TCS London Marathon

Travel advice for Marathon runners

The TCS London Marathon takes place on Sunday 26 April 2026 and runners can get to the five start areas on Southeastern trains. Please find more details below on the start areas and the free travel arrangements for runners.

Travel advice for Marathon spectators

Please be aware that the three stations closest to the start areas are extremely busy on race day. We strongly recommend that spectators avoid these stations. There are a number of great locations along the route and you can visit the spectator guide to find the best spot. London Bridge will also be very busy and our advice to passengers is to take later trains if they can.

Getting to the start areas for runners

• Blue/Green/Yellow start – travel direct to Blackheath station from Charing Cross, Waterloo East, London Bridge or Victoria.
• Red start – travel direct to Greenwich station from Cannon Street and London Bridge.
• Pink start – travel direct to Maze Hill station from Cannon Street and London Bridge. 

Start times

Blue – Blackheath

Elite Wheelchair Athletes – 08.50
Elite Women Runners – 09.05
Elite Men Runners – 09.35
Mass Starts – 09.35

Green – Blackheath

Mass starts – 09.35

Pink – Maze Hill

Mass starts – 09.35

Red – Greenwich

Mass starts – 09.35

Yellow – Blackheath

Mass starts – 09.35

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2026 London Marathon first trains to starting points

Below is a selection of first train times to the start areas.

Check before you travel using our journey planner

Trains will be busier than normal, so please allow extra time for your journey.

Starting points	Blue/Green/Yellow (Blackheath)	Red (Greenwich)	Pink (Maze Hill)
Cannon Street	06.50 (change at London Bridge	06.50	06.50
Charing Cross	06.50	06.50 (Change at London Bridge)	06.50 (change at London Bridge)
London Bridge	07.00	06.55	06.55
London Victoria	07.01 (change at Lewisham)	Travel from Charing Cross or Cannon Street	Travel from Charing Cross or Cannon Street
Waterloo East	06.54	06.54 (change at London Bridge)	06.54 (change at London Bridge)
Dartford	06.39	06.18	06.18
Orpington	06.54 (change at Lewisham)	06.58 (change at London Bridge)	06.58 (change at London Bridge)

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Ticket arrangements

Does my race number get me free travel on Southeastern to the start areas?

Yes. If you’re a runner, you can travel for free on Southeastern services from the following stations to your starting point:

• London Bridge
• London Cannon Street
• London Charing Cross
• Waterloo East
• London Victoria

Just show your race number to a member of Southeastern staff at the gate line to claim your free travel.

Please note that you will still need valid train tickets for travel into London and for the rest of the day after the race.

Is there free travel for runner supporters?

The agreement that we have with the TCS London Marathon is that runners with a race number are entitled to free travel to the start of the race from our London terminals. Unfortunately, we are not able to extend this to supporters. Please buy a ticket before you travel and have a great day.