As well as being an elite marathon, there are also close to 35,000 amateur runners that will compete in the 2023 London Marathon. Being one of the largest free spectacles in London, there are many great places to watch the Marathon from.
One of the World Marathon Majors (others being Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York, the IAAF World Championships and the Olympics), the annual London Marathon was first held in 1981 and usually takes place in large April.
How do I enter the 2023 London Marathon?
The ballot is notoriously difficulty to gain a place from, being open to the public for just a few days at the end of April/start of May the previous year and over 350,000 entering in 2022. Running for a charity is usually an easier of gaining a place but you are expected to raise a minimum amount of money. Further information can be found at the official website here.
2023 London Marathon Course Details
The route is largely flat and starts in Greenwich Park, following the River Thames and taking in iconic sights such as the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace before finishing on The Mall.
How do I get to London?
Air: The two busiest airports in the UK serve London and between them have flights to most of the world’s prime destinations – Heathrow Airport is 21 miles west of The O2, with Gatwick Airport approximately 29 miles south of the arena.
Heathrow Airport sits on the London Underground Piccadilly line, you can change to the Jubilee line at Green Park to travel to The O2’s closest station at North Greenwich (see below). Or you can catch the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station and use the Underground to reach North Greenwich from there.
From Gatwick Airport, you can use the Gatwick Express to reach Victoria Station and use the Underground to reach North Greenwich from there.
Alternatively London City Airport is on the DLR which runs to Greenwich station, or the Stansted Express runs from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street.
Thinking of flying to London? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.
Coach – Megabus offers cheap travel to London and offers over 10 routes from Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich and Sheffield. You can search and book your tickets here.
Train – London is the hub of the British railway network, with trains available to most of Britain via major stations such as Euston, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo. High speed trains from St. Pancras International travel to Amsterdam, Brussels, Lille and Paris.
Thinking of travelling by train to London? Search and book your journey through the Trainline here.
Where to stay in London
Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in London by clicking here.
