London 2012 marathon route unveiled
The marathon is considered not only the supreme discipline of athletics, but also the mother of all Olympic events. It is hardly surprising, then, that almost all boroughs in London wanted a slice of the action and would have liked to see the Olympic marathon visit them in just under two years’ time. But even a 42.195-kilometre course is not long enough to include all of London in the route planning. The disappointment is particularly great in the borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, after it emerged that the marathon would not be coming to the Olympic Stadium after all. Contrary to the original route plans, which had the start and finish at the Olympic Stadium in Tower Hamlets, the organisers have now unveiled a new route through London.
London 2012 marathon route unveiled
Date: 30/09/2026
The start and finish of the marathon at the 2012 Olympics in London will be on the grand boulevard known as “The Mall”, which runs directly past Buckingham Palace. But the rest of the route has little in common with the original plans, either. The runners will now also pass landmarks such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s Cathedral. By moving the Olympic marathon into central London, the organisers hope to bring it closer to the fans, as they expect greater support there than they might have received in Tower Hamlets. In the city centre, fans will also have shorter journeys between their London hotels and the course, which, alongside the greater appeal of the location, was probably another factor in the decision to move it.
The borough of Tower Hamlets, which is affected by the decision, has little understanding of it. A protest letter to the organisers, LOCOG, says that excluding boroughs from the Olympic marathon after they played a major part in securing the 2012 Olympics for London is a sign of a lack of credibility. Its chairman, Sebastian Coe, insists that choosing the marathon route was one of the most difficult decisions connected with planning the 2012 Olympics in London, and hopes that tempers will cool somewhat over the coming weeks and months.
Kai Rebmann
