There’s a sneaky way to watch London Marathon 2026 for FREE

The 46th edition of the annual London Marathon will feature more than 59,000 runners, including everyday folks, athletes, and even Olympians from around the world compete side by side in the iconic 26.2-mile road race.

Runners will pass through some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including Cutty Sark, Surrey Quays, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, London Eye, and Big Ben, before reaching the finish line at The Mall, right by Buckingham Palace.

BBC iPlayer. All you need is a TV license.

The event is also freely available in several other countries, including Italy (on RaiPlay) and Spain (on RTVE Play).

Moreover, the official Olympic Channel will be providing live coverage of London Marathon 2026 for free in selected locations, such as China, Japan, Middle East, North Africa, and New Zealand.

You’ll need a VPN to stop you getting geoblocked if you’re outside your home country right now. We’ve tested dozens of VPNs, and we recommend NordVPN.

best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and is currently offering a generous discount.

NordVPN is our favourite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you’re visiting the US and want to view your usual UK service, you’d select a ‘United Kingdom’ in the app.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to BBC iPlayer (or Olympic Channel, depending on where you’re from) and watch London Marathon 2026 live for FREE.

Why should I watch London Marathon on BBC iPlayer?

BBC One and BBC iPlayer provide unparalleled coverage of London Marathon with Gabby Logan leading the coverage from 8.30am BST. Coverage moves to BBC Two at 2pm BST.

On-course reporters include JJ Chalmers, Blue Peter’s Abby Cook, Tim Warwood and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.

In truth, you couldn’t ask for better coverage for one of the biggest marathons in the world.

Can I listen to the London Marathon?

Yes. If you aren’t around to stream the action, you can listen instead.

BBC Radio London is providing coverage from 8am BST, and you can listen via BBC Sounds.

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