Virgin Money London Marathon

• Finisher's Medal
• T-Shirt
• Goody Bag
• Marshalled Course
• Water Stations
• Aid Stations
• Freebies at the ExCel centre
• Life Long Memories

There are three Start Areas at the Virgin Money London Marathon – Red, Blue, and Green – and the colour of your running number indicates your Start Area. Each Start Area has eight zones – numbered 1 to 8 - and you will be informed of your Start Zone when you register at Expo.

The zone you have been allocated to is based on your predicted finish time when you entered. Please note: You cannot change your Start Area or move to an earlier Start Zone. However, if you think your predicted finish time is now too fast, you will be allowed to join a later Start Zone.

To make sure the start of your race goes smoothly, you just need to do the following:

• Go to your correct Start Area
• Drop off the kitbag you have been provided
• Join your correct Start Zone
• Follow the instructions of the marshals

Kitbags and baggage lorries

The PA systems at each start area will tell you when to put your kitbag onto the appropriate baggage vehicle in the start area.

You should hand your bag in at the lorry with the number range which corresponds to your running number. Staff on the lorries will only accept official Virgin Money London Marathon kitbags, so please ensure you have stuck your self-adhesive running number label to the kitbag where indicated.

You will then be able to retrieve your kitbag from the baggage lorries after you finish. Once you have deposited your kitbag on the lorry, you will not be able to retrieve your belongings until you arrive at the finish.

Getting around

With all roads closed (visit our road closures page for more details), the only way to get around is by public transport. London Underground, London Overground and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) lay on extra services on Race Day, and this is by far the best way to get around.

Before setting off, you need to prepare – spectating isn’t quite as tough as marathon training but it still needs some thought:

Travel light – you will be standing for hours on end, so keep your belongings to a minimum and try and leave as many valuables as you can at home.

Comfortable clothes (especially shoes) are a must. You should be prepared for a typical April day in London – sun, showers and wind.

It’s busy! If you are a regular commuter, think rush hour. If not, think what it’s like when you attend a concert or festival. You will often have to queue and some stations may be forced to shut temporarily while staff clear the crowds.

Expect to do lots of walking, including stairs and escalators – you should think carefully before bringing young children; pushchairs can also be troublesome.

Places to avoid

If you want to follow your loved ones and try to get a glimpse of them as they pass, it is suggested that you avoid very crowded areas, where it can be difficult to find a viewing spot, hard to move around and tough to get in and out.

Busy areas include Greenwich town centre and the Cutty Sark. While the ship is undoubtedly a beautiful backdrop for the race, the crowds that are attracted here can make spectating uncomfortable and transport in and around Greenwich becomes particularly busy.

Tower Bridge is always extremely busy, as is anywhere from mile 24 to the finish in The Mall. Obviously many of you will eventually end up in this area later on in the day as you head to the runner meet and greet area in Horse Guards Road.

Runner meet and greet area

It can be very busy, so please take note of the following advice. There will be meeting points in Horse Guards Road and Horse Guards Parade with areas marked by letters of the alphabet – meet at your family initial or at another pre-arranged letter.

Please meet your runner at one of these meeting points. DO NOT congregate around the exit from the secure area at the top of Horse Guards Road. This causes massive congestion for exiting runners as well as other health and safety issues for the large numbers of people in this area. Both the Police and our security personnel are under strict instructions not to allow people to congregate here and to move them along.

Heavy mobile phone traffic on all networks means you may find it difficult to get a signal in and around the finish area. Therefore, do not rely on mobile phones but plan where to meet in advance.

Runners are more likely to run slower than their predicted time. After crossing the Finish Line it will take a minimum of 15 minutes and closer to 30-40 minutes to reach the runner meet and greet area. Remember to build these factors into your arrangements when planning to meet your runner.

And finally...

Make sure you have the details of your runner’s race number. It is the easiest way for the organiser's information point to identify them on the database.

The Virgin Money London Marathon receives incredible volunteer support and there are approximately 6,000 volunteers who join the team and play a crucial role in the delivery of the event.

If you are interested in volunteering at the event, please email [email protected] with your name and contact details and a member of the team will be in touch.