With this year’s London Marathon expected to be the busiest yet, here’s our guide to the best spectator spots along the iconic course.
Nothing can beat a runner’s high of crossing the finish line after a gruelling 26.2 miles, but being part of huge crowds along the river with a plastic pint glass in hand all before midday surely comes as a close second.
As well as the 54,000 finishers, it’s the spectators on the day that make the London Marathon the biggest in the world, so whether you plan on camping out in one spot or racing between landmarks on the day, find the best location for you.
Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe
Surrey Quays is early on in the race and a good spot to capture those sought after race photos of your runner, before they become bedraggled by the mileage.
Near Surrey Quays Station, you can position yourself on the course before it turns off down Redriff Road.
Having caught sight of your runner (allowing time for whooping and cheering), you can then turn back towards Southwark Park and walk towards the Rotherhithe Roundabout.
It’s about 800m in total, but with the marathon route taking runners 2.5 miles along the meander of the river, you’ll have plenty of time to glimpse your loved one at both points.
After soaking up the atmosphere from the several bands lining the Rotherhithe peninsula, it’s a short walk to Bermondsey or London Bridge Underground Station.
Tower Bridge
For runners and spectators alike, Tower Bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks of the 26.2 mile course.
Participants describe its atmosphere as something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
However, with a great atmosphere comes huge crowds and to be a part of them you’ll need an early alarm.
But if you’re planning on parking yourself in one spot for the whole day, Tower Bridge could be the one to go for.
Temple and Embankment
Temple and the Embankment are other great spots for spectators, and can be doubled up with Tower Bridge.
While the runners head on towards canary wharf, you can amble along the barriers towards Blackfriars and follow the route parallel to the Thames.
The crowds will be building at this point, but spectators can comfortably spread out along the embankment, and you can often find charity floats, DJs and bands lining this long straight stretch of the course.
Coupled with local businesses selling takeaway coffee (or pints) it can make for a really fun area to spectate.
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is often described as the toughest part of the course.
Pounding concrete surrounded by looming tower blocks provides quite the contrast to the lively scenes of Tower Bridge just a few miles before.
This section crops up when a lot of runners tend to hit the dreaded wall.
Couple that with an eerily quiet ghost town feel and you’re hitting the runner’s low.
That being said, it can be a good spot for spectators to catch their loved ones, and lift them up from the depressing depths of mile 15.
The course here takes runners into the Isle of Dogs, before looping back on itself, allowing two opportunities to cheer participants on.
With a lack of crowds, you’re guaranteed to get a good view of your runner.
If you can take the personal loss of missing out on the usual buzz of the marathon course, the runner you’re cheering on will absolutely thank you for it later.
The travel connections are also good in this part, and you can hop straight on the Jubilee Line from Canary Wharf to Green Park or Westminster for the finish line.
Finish line and The Mall
It could be smart to avoid the chaos of the finishing line on The Mall, as the mix of race volunteers, temporary stands, and media zones leaves little space for the public.
Coupled with the large numbers of people trying to get a spot along a relatively limited bit of road, you’d need a very early alarm to guarantee a position with a view here.
That being said, if you’re lucky enough to secure a finish line spot, you’ll get to witness the excitement of the professionals hauling themselves over the final few meters of the race, with big names like distance icon Eliud Kipchoge, debut marathoner Eilish McColgan, and previous winner Sifan Hassan amongst the Men’s and Women’s fields.
This year, Marathon organizers are warning of up to 90 minutes wait to board trains at some stations so whatever your plan, it’s worth allocating time between station and sideline.
Wherever you end up, marathon day is one of the highlights of the capital’s calendar so make sure to soak up the atmosphere and do your best to cheer all runners on!
Featured Image: London Marathon Events
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