London Marathon Weekend: How to Get Around When Roads Are Closed

Getting around London during Marathon weekend means avoiding the closed route entirely and switching to the Tube, Overground, or a pre-booked car outside the affected zones- driving through central London on race day isn’t an option.

The 2027 TCS London Marathon is already shaping up to be the biggest one yet. For the first time in its history, the race will run over two full days, Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2027, with around 100,000 runners split across both days. That means instead of one day of disruption, London faces an entire weekend of London Marathon road closures. If you’re visiting, working, or just trying to get from A to B that weekend, here’s exactly what to expect and how to plan around it.

When Are the Roads Closed for the London Marathon?

Road closures typically start early morning on race day and stay in place until early evening, once the last runners and road-clearing teams have passed through. For the 2027 double-race weekend, expect this pattern on both Saturday and Sunday, not just one day.

Key start times for the race:

• Elite wheelchair race: from 8:50 AM
• Elite women’s race: from 9:05 AM
• Elite men’s race and mass start: from 9:35 AM

Roads along the route usually begin closing from around 6:00–7:00 AM to allow for setup, and most don’t fully reopen until mid-to-late afternoon, once the course has been swept and barriers removed. With two days of racing back to back in 2027, some areas- particularly around Greenwich and Blackheath, which host the start- may see closures affecting both days.

Which Areas Are Affected by London Marathon Road Closures?

The race route runs from Greenwich to The Mall, cutting straight through several central boroughs. Expect significant closures in:

• Greenwich (start area – Blackheath Park)
• Lewisham
• Southwark
• Tower Hamlets (includes Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf)
• City of London
• Westminster (finish area – The Mall, near Buckingham Palace)

If your hotel, meeting, or flight connection sits anywhere near this corridor, assume the roads directly around it will be inaccessible by car for most of the day.

How Do You Travel Around London During the Marathon?

The short answer: use the Tube or Overground, and avoid any station sitting directly on or near the route, especially Blackheath and Greenwich in the morning when crowds are heaviest.

A few practical points:

• Tube and rail services generally keep running, but some stations near the start and route see delays or temporary closures at peak race times
• Buses on roads that cross the route are diverted or suspended for the day
• Walking across the route is usually possible at designated marshal-controlled crossing points, but expect queues
• Black cabs and private cars cannot cross the route once it’s closed – they have to route around it, which can add significant time

If you need to get across town and your route crosses the marathon course, build in at least an extra hour, and check which crossing points are open before you leave.

Can You Still Get a Car or Taxi During the Marathon?

Yes, but only if the driver knows the closures and plans the route around them in advance. This is where pre-booking matters more than usual- a driver unfamiliar with the day’s road closures can end up stuck trying to cross a blocked street, costing you both time and money.

This is exactly the kind of day a London Airport Transfer booked in advance pays off. Instead of trying to flag a cab near a closed road or hoping a rideshare driver knows the diversions, a pre-arranged pickup means your route is planned around the closures before the car even leaves. Rydeu drivers check the day’s road closure map ahead of time and build the route accordingly, so you’re not the one figuring it out at the curb.

Travel During London Marathon: Tips for Visitors

If you’re in London for the weekend and not here for the race, a little planning goes a long way:

1. Check your hotel’s location against the route map before booking, especially for stays in Greenwich, Southwark, or Westminster
2. Avoid scheduling flights or train connections that require crossing the route between 7 AM and 4 PM on race day(s)
3. Book airport or station transfers in advance rather than relying on street hails near the course
4. Plan walking routes using marshal crossing points, which are usually marked on the official route map closer to the date
5. Give yourself an extra hour for any journey that touches central London on race weekend

For the 2027 two-day event specifically, don’t assume Sunday will be clear just because Saturday’s race has finished- with road-clearing and setup for day two, some closures may carry over or restart earlier than expected.

What About Getting To or From the Airport That Weekend?

If you’re flying through London Luton Airport during the London Marathon weekend, plan your journey carefully because road closures can affect routes into central London. Booking a London airport transfer in advance gives you a planned pickup and allows the driver to choose a route around affected roads and expected delays.

This is where most visitors get caught out. If your flight lands or departs on a marathon day, and your route into or out of the city crosses the course, a normal taxi booking can run into real delays- or get turned away at a closed junction entirely.

Booking your airport transfer marathon weekend pickup ahead of time solves this in two ways: the driver already knows which roads are closed, and the pickup time is locked in regardless of how busy taxi ranks get elsewhere in the city. Rydeu tracks your flight and adjusts pickup timing automatically, so even if your landing time shifts, your driver is already working around the day’s closures rather than finding out about them on the way.

FAQs:

1. When exactly are the roads closed for the London Marathon 2027?
   Closures typically begin around 6–7 AM and stay in place into the afternoon on each race day. With the event running Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2027, expect disruption across both days rather than just one.

2. Which Tube stations should I avoid during the marathon?
   Blackheath and Greenwich stations see the heaviest congestion in the morning due to the start line. Stations along the Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, and Westminster sections of the route may also face delays.

3. Can I drive across London during the marathon?
   No. Once the course is closed, cars cannot cross it at any point along the route until it reopens later in the day. Plan to go around, not through.

4. Is it still possible to book a taxi or private car during marathon weekend?
   Yes, but pre-booking is strongly recommended. A driver who knows the closures in advance can route around them; a last-minute hail on the street may not.

5. Will the Sunday closures be the same as Saturday’s in 2027?
   Organizers have confirmed the route is identical on both days, so expect similar closure patterns on Saturday and Sunday, though exact timings for the two-day format are still being finalized closer to the event.