The 46th annual London Marathon will see more than 59,000 runners, including everyday people, athletes and even Olympians from around the world, competing side-by-side in the iconic 26.2-mile road race.
Runners will pass some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including Cutty Sark, Surrey Quays, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, the London Eye and Big Ben, before reaching the finish line on The Mall, right next to Buckingham Palace.
Do you want to see all the action? Luckily, we’ve found an easy way to stream the 2026 London Marathon for FREE.
Can I watch the 2026 London Marathon for free?
UK viewers are in luck! The 2026 London Marathon will be broadcast live for FREE on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. All you need is a TV license.
The event is also available for free in several other countries, including Italy (in raiplay) and Spain (in RTVE Play).
Furthermore, the official Olympic channel will provide live coverage of the 2026 London Marathon for free in selected locations including China, Japan, the Middle East, North Africa and New Zealand.
You will need a VPN to avoid being geo-blocked if you are outside your home country at the moment. We’ve tested dozens of VPNs and recommend NordVPN.
How to watch the 2026 London Marathon for free using a VPN
A VPN is useful software that can make your device appear as if you are in your home country, so you can unblock your usual service. Best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and is currently offering a generous discount.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple:
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we have said, NordVPN It’s our favorite.
2. Choose the location you want to connect to in the VPN app. For example, if you’re visiting the US and want to see your usual UK service, you’ll need to select “UK” in the app.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head over to BBC iPlayer (or Olympic Channel, depending on where you’re from) and watch the London Marathon 2026 live for FREE.
Why should you watch the London Marathon on BBC iPlayer?
BBC One and BBC iPlayer provide unparalleled coverage of the London Marathon with Gabby Logan leading the coverage from 8:30am BST. Coverage moves to BBC Two at 2pm BST.
Field reporters include JJ Chalmers, Blue Peter’s Abby Cook, Tim Warwood and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.
Truly, you couldn’t ask for better coverage for one of the biggest marathons in the world.
Can I listen to the London Marathon?
Yeah. If you are not present to broadcast the action, you can listen to it.
BBC Radio London provides coverage from 8am BST and you can listen to it via BBC Sounds.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Access a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protect your online security and strengthen your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or tolerate illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Future Publishing does not endorse or approve the consumption of paid pirated content.
