchair men: David Weir, 1:28:57 (2009)
Wheelchair women: Shelly Woods, 1:46:31 (2011)

Prize money

  • Total elite races: US$ 79,260
  • Winners (men and women): US$ 30,000
  • Total wheelchair races: US$ 42,300
  • Wheelchair winners (men and women): US$ 20,000



Recent participation

Year Finishers Male Female
2013 34,280 22,031 12,249
2014 35,800 22,608 13,272
2015 37,671 23,281 14,390
2016 39,140 24,020 15,120
2017 39,487 23,978 15,509
2018 40,272 23,771 16,501
2019 42,549 24,804 17,788
2020 (virtual) 37,966 19,223 18,743
2021 (mass) 35,838 21,436 14,402
2021 (virtual) 23,193 11,601 12,312
2022 (mass) 40,643 23,745 16,898
2022 (virtual) 8,518 4,256 4,262


Oldest and youngest

  • Oldest winner (men): Allister Hutton (GBR), 1990 (35 years)
  • Oldest winner (women): Joyce Smith (GBR), 1982 (44 years)
  • Youngest winner (men): Sammy Wanjiru (KEN), 2009 (22 years)
  • Youngest winner (women): Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH), 2022 (23 years)
  • Oldest finisher (men): Fauja Singh, 2004 (93 years)
  • Oldest finisher (women): Jenny Wood-Allen, 2002 (90 years)
  • Ever presents: seven men have run every London Marathon (41 in total) – Chris Finill, Malcolm Speake, Michael Peace, Jeffrey Aston, Bill O'Connor, David Walker and Ken Jones



Charities

  • First official charity: Sports Aid Foundation (1984)
  • Charity of the Year 2024: Samaritans
  • Total raised for charities by London Marathon participants: more than £1 billion
  • Amount raised for charities in 2022: TBC
  • Highest amount raised by an official London Marathon charity: £4 million (Dementia Revolution, 2019)
  • Highest amount raised by a single participant: £2,330,159.38 by Steve Chalke (2011)
  • Amount granted by the London Marathon Foundation (LMF): £98.3 million
  • Number of projects aided by LMF: more than 1,500
  • Number of playing fields and facilities purchased by LMF: nine



Celebrities and MPs

  • Fastest celebrity: Chris Newton (multiple world champion and triple Olympic medallist in road and track cycling), 2:39:27 (2015)
  • Fastest MP: Matthew Parris, 2:32:57 (1985)



Weather

  • Hottest Marathon Day: 2018 (24.2°C)
  • Coldest Marathon Day: 2004 (5.3°C)
  • Most humid: 1981 (94 per cent at 12 noon)
  • Least humid: 1996 (28 per cent at 12 noon)
  • Wettest: 2020 (23mm rain)
  • Sunniest: 2009 (12.3 hours of sunshine)



Miscellaneous

  • Length of course: 26.2 miles; 42.195km
  • TV coverage: 197 countries
  • Date of 2023 London Marathon: Sunday 23 April

The TCS London Marathon is a World Athletics Platinum Label Race.