One of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors brings tens of thousands of runners from all over the world together every year on an iconic course through Greenwich, the Docklands, the City and Westminster, with road closures affecting the whole of central London all day.
Created in 1981, the London Marathon has become one of the six most prestigious races in the world alongside Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin and Tokyo, attracting the world's elite every year alongside tens of thousands of amateur runners competing on a legendary course past the British capital's most iconic landmarks. Following an exceptional reorganisation of the calendar, the 2027 edition takes place over two consecutive days, 24 and 25 April, bringing together around one hundred thousand runners over the whole weekend.
The 42.195-kilometre course starts in Greenwich in south-east London, passes the Cutty Sark, the Isle of Dogs and the Docklands, and follows the Thames via Tower Bridge before reaching the City and then Westminster, with the finish traditionally on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace, offering runners and spectators an unrivalled view of London's most famous landmarks.
The scale of the course, which crosses almost the whole of central London from east to west, requires considerable road closures for the whole race day, affecting several boroughs at once and making many major roads usually used for any north-south or east-west journey in the capital impassable by car.
More than a million spectators traditionally line the course to cheer the runners on, crowds that add to the road closures to create exceptional congestion throughout the city centre all day, well beyond the race route itself.
For business or leisure travellers who need to get around London that day without taking part in the event, planning journeys becomes a complex exercise that requires precise knowledge of the few crossing points that remain open at set times, and a local chauffeur aware of each edition's specifics is a decisive asset to avoid being stuck on one side of the course for several hours.
Every year, LimoAirportGroup plans ahead for the London Marathon for its clients, whether international runners needing an early-morning transfer to the start village in Greenwich, families who have come to cheer on a loved one and are looking for a good viewpoint on the course, or business travellers who absolutely must cross London that day despite the road closures.
How to organise your transport for this event
- 1If you are running, book a very early transfer to the start village in Greenwich: public transport is packed from dawn with runners and their supporters.
- 2If you are not running but need to travel in London that day, find out exactly which crossing points remain open and allow a generous time margin for any journey crossing the course.
- 3To cheer on a loved one at several points along the course, a chauffeur who knows the shortcuts between the authorised crossing points lets you see a runner at several different kilometres in the same morning.
- 4As the finish is traditionally on The Mall near Buckingham Palace, the whole of Westminster remains heavily disrupted until late afternoon, long after the last runners have passed.
- 5For a stay centred on the marathon with several days in London, also anticipate the crowds at the race exhibition (Marathon Expo), generally held in the days before the race.
Our services for this event
Plan your transport for this event: book online or request a quote, depending on the service.
