London Marathon 2027
London Marathon travel: where to stay
Wait for your assigned Saturday or Sunday before making a restrictive booking. Then choose which journey you want to simplify: Greenwich and Blackheath for the start, Westminster or Victoria for the finish, London Bridge as a central transport base, or Canary Wharf and Custom House for ExCeL packet pickup.
There is no one hotel district that is closest to every appointment. Compare an exact property's walking route and live public-transport plan to the start, ExCeL and the relevant finish arrangement. Book refundable terms until the organiser publishes your start area, wave, Running Show hours and 2027 transport instructions.
Sources checked . The event is confirmed for Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April 2027, but each participant runs on one assigned day.
Choose the area by the hardest journey
| Area to compare | What it can simplify | What remains | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich / Blackheath | A shorter local journey towards the confirmed start area. | ExCeL pickup and the return from Westminster or Green Park; your exact assembly area is not yet published. | Runners who value the calmest possible start morning. |
| London Bridge / South Bank | A central rail hub and useful connection point for southeast London and Gatwick services. | Neither the start nor finish is at the hotel door; test the exact eventual start route and late return. | A balanced base when start and central-London access both matter. |
| Westminster / Victoria / St James's | The central finish side and Victoria airport or national-rail connections. | The early trip to the Greenwich/Blackheath start and a separate ExCeL visit. | Runners prioritising the post-finish walk and central sightseeing. |
| Canary Wharf / Custom House | Access to ExCeL; Custom House serves the venue's west entrance by Elizabeth line and DLR. | Both start and final finish area are elsewhere, and road-event changes may affect local movement. | An expo-led trip or an airport route using the Elizabeth line. |
A neighbourhood label is only a shortlist. Before paying, map the hotel entrance to a station, count changes, check first-service and step-free needs, and map the finish back to the property. The official hotel partner offers optional transport to the start, but its packages require a confirmed race entry and do not include entry. Compare those terms with an independent booking rather than assuming “official” means every transfer is included.
Make ExCeL a separate appointment
The organiser says every participant must collect an Event Pack from the TCS London Marathon Running Show at ExCeL London before racing. The 2027 opening times will be confirmed in the new year. The Double FAQ says the organiser is exploring a Tuesday-to-Saturday show, including Saturday 24 April, but that is a proposal rather than a confirmed timetable.
Keep the pickup slot blank until hours are published. If someone else must collect, the current organiser FAQ allows a nominated person with a copy or screenshot of the runner's ID, written consent and their own ID. Recheck those requirements in the 2027 Participant Guide. Race-day collection and postal delivery are not offered on the current FAQ.
Choose an airport by its London corridor
Airport names do not determine the best trip. Compare the flight schedule, terminal, rail destination, onward change and late-arrival fallback to your actual accommodation. These are normal links listed by Transport for London, not a race-weekend timetable.
| Airport | Current main rail corridors | Useful when | Check before booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | Elizabeth line, Piccadilly line and Heathrow Express to Paddington. | Your base sits on an easy Elizabeth or Piccadilly line route. | Terminal, engineering work, final change and walking time. |
| Gatwick | Southern and Gatwick Express to Victoria; Thameslink towards London Bridge, Farringdon and St Pancras. | Your shortlist is near Victoria or the Thameslink corridor. | Your train's actual central stop and weekend service plan. |
| Stansted | Stansted Express towards Liverpool Street, with a Tube connection at Tottenham Hale. | Your base has a simple east or north-London connection. | Arrival after the last practical onward connection. |
| London City | DLR towards Canary Wharf and Bank. | A Docklands or central-east base fits the rest of the weekend. | Flight options, DLR status and the hotel's final walk. |
Compare current airport connections on Transport for London.
Plan around your assigned day, start and finish
The organiser confirms the same Greenwich-to-Westminster route on both days and says allocated days cannot be changed. It has not yet published each runner's start area, wave or final travel instruction. Family and friends cannot enter the secure start area, so the general FAQ advises them not to travel to the start with the runner.
Saturday 24 April
The main finish on The Mall closes at 17:30. The organiser says the maximum available time is 7 hours 45 minutes from the allotted start. Build the return from that finish area and do not use Sunday's later arrangement when judging the booking.
Sunday 25 April
The organiser says a secondary finish in Green Park closes at 23:59:59. That does not mean every Sunday participant finishes there: it matters to people still on course after the main finish operation changes. Keep the exact exit and reunion route pending the Participant Guide.
The current FAQ describes the Saturday and Sunday start times as “likely” and promises confirmation later, so this guide does not turn them into booking facts. It also does not carry forward free event-day travel or station assignments from 2026. Rebuild the route with the TfL journey planner when the 2027 Participant Guide arrives.
Compare the complete booking, not the room headline
Accommodation
- Nightly quote multiplied by the full stay
- Taxes, breakfast and required deposits
- Cancellation deadline and refund method
- Early arrival or luggage-storage terms
Transport
- Airport journey in both directions
- ExCeL return trip
- Start journey and post-finish return
- Backup route if planned services change
Party and accessibility
- Room occupancy and bed setup
- Step-free station and hotel entrance
- Supporter's separate race-day plan
- Late Sunday finish contingency if relevant
Before payment
- Confirmed participant day
- Exact property address, not neighbourhood name
- Currency and card charges
- Written package inclusions and exclusions
Live prices and availability are outside this guide. Save quotes with their timestamp and terms, then choose the lowest acceptable whole-trip cost rather than assuming a start-side or finish-side room is automatically cheaper.
Connect travel to the exact race plan
Add the assigned day, eventual start area, pickup appointment and booking cancellation deadline to My Season. Recheck transport when the official Participant Guide and road closures are released.
Sources and review
- London Marathon Events: 2027 Double FAQs - dates, same route, day allocation and finish differences.
- London Marathon Events: event overview - confirmed start area and 2027 finish closures.
- London Marathon Events: Running Show - ExCeL requirement and pending 2027 hours.
- London Marathon Events: FAQs - pickup delegation, secure start and participant-guide timing.
- London Marathon Events: official hotel partner - eligibility and optional start transport.
- Transport for London: airport connections and ExCeL: getting here - current normal transport context.
Prepared by RaceIndex with AI-assisted source research. Checked 11 September 2026. Area choices, booking checks and budget structure are editorial guidance; no hotel, live price, availability or unconfirmed 2027 transport service is endorsed. Editorial methodology · Report a correction