🐣 Pay less with early bird access - Click to see our full list of early bird event offers
All EventsRunning EventsMarathons

UK Marathons: 2023 - 2024

Image of people at Marathons in the United Kingdom
The marathon distance is 26.2 miles, or 42.2km. They are often seen as one of the main goals in a runner's lifetime. Completing one is a real feat of mental and physical resilience, and requires a serious amount of commitment and training if you are seeking a bragworthy time. Most marathons in the UK take part in the major cities, taking you through streets lined with cheering crowds and a vibrant atmosphere and passing historic landmarks. The London Marathon is the most famous of these, and is one of the six world marathon majors. Other marathons might take you out of the city and into the UK's stunning rural scenery. Some routes take in the national parks or the rugged coasts, so these races are a great way to see some incredible views while also achieving something incredible. Marathons are also amazing fundraising opportunities if you're feeling charitable. The London Marathon has raised over £1 billion since it started in 1981.
Benefits of booking with Let’s Do This
Tick
Best price guarantee

From our partners

Top Marathons in the UK

Events that our community are currently loving

RunThrough Surrey Half  2024
Booked 98 times this week

Sunday, 17 Mar 2024

RunThrough Surrey Half 2024

Location

Woking, Surrey

Running

half marathon, 5k, marathon and more

Ticket£10 – £48
Booking perksRoad
Heart
2024 ABP Newport Wales Marathon & Half
Booked 100 times this week

Sunday, 28 Apr 2024

2024 ABP Newport Wales Marathon & Half

Location

Newport, Newport

Running

marathon, half marathon

Ticket£34 – £78
Booking perksGreat atmosphere
Heart
Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit - February
Booked 55 times this week

Sunday, 11 Feb 2024

Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit - February

Location

Chichester, West Sussex

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, ultramarathon and more

Ticket£25 – £47
Booking perksFlat
Heart

Last minute start lines

No weekend plans? Look no further.

Races this weekend

Races this weekend

Races next weekend

Races next weekend

Discover something a little different

Add a little spice to your start line

Need more inspiration?

Collections of events from our community

[object Object]

Top rated for Great Atmosphere

[object Object]

Top rated for Amazing Scenery

app left
app right
Train, Chat, Cheer,
Share, Remember
ldt together
app store
google play

Popular UK Marathons

RunThrough Surrey Half  2024
Booked 98 times this week

Sunday, 17 Mar 2024

RunThrough Surrey Half 2024

Location

Woking, Surrey

Running

half marathon, 5k, marathon and more

Ticket£10 – £48
Heart
2024 ABP Newport Wales Marathon & Half
Booked 100 times this week

Sunday, 28 Apr 2024

2024 ABP Newport Wales Marathon & Half

Location

Newport, Newport

Running

marathon, half marathon

Ticket£34 – £78
Heart
Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit - February
Booked 55 times this week

Sunday, 11 Feb 2024

Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit - February

Location

Chichester, West Sussex

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, ultramarathon and more

Ticket£25 – £47
Heart
Shakespeare Marathon & Half Marathon - April 2024
Booked 62 times this week

Sunday, 21 Apr 2024

Shakespeare Marathon & Half Marathon - April 2024

Location

Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire

Running

marathon, half marathon and more

Ticket£26.67 – £50
Heart
2024 TCS London Marathon MyWay
Booked 55 times this week

Sunday, 21 Apr 2024

2024 TCS London Marathon MyWay

Location

London, Greater London

Running

marathon

Ticket£30 – £40
Heart
'Twas the Run before Christmas 2023
Booked 15 times this week

Sunday, 10 Dec 2023

'Twas the Run before Christmas 2023

Location

Brandon, Suffolk

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, ultramarathon

Ticket£26 – £30
Heart
Bridlington New Year Bonanza
Booked 20 times this week

Saturday, 30 Dec 2023

Bridlington New Year Bonanza

Location

Sewerby, East Riding of Yorkshire

Running

marathon, 10k, 5k

Ticket£14 – £41
Heart
Sir Titus Pie n Pickle Plod 2024
Booked 20 times this week

Sunday, 7 Jan 2024

Sir Titus Pie n Pickle Plod 2024

Location

Shipley, West Yorkshire

Running

5k, 10k, 10 miles, half marathon, marathon, ultramarathon and more

Ticket£14 – £55
Heart
Skipton Sweetie Suprise Skidaddle 2024
Booked 19 times this week

Sunday, 14 Jan 2024

Skipton Sweetie Suprise Skidaddle 2024

Location

Skipton, North Yorkshire

Running

ultramarathon, marathon, half marathon, 10 miles, 10k, 5k and more

Ticket£14 – £55
Heart
 TEC Lulworth Cove 2024
Booked 31 times this week

Saturday, 24 Feb 2024

TEC Lulworth Cove 2024

Location

West Lulworth, Dorset

Running

ultramarathon, marathon, half marathon, 10k

Ticket£33 – £68
Heart
Running GP Oulton Park - March
Booked 20 times this week

Sunday, 3 Mar 2024

Running GP Oulton Park - March

Location

Little Budworth, Cheshire West and Chester

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon and more

Ticket£25 – £47
Heart
Spring Canal Canter - Day 1
Booked 13 times this week

Saturday, 16 Mar 2024

Spring Canal Canter - Day 1

Location

Leeds, West Yorkshire

Running

ultramarathon, marathon, half marathon, 5k, 10 miles, 10k and more

Ticket£14 – £55
Heart

About us

Let’s Do This is on a mission to help more people discover epic experiences than any other community on the planet. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly 5k fun run or an Ironman triathlon, we list more mass-participation sports events than any other website on the planet. Join the million plus people that have discovered their epic experiences through Let’s Do This.

The team

Other popular distances

The tried and true distances all runners love

About marathons in the UK

Marathons are 26.2 miles long (or 42.2k) and make up some of the most popular and spectacular races held in the UK. People run marathons for many different reasons, either for a loved one, a personal goal or for a great cause. In 2016, Shannon Foudy became the one millionth runner to complete the London Marathon.

What are the best marathon events?

The most famous is the London Marathon, which last year produced a record 40,000+ finishers and over 800,000 spectators flooded the streets to cheer them on. If you're thinking of running a marathon, London is not only the most popular but also one of the flattest, so it's a great place to push for a PB. If you missed out on a ballot place, other super flat marathons include ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon, Brighton Marathon, and Edinburgh Marathon. These are held in the spring / early summer, around the same time as the London Marathon. If you're looking for something a little more off the beaten path, the New Forest Marathon, Baxters Loch Ness Marathon (watch out for Nessie) and Yorkshire Marathon all run from late summer into autumn.

How long will it take me to run a marathon?

The average time for London Marathon finishers in 2018 was 3h48m for males and 4h23m for females. This is significantly faster than the global average of around 4h13m and 4h42m for men and women respectively. Don't focus too much on what others are doing, keep your own pace and don't worry if you're overtaken by an inflatable T-Rex, they can be pretty speedy!

Keep in mind that your finishing time can be greatly affected by the course, some marathons are particularly fast (e.g. Berlin, London), and the average time for different marathons can vary - make sure you check out the course maps and elevation profiles to get a feel for the route.

For trivia fans, the world record for women was set in London by Paula Radcliffe in 2003 at 2h15m25s and is still proving tough to beat. The men's record was beaten in Berlin in 2018 by Eliud Kipchoge and at 2h01m39s is pushing close to breaking the elusive 2 hour barrier.

How do you train for a marathon?

Training for a marathon takes time and dedication. We recommend starting 16 weeks prior to race day, regardless of whether you are entering your first race or looking to hit a new PB.

image
🇬🇧