Get ready for the grand return of the legendary London Marathon as it marks its 44th edition, welcoming 50,000 runners to the vibrant streets of the British capital. Among them are elite athletes ready to take on the iconic 26.2-mile journey from Greenwich to The Mall. However, if you find yourself unable to join the London crowd this Sunday (April 21), fear not! We've curated a guide on how you can catch every thrilling moment of the race, no matter where you are in the world.
The London Marathon live stream takes place Sunday (April 21).
• U.S. — Watch on FloTrack
• U.K. — Watch on BBC Two, BBC One and BBC Red Button
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
The stage is set for a spectacular race in both the men's and women's fields. Very sadly, we won't have the opportunity to watch Kelvin Kiptum, the current world record holder for the marathon, who tragically passed away in a car accident last year. But spurred on by Kiptum's phenomenal contributions to the marathon event, the stage is set for a spectacular race in both the men's and women's fields at this year's London Marathon.
Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, the current female marathon world record holder will be one to watch this year alongside Kenya's formidable trio Brigid Kosgei, Ruth Chepngetich, and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir.
On the men's front, there will be Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola, reigning New York City Marathon champion, Mosinet Geremew, the seventh-fastest man in history, and Kenya's Alexander Mutiso Munyao leading the charge.
If you're looking out for a runner in the mass-participation race, you can expect to see them once the race kicks off. Exact timings for the race start times are yet to be released, but customary staggered start times are anticipated to commence around 8:00 am BST, with waves of runners embarking at 10:00 am and all start lines closing by 11:30 am BST. The easiest way to keep an eye on how your runner is doing is to track them — here's how to track runners at the London Marathon.
How to watch the London Marathon live stream wherever you are
The London Marathon coverage will be on the BBC for most of the day in the UK, but if you're not in the UK, there are still ways to watch a friend or family member take on the race (although you might need to set your alarm clock a little earlier than usual for a Sunday!)
The answer is to use a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN will let you tune into your home coverage from wherever you are — meaning that if you're abroad, you can use one of the best VPN services to watch the games live as if you were in your lounge.
Our favorite is NordVPN, thanks to its impressive unblocking streaming services, its speed and it ranked the best on the market right now.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the race. Head to BBC Sport to stream the marathon.
How to watch the London Marathon in the UK
TV coverage of the London Marathon will be broadcast on BBC One from 08:00 to 14:00 and on BBC Two from 14:00 to 15:00. For those interested in watching the elite races, the schedule is as follows: the Elite Wheelchair field starts at 08:50, followed by the Elite Women at 09:00, and the Elite Men at 09:40.
To catch your family and friends on the course, there will be two live streams available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport app. The Tower Bridge cam will run from 11:30 to 14:30, while the Finish Line cam will be active from 13:00 to 18:00. Both streams will also be available on-demand for viewers who want to watch later.
Additionally, viewers can look forward to a highlights show airing on BBC Two at 18:00.
All of this coverage is completely free. But if you are looking to watch the event and you're not in the UK, you can still follow the London Marathon live coverage by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.
How to watch the London Marathon live stream in the US and Canada
If you're keen to get up early and watch the London Marathon from the US, the easiest way to do so is to watch the live coverage on FloTrack.
To watch the race, you'll need to be a subscriber, which is $29.99 per month, or $149.88 per year (which works out to $12.49 per month). You can cancel your subscription anytime, so you can sign-up now to watch the race and then cancel at the end of the month.
More from Tom's Guide
