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Highlights
- Over 59,800 participants took over the streets of London on April 26 for the 2026 TCS London Marathon..
- Elite runners and wheelchair racers from across the world joined celebrities and participants across the course.
- Virtual participation was available for the sixth consecutive year, as the TCS London Marathon MyWay allowed runners to participate remotely from anywhere in the world.
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An epic run
For over 50 years, TCS has played a pivotal role in shaping the UK’s transformation journey, championing innovation, and growth. As we celebrate this achievement, our focus on creating a lasting impact remains strong - across London and beyond.
On April 26, 2026, the athletic world’s focus shifted to the British capital for the 46th TCS London Marathon. Thousands of runners gathered at the starting line in Blackheath. The historic 26.2-mile route, which culminates at The Mall, will take runners past some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including The Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, and Buckingham Palace.
In the precursor to the marathon, the TCS London Marathon Running Show 2026 was held from Wednesday, April 22, to Saturday, 25 April, at ExCeL London. The TCS Mini London Marathon also took place on April 25th, featuring a one-mile route for children in Reception to Year 7 and a 2.6K route for those in Years 4 to 12 who could go a bit further.
TCS London Marathon
Rewind to TCS London Marathon 2025
Many milestones
The TCS London Marathon has come a long way since the inaugural race in 1981. More than a million people have crossed the finish line since then, and £1.4 billion has been raised for charity.
Along the way, there have been several inspiring feats by athletes, including multiple world records being broken. The 2026 TCS London Marathon witnessed Elite runner Tigst Assefa set a new women’s only world record by reaching the finish line in 02:15:41, successfully defending her title and beating the record she set here last year. The men’s elite runner-winner Sabastian Sawe finished at an incredible 1:59:30 and became the first man to run 26.2 miles in under two hours in a competitive race.
The men’s course record was previously set in 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum, who broke the 2019 record held by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, a four-time winner of the event and arguably the greatest marathon runner of all time. Marcel Hug set the men’s course record in the wheelchair race in 2022, while Catherine Debrunner broke the women’s record.
Going virtual
TCS first developed the TCS London Marathon Official App in 2016. Following the pandemic in 2020, the app was refreshed to support the first virtually held marathon. It brought together 38,000 people from across the globe as they competed remotely and got the marathon a Guinness World Records title for ‘Most users to run a remote marathon in 24 hours’. The 2026 edition of the TCS London Marathon app (downloaded 796,700+ times) – and the marathon itself – was no different. Every participant, whether running in person or joining the ‘MyWay’ virtual event, was quite literally in the running for a medal.
With curated soundtracks, the app re-energises and motivates the participants through the race. The TCS MarathonBoost feature on the app allows the participants’ families and friends in on the excitement, too, allowing them to send out words of encouragement. Several of these messages are flashed on giant screens at mile 13 and the finish line
The Future Athlete Project
Digital twins, AI assistants, and breakthrough technologies are transforming how runners train, race, and recover. One of the most exciting technological developments is already taking place. The athlete’s digital twin
TCS uses digital twins to power business strategy, exploring solutions in the virtual world before implementing them for businesses in the real world. TCS has brought the digital twin to the human body, through its Future Athlete project, creating new possibilities for athletes.
The Future Athlete project turns potential into performance, by creating a virtual replica of the human heart. This digital twin replicates the unique physiological characteristics of a runner’s heart, giving data and insights far beyond what a commercially available wearable can provide.
Using our digital twin technology, we have been working with two-time Olympian and Boston Marathon Champion Des Linden to create the first ever digital heart of a long-distance runner . The technology aims to help athletes better measure their health and performance.
This past year, we have been working with inspirational UK para-athlete and disability advocate Milly Pickles as a participant in the TCS Future Athlete Project. By helping Milly understand how her body responds under varying conditions, we’re enabling her to sharpen her training and elevate her performance to new heights.