The 2022 TCS London Marathon, the 42nd edition of the event, takes place on Sunday 2 October. It will be the third and final time the event is held in the autumn, having been moved from the traditional April slot due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2023 race will return to spring in 2024, taking place on Saturday 23 April.

In total, 50,000 people are expected to take part, with approximately 40,000 scheduled to participate in the traditional mass event. 

Participants will be able to take on the challenge through 26.2 miles which will end at the Mall by Buckingham Palace.

This year you can track someone’s progerss using the official 2022 TCS London Marathon App. The app lets participants select up to three spectators to see their live location.

Inspiring the next generation

The first participants to pass Buckingham Palace this weekend will be the next generation of marathoners, when the TCS Mini London Marathon starts tomorrow (Saturday 1 October) at 09:00.

“The TCS Mini London Marathon is possibly the most important thing the London Marathon has done since my father [Chris Brasher] and John Disley started the event back in 1981,” believes Brasher.

“That’s a pretty bold statement, but I love that back then there were 7,000 people registered to run, and this year we have 7,000 children and young people – from the age of four up to 17 – registered in the TCS Mini London Marathon tomorrow.

“What’s unique about the TCS Mini London Marathon is that schools will receive £10 for every child who finishes to put towards computer or sports equipment.”

TCS to donate millions

Millions of pounds will go to schools as part of this initiative with new title sponsor Tata Consultancy Services, but Brasher also hopes the TCS Mini London Marathon will inspire children and young people to get fit and enjoy the health benefits of activity for years to come.

“By 2030, at our 50th race, we’re aiming to have 50,000 children running the Mini London Marathon the day before 50,000 adults run 26.2 miles. We really hope this event inspires children to get fit in the same way the London Marathon went from mostly stick-thin men in 1981 to a sea of humanity and everyday heroes taking part in 2022.”

The first children to cross the world-famous Finish Line on The Mall tomorrow will have their efforts rewarded by a very special guest – medals will be handed to them by none other than the fastest marathon runner of all time, Eliud Kipchoge, fresh from setting a new world record at the Berlin Marathon last Sunday. As an Ambassador for the TCS Mini London Marathon, the Kenyan legend is sure to inspire the next generation to follow in his footsteps.

Around 600,000 children will also take part in the TCS Mini London Marathon in schools this autumn, each one of them earning a pin badge when they complete 2.6 miles.

The world’s most inclusive marathon

For those who can’t make it to London this weekend, the virtual TCS London Marathon offers the opportunity to be part of an amazing weekend of activity.

Brasher hopes it will encourage even more people to get active: “We’re delighted the virtual TCS London Marathon is part of the weekend. The event is one of the positives that have come out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are the most popular marathon on the planet, nearly half a million people applied to take part in the 2020 event, and as much as we’d love everyone to be able to take part on the streets of London, we can’t accommodate them all – so it’s great that people can sign up for the virtual TCS London Marathon and get involved, wherever they are in the world.

“People have the whole day to do it and take their time over it – they can do it with friends and family, so it’s a fantastic addition to the mass event.”

How to watch

The BBC, the host broadcaster of the London Marathon since its first edition in 1981, will show the 2022 TCS London Marathon across BBC1, BBC2, iPlayer, the Red Button and online on Sunday 2 October. 

TCS London Marathon organisers London Marathon Events (LME) and the BBC agreed a new contract that extended the partnership until 2026.