In Pictures: Blisters, sweat and tears for London marathon runners

26 April 2026, 4:00pm

Tens of thousands put themselves to the test over the 26.2-mile course.

Some ran, some walked, many suffered blisters and chafing, but tens of thousands of people completed the 2026 TCS London Marathon in ideal race conditions on Sunday.

As the course wended its way from Greenwich, in east London, past landmarks including the Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge, the runners paced themselves over 26.2 miles to the finish line on The Mall.

A runner with a giant teddy on his back — Runners raised money for charity, with some going the extra mile in fancy dress (Ben Whitely/PA)

A runner dressed in a green telephone outfit — A giant telephone raised awareness of the Samaritans lifeline service (Ben Whitely/PA)

A runner crossing Tower Bridge in a cardboard VW costume (Jonathan Brady/PA)

A child lies on the glass floor of Tower Bridge as runners cross underneath (Jonathan Brady/PA)

In the elite races, Sabastian Sawe smashed the world record and became the first man to break the two-hour barrier in an official competition to win in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.

There was also a new standard set in the women’s race, won by Tigst Assefa, who defended her London Marathon crown in a women’s-only world record two hours, 15 minutes and 41 seconds.

Sabastian Sawe under the timer reading 1:59.30 — Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s elite race in a world-record time (John Walton/PA)

Eilish McColgan runs with Buckingham Palace in the background and Union flags — Eilish McColgan was the fastest British woman, finishing seventh in front of Buckingham Palace in two hours, 24 minutes and 51 seconds (John Walton/PA)

Marcel Hug in his racing wheelchair and helmet — Marcel Hug after crossing the finish line to win the men’s wheelchair race (John Walton/PA)

Celebrities also took part, including children’s TV character Daddy Pig, with fitness expert Joe Wicks running alongside the Peppa Pig patriarch as his official trainer.