When is London Marathon 2018? Date, route, start time, map and famous runners

In less than three weeks’ time, tens of thousands of runners will descend on the capital’s streets for 38th annual London Marathon. It’s the biggest event of the capital’s running calendar and it swallows the city whole: more than 39,000 people are expected to finish this year’s race and tens of thousands more will be cheering at the sidelines along the 26.2 mile route. Running fever is in the air.

This year is particularly special, with the Queen acting as the official starter for the event – albeit, remotely from Windsor. It’s the first time in the race’s history she has done so, and the third time for a member of the royal family.

For runners, the next three weeks are crucial for preparation. For supporters and families, it’s time to think logistics to beat the crowds. From training tips to transport on the day, here’s everything you need to know.

When is it?

This year’s event takes place on Sunday April 22. The elite wheelchair races kick off at 08.55, the World Para Athletics Marathon World Cup is at 09.00 and the elite women’s race is at 09.15.

The elite men’s race, British Athletics & England Athletics Marathon Championships, and the mass race, start at 10am. It’s later than a lot of races, but it’s also much bigger, so you’ll want to get there early to avoid the crowds. Live coverage of the Queen pushing the start button at 10am sharp from the grounds of Windsor Castle will be streamed onto the big screens on the start line in Blackheath.

Where is it?

The course is mainly flat and passes many of London’s iconic landmarks. Many parts of the capital will be brought to a standstill, with extensive road closures planned.

The 26.2 mile route starts in Blackheath and heads east through Woolwich for three miles before turning west and passing the Cutty Sark in Greenwich between miles six and seven. It crosses the river at Tower Bridge and then snakes around the Isle of Dogs, past Canary Wharf, before heading west again. The home stretch from mile 23 takes runners from London Bridge, along the Embankment to Parliament Square, Birdcage Walk and finishes on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace. The finish area is all around St James’ Park and Horse Guards Parade.

There’ll be Buxton Natural Mineral Water stations every mile after mile three through to 25, apart from miles 7 and 11, where Lucozade Sport is available. There’ll be Lucozade at miles 15, 19 and 23, too, while Lucozade Sport Carbo Gel stations can be found on The Highway at miles 14 and 21.5.

Where to watch

Though the race starts at Blackheath, it’s not advised to accompany participants to the start as the assembly areas are for runners only. There’ll be supporters all along the route, so pick your spots carefully, and don’t plan to get to too many as getting around will be slow. To see runners between miles 14 and 21, take the DLR or the Jubilee Line out east towards Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs. Avoid Greenwich town centre as this is expected to be very busy.

Tower Hill is common viewing spot: runners come past there twice so you’ll get to see them at miles 13 and 22.5 without having to get back on the Tube.

Birdcage Walk is also popular as you’ll get to cheer runners on the home straight before seeing them in the finish area afterwards. The closest stations to the finish area are St James’ Park and Victoria, but these will be busy. Charing Cross and Embankment stations are a little further away (about a 20-minute walk) but they’ll be less crowded and you won’t have to use the crossing points.

How to get there

All runners are entitled to free travel to the start on Southeastern trains from Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Cannon Street and Victoria. Give yourself plenty of time to get and plan to arrive early: the first trains leave central London at 06.50. Keep a close eye on TFL for updates on the Tube and other lines.

Watching on TV

If you’re watching on TV, there’ll be live coverage on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and various apps. The Red Button TV service gives expert commentary on the elite race and then offers finish line coverage of all runners as they complete the course, accompanied by a graphics ticker containing messages sent in by friends and loved ones.

Who’s running

Roughly 39,000 brave runners are expected to finish this year’s race, from Mo Farah to pro joggers and people in rhino costumes. Many thousands more will be spectating.

Alongside the many thousands of Londoners running, a number of celebrities will also be attempting the 26.2 mile course, including Chris Evans, Scott Mills, Katie Price, Gordon Ramsay, Sophie Raworth and Selasi Gbormittah. Bryony Gordon, author of The Wrong Knickers, will be running the whole thing in her underwear to raise money for mental health charity Heads Together.

There’ll also be thousands taking part for charity, including London siblings Georgia, Hugo and Anthony Rawlinson, who are running in memory of their mum, Penny, who died of secondary breast cancer last May. Emmanuel Bejedi is also running: originally from Cameroon, he spent several years living homeless and alone in London before The Running Charity gave him a new start. He’ll be running to give back to them.

What to wear

Comfort is key when running such a long distance: make sure you don’t wear clothing you haven’t tried out in advance. Shoes are the most important piece of gear you’ll wear on the day: you should have these already but the Asics Gel Nimbus (£165, asics.com) is a strong long distance option with maximum cushioning. Pair them with some breathable running socks like lululemon’s Speed Sock (£18, lululemon.co.uk), which has micro-cushioning in the toe and heel when your feet get sweaty.

Many runners will be wearing their charity vests – remember to pin your race number to your top before leaving in the morning. For women, a good sports bra is essential: Zakti’s Go Getter Sports Bra (£11.99, zaktiactive.com), SportFX’s Cross Bk Bra (£19.99, sportfx.com) and Adidas’ Alpha Skin bra (£22.95, adidas.co.uk) are designed for support when you’re going the distance. Saucony’s Bullet Capri (£60, saucony.com) and lululemon’s Speed Up Tight (£98, lululemon.co.uk) are popular legging choices, while 2XU’s new ICE X compression tights (£80, 2xu.com) help you keep cool using embedded cooling jade technology.

What to use

Many runners will want to carry their phone, but arm bands can cause chaffing when running long distance. The FlipBelt (£25, flipbelt.co.uk) is a comfortable running belt that sits around your waist and secures your phone, keys and gels – it comes in bright colours too so you can match it to your Apple Watch strap and your supporters can spot you.

Wearable-wise, Fitbit has just brought out its new Versa watch (£199, fitbit.com) which has more than four days of battery life and stores more than 300 songs if you don’t want to carry your phone. Pair with some Bluetooth headphones to power through the pain: Bose’s SoundSport earbuds are a lightweight, quality option designed for exercise (£149.95, bose.co.uk), while Groov-e’s Wireless Sport Headphones (£34.99, groov-e.co.uk) are a strong affordable alternative designed for running. If you can’t walk after the race, OOFOS (oofos.co.uk) do a useful range of recovery shoes that take the stress off your tired soles and joints using specially-designed OOfoam technology.

Last minute prep

The final two weeks before a marathon can make or break your race, says Anna Boniface, a Saucony UK athlete and the first female finisher in the mass race last year. “Training will not get you any fitter but recovery will. Rest, nailing nutrition and ‘just ticking over’ will allow those final physiological adaptations to occur.”

She suggests tapering. Do your last long run two or three weeks before race day, then stick to the same frequency of your runs but reduce the volume by 20-25 per cent. Do some speed work: “a few faster, short repetition workouts and doing 6x100m strides after easy runs can be a great way to sharpen up the legs.” She also suggests doing a dress rehearsal for race day to ensure your kit and trainers fit comfortably. Check how you’ll carry your gels, practise taking them and picking up water bottles, and plan where your supporters will be on the course.

For those inevitable aches and pains in the build-up, it’s important to keep rolling after every training run: the latest ones vibrate for extra intensity: try the Hyperice Vyper Vibrating Foam Roller (£135.99, wiggle.co.uk) or the Pulseroll Vibrating Foam Roller (£99.99, pulseroll.com), while Biofreeze Spray (£9.99, boots.com) works fast for immediate joint pain relief in hard to reach areas. For more serious niggles, a sports massage can work wonders alongside training. Alison Hendrick at Virgin Active’s new Beyond Movement facility in Kensington is an expert on marathon-specific sports massages ahead of the big day.

Ahead of race day all runners will also need to register a the Virgin money London Marathon Expo at the ExCel in east London. There you will collect your running number, timing tag and kitbag. Your final instructions magazine explains this in full.

In the last two or three days before the race, follow a diet high in carbs, Boniface suggests. 8-10g/kg will ensure glycogen stores are topped up ready for race day. On the day itself, start hydrating as soon as you wake up, she says. Aim for at least 500ml. Have a light breakfast high in carbs and leave plenty of time for digestion. Power up.