Get ready for the return of the London Marathon this Sunday

28 September 2021
The London Marathon returns to its traditional course in the capital after being cancelled last year due to the pandemic
"We'd like to remind those travelling this Sunday to check before they travel and be safe, ensuring you are wearing a face covering at all times whilst on TfL services and maintaining social distancing where possible"
Gareth Powell
Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL
  • People are advised to plan their journeys in advance of road closures and essential planned Tube and rail closures
  • People are encouraged to use the TfL Go app to plan journeys in advance and this is available for download on both iOS and Android devices
  • Face coverings must be worn on all TfL services for all customers aged 11 and over unless exempt

The Virgin Money London Marathon will return to its famous course through the capital on Sunday 3 October after being cancelled last year due to the pandemic. The London Marathon is one of the largest mass-participation events in the world with thousands of people, including world class athletes, celebrities and eager runners, raising millions of pounds for charities.

Road closures in support of the event will be in place and there are essential planned closures on the Central line and London Overground. As the Docklands Light Railway serves the starting point of the Marathon, there will be changes to services in place to better support the event. Transport for London (TfL) is encouraging everyone to plan their journeys in advance and check the TfL website or TfL Go app for the latest travel information.

The route will take runners past some of London's most famous and historic landmarks. All visitors are advised to plan their day carefully and to avoid busy areas, in particular Greenwich Town Centre, Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge.

TfL is giving the following advice to Londoners:

  • From 06:30, there will be a number of road closures in south east and central London, from Greenwich Park to St James's Park. Closures in central London will include all approaches to Upper Thames Street, Tower Hill and Victoria Embankment. Rotherhithe Tunnel, Tower Bridge, Southwark Bridge and Westminster Bridge will also be closed. Where possible road closures will start to lift in phases from 13:00 with all roads open by 20:30, or when safe to do so. Customers are advised to check before they travel.
  • Stations located close to the London Marathon route, which are likely to be busy are:
    • Cutty Sark (DLR)
    • Canada Water (Jubilee and London Overground)
    • London Bridge (Jubilee)
    • Tower Hill/ Tower Gateway (Circle and DLR)
    • Shadwell (DLR)
    • Canary Wharf (Jubilee and DLR)
    • Westminster (Jubilee, Circle and District)
    • St James's Park (Circle and District)
  • To support the event and the high number of passengers there will be changes to routes and frequencies on DLR services on Sunday 3 October until 16:00, after which a normal Sunday timetable will resume

Marathon organisers have put in place a number of measures to ensure a COVID-safe environment for participants and spectators. This includes asking participants to invite only one supporter to come along and watch in person, with all other spectators advised to watch at home on television. More details can be found here.

Gareth Powell, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said:

'It's exciting to see the return of the London Marathon, creating a vibrant atmosphere across the capital. We'd like to remind those travelling this Sunday to check before they travel and be safe, ensuring you are wearing a face covering at all times whilst on TfL services and maintaining social distancing where possible.'

Essential planned works are taking place on the Central line from Queensway to Ealing Broadway and West Ruislip on 2 and 3 October 2021. Alternative travel via public transport will be available and rail replacement buses will be provided to support customers. On the London Overground there is a planned closure between Clapham Junction and Willesden Junction on 3 October 2021.

More information on specific road closures can be found here.

Notes to editors

  • Face coverings continue to be a requirement for all customers aged 11 and over as a condition of carriage, unless an exemption applies
  • The TfL Go app provides real-time train times and information in a mobile-friendly way to enable customers travelling on Tube, bus and rail services across London to choose the easiest ways to get around
  • Pay as you go with Contactless or Oyster also allows customers to travel flexibly by simply touching in and out and only paying for the journeys they make, reducing the need to queue or buy tickets in the station
  • For updates on how London's public transport is running, please visit https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/ and for roads, please visit https://tfl.gov.uk/traffic/status/
  • There will be works on the Congestion Charge website over the weekend and it is advised that people pay in advance if driving into Central London, this charge applies every day
  • The course of the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon is 26.2 miles long
  • On Sunday 3 October, there will be no service between Queensway and Ealing Broadway / West Ruislip on the Central line and no service between Clapham Junction and Willesden Junction on London Overground. Replacement buses and alternative travel via public transport will be available to support customers.