When to watch the 2026 London Marathon
- Sunday, April 26, at 3:50 a.m. ET (12:50 a.m. PT)
Where to watch
- The 2026 London Marathon will air in the US on FloTrack.
An expected 59,000 runners are expected on the starting line on Sunday for the 46th running of the iconic London Marathon.
Last year’s men’s and women’s winners of the 26.2-mile road race through the UK’s capital will both be looking to retain their crowns. Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe and Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa are being widely tipped to set new course records, as they both came close to doing so in 2025.
The course includes London landmarks such as Tower Bridge and Cutty Sark, before it heads down the final stretch of the Mall that leads to the finish line right outside of Buckingham Palace. Here, world-class Olympians share the same route with competitive amateurs and costumed fun runners.
Defending champion Sabastian Sawe finished last year’s London Marathon with a time of 2:02:27 — the second fastest recorded in the event’s history.
London Marathon 2026: When and where?
The 2026 London Marathon takes place on Sunday, April 26. The scheduled start times are as follows:
Elite wheelchair race: 8:50 a.m. BST local time in the UK/3:50 a.m. E.T./12:50 a.m. PT/5:50 p.m. AEST
Elite women: 9:05 a.m. local time in the UK/4:05 a.m. E.T./1:05 a.m. PT/6:05 p.m. AEST
Elite men/mass start: 9:35 a.m. local time in the UK/4:35 a.m. E.T./1:35 a.m. PT/6:35 p.m. AEST
How to watch the London Marathon 2026 using a VPN
If you’re traveling abroad and want to keep up with the marathon action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming.
It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds, and can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security.
However, some streaming services may have policies that restrict VPN use to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance.
If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions to ensure you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN usage is crucial.
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ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $120 a year for its most popular plan (Advanced), but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $90, you’ll get three months free. That’s the equivalent of $6 a month.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watch the London Marathon 2026 free in the UK
Sports fans in the UK can watch the 2026 London Marathon live on free-to-air channels BBC1 and BBC2. This also means viewers in the UK will be able to stream the event free on BBC iPlayer.
Coverage starts at 8:30 a.m. BST on Sunday morning on BBC1 before switching over to BBC2 at 2 p.m. for the rest of the day’s action.
With the London Marathon being broadcast on BBC1 and BBC2, that also means you’ll be able to watch the race online free via the network’s on-demand streaming service, BBC iPlayer.
With an app that’s available for Android and Apple mobile devices as well as a vast array of smart TVs and streaming boxes, all you need is a valid UK TV license to stream the game.
Livestream the 2026 London Marathon in the US, Canada and Australia
This year’s race will be available to watch live in all three regions via FloTrack, with coverage starting at 3 a.m. ET and 12 a.m. PT in North America and at 5 a.m. AEST in Australia on Sunday.
Live broadcast rights in the US for the 2026 London Marathon rest with dedicated athletics streaming service.
A FloTrack subscription will currently set you back $30 a month, while an annual subscription will cost you $150 for 12 months of viewing. Either option provides you with access to live streams of a wide range of track and field events, including the Diamond League.