Unofficial fan guide · London Marathon 2027

Where to stay for the 2027 London Marathon

By · Last checked: 27 Oct 2026

In short

The 2027 London Marathon is a one-off two-day race on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April, with about 100,000 runners in total on the same course from Blackheath and Greenwich to The Mall, and your race day is fixed in your entry. Runners should stay in Greenwich or Blackheath to walk to the start, or near Charing Cross or London Bridge for a direct train there and an easy trip back from the finish. Supporters do best at Tower Hill or Canary Wharf, right on the course. Ballot results came out on 9 July 2026, so book a room with free cancellation for your race day now.

Course sheet In race order, not to scale

  1. Blackheath and Greenwich ParkColour-coded start areas that merge before mile 3
  2. Cutty Sark, Greenwichmile 6.5 (km 10)A loop around the ship at mile 6.5, with huge crowds
  3. Tower Bridgemile 12.5 (km 20)Crossing the Thames just before halfway, one of the loudest parts of the course
  4. The Highway, Shadwellmile 14 (km 22) · cheer spotSee your runner twice, at mile 14 and again at mile 22
  5. Canary Wharfmile 18.5 (km 30) · cheer spotThrough the towers at miles 18 to 19
  6. Victoria Embankmentmile 25 (km 40) · cheer spotMile 25 along the river, easy to reach from several stations
  7. Big Ben and Parliament Squaremile 25.2 (km 41)Right turn at Westminster Bridge with about a mile to go
  8. The MallThe finish, just past Buckingham Palace

Race morning

Runners travel free on race morning: Southeastern trains run from London Bridge, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Waterloo East and Victoria to the start stations (show your race number at the gate), and the Underground, Overground, DLR, Elizabeth line and buses were also free for runners in 2026. In 2026 the Blue, Green and Yellow starts were a 10-minute walk from Blackheath station, Red a 20-minute walk from Greenwich and Pink a 10-minute walk from Maze Hill; your colour and arrival time come with your race information. The organisers say the start is likely 09:00 on Saturday and 09:30 on Sunday, and in 2026 all Start Lines closed at 11:30. Trains are much busier than normal, so allow extra time.

Where to stay

Pick an area to see hotels and rentals there at live prices.

ABC Greenwich1 Blackheath2 London Bridge and Southwark3 Tower Hill and Wapping4 Canary Wharf5 Charing Cross and Covent Garden6

Start Finish Acheer spot Course

Live map · GreenwichHotels and rentals at live prices, Fri 23 Apr to Mon 26 Apr

Open the live map for Greenwich ↗

Prices and availability come from booking sites through Stay22. Change the dates on the map if you are staying longer.

Plan ahead Book now for your own race day, which is fixed and cannot be swapped, because ballot results came out on 9 July 2026 and Friday and Saturday are both race nights this year.

Watch the race

Watch from the north bank after halfway: The Highway at Shadwell gives you two sightings, and the DLR takes you on to Canary Wharf and then the Embankment for the last mile.

  1. mile 14 (km 22)

    The Highway, Shadwell

    Runners pass heading east at about mile 14 and come back at mile 22, so you can stay put and see them twice. Use Shadwell station (London Overground and DLR) and walk about 5 minutes south; avoid Limehouse station, where the official guide warns of queues of up to 90 minutes.

    Stays near The Highway, Shadwell ↗
  2. mile 18.5 (km 30)

    Canary Wharf

    From Shadwell, take the DLR towards Lewisham, a few stops to Canary Wharf. A runner on 10-minute miles takes about 45 minutes from mile 14 to here; use the DLR or Elizabeth line, as the organisers ask spectators to avoid the Jubilee line station.

    Stays near Canary Wharf ↗
  3. mile 25 (km 40)

    Victoria Embankment

    From Canary Wharf, take the DLR to Bank and the District or Circle line west to Temple or Embankment, or the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers to Embankment pier. A runner on 10-minute miles takes about 65 minutes from Canary Wharf to here.

    Stays near Victoria Embankment ↗

  4. Meet your runner

    The Meet and Greet is on Horse Guards Avenue, Whitehall, Horse Guards Road and Horse Guards Parade, with meeting points marked by letters, so agree one in advance. Runners take about 30 minutes to get there from the finish on The Mall; leave by Charing Cross, Piccadilly Circus, Victoria or Waterloo, because Westminster station is exit only from 07:00 to 19:00.

The official hotels, explained

Marathon Tours & Travel is the official participant hotel partner: its Hotel-Only option sells central London rooms from one night, with an optional coach to the Greenwich start, for people who already have a race place (race entry is not included). A booking made now already costs 30% of the price to cancel, rising to 50% in early November 2026, 80% in late December and the full price from late January 2027.

Official hotel offerOur maps
Who runs itMarathon Tours & TravelEvery hotel and rental near each area
PricesListed on the official siteLive prices from several booking sites
Minimum stay and cancellationFrom one night. A booking made now costs 30% to cancel, rising to 50% in early November 2026, 80% in late December and the full price from late January 2027.Filter for free cancellation
Need to buy a package?NoNo

See the official hotel offer ↗ · We link to the official option and explain its terms, so you can compare before you book.

When to book

  1. NowBook a room with free cancellation near the start.
  2. Your cancellation dateKeep or cancel before it passes.
  3. Sat, 24 Apr 2027 and Sun, 25 Apr 2027Race day.

Free guide

The Unofficial 2027 London Marathon Where to Stay Guide

Every area, the race morning plan and the booking dates in one place, updated every year.

Questions

Where should I stay for the London Marathon 2027?

Runners: Greenwich or Blackheath to walk to the start, or Charing Cross or London Bridge for a direct train to the start stations and an easy trip back from the finish. Supporters: Tower Hill or Canary Wharf put you on the course, and Charing Cross is about 10 minutes on foot from the Meet and Greet on Horse Guards Parade.

Is it better to stay in Greenwich or central London?

Greenwich and Blackheath give you the calmest race morning, with a 10 to 20 minute walk to the start in 2026, but a longer trip back after the finish on The Mall. Central London makes the finish easy and still has direct trains to Blackheath, Greenwich and Maze Hill, free for runners on race morning.

How do I get to the start of the London Marathon?

Take a Southeastern train to the station for your start colour: in 2026 that was Blackheath for Blue, Green and Yellow, Greenwich for Red and Maze Hill for Pink. Trains from London Bridge, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Waterloo East and Victoria are free for runners who show their race number, and the Underground, Overground, DLR, Elizabeth line and buses were free for runners too. Trains are very busy, so allow extra time.

Will I run on Saturday or Sunday?

Your day is in your entry confirmation and it is fixed: swaps are not allowed, even if friends or family got a different day. Good For Age men run on Saturday 24 April and Good For Age women on Sunday 25 April; ballot places were drawn at random for both days.

Where are the best places to watch the London Marathon?

The Highway at Shadwell lets you see runners twice (miles 14 and 22), Canary Wharf (miles 18 to 19) is a few DLR stops away, and Victoria Embankment (mile 25) is easy to reach from several stations. Avoid Cutty Sark DLR and Limehouse stations, where the official guide warns of queues of up to 90 minutes.

When should I book a hotel for the London Marathon?

Now, with free cancellation. Ballot results came out on 9 July 2026, and with about 100,000 runners split across two days, both Friday and Saturday nights are race nights this year.

Official race site ↗ · Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17