How to watch the London Marathon 2024

This weekend, The London Marathon will kick off for the 44th time in history, with participants running the traditional route between Greenwich Park and Buckingham Palace.

More than 50,000 competitors will cover 26.2 miles, struggling against rival runners and typical British weather. If you want to see what will happen during this year’s London Marathon, you can follow the coverage from the comfort of your home.

Here’s a guide on where to watch the Marathon both in the UK and abroad.

What time does the London Marathon 2024 start?

This year’s London Marathon takes place on Sunday, 21 April 2024.

Here is the official running schedule:

  • 9.05am – Elite wheelchair race starts
  • 9.25am – Elite women race start
  • 10am – Elite men/mass race start

A sequence of start waves will last until 11:30am. Before the competition, every participant will get a registration email containing information about the designated start wave and Assembly Area, among others.

What is the London Marathon 2024 route?

The London Marathon will start in Greenwich Park. Participants will run past Cutty Sark, cross Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf, and then pass The Tower of London, The London Eye, and Big Ben. The marathon will finish on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.

How to watch the London Marathon 2024 in the UK

If you’re based in the UK, you can follow the Marathon on BBC platforms.

BBC One: 8:30am – 2pm

BBC Two: 2pm – 3pm

Between 6:00pm – 7:00pm BBC Two will show the highlights of the marathon.

BBC iPlayer / BBC Sport app / BBC Sport website

  • 8:20am – 3:00pm – elite races
  • 11:30am – 2:30pm – Tower Bridge camera
  • 1:00pm – 6:00pm – finish line cameras

How to watch the London Marathon 2024 outside the UK

In the US, FloTrack will provide full coverage of the London Marathon 2024.

To stream the Marathon, you have to set up an account in the service and choose a suitable plan. The Monthly Plan costs $29.99 per month, while the Annual Plan is priced at $12.50 per month.

If you’re outside the UK and want to stream the London Marathon 2024 on BBC iPlayer, you can still do so. All you need is a trustworthy VPN (virtual private network) to help you bypass local restrictions.

If you’re not familiar with any provider, we recommend using NordVPN, which is one of the most popular apps of its kind. It’s affordable, and what’s more, it can handle unlocking BBC iPlayer without a problem.

After downloading the app, open it and select one of the available points on the UK map. Once connected to the British server, go to BBC iPlayer and enjoy coverage of the London Marathon 2024.

If you need more detailed instructions on how to use NordVPN, check out our guide on watching BBC iPlayer from abroad.