Upcoming Marathons

For its 25th anniversary in 2005 the course witnessed the biggest shake-up in its history when the notorious Tower of London cobbles finally disappeared to be replaced by a fast, flat stretch along the Highway. The knock-on effect meant that the Isle of Dogs loop between 15 and 21 miles is now completed in an anti-clockwise direction. It is believed that the improvements to the course which took out the twists and turns around the Tower Hotel Race Headquarters resulted in a 45-second improvement in times for elite runners.

The only other main changes over the years have come at the finish. For its inaugural year in 1981 the race ended on Constitution Hill but moved to Westmister Bridge for the second edition. There it stayed until 1994 when repairs to the bridge meant relocating to the Mall where it has remained.

Intense buildings works in the 80s and 90s around Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs have led to slight variations but the start on Blackheath Common and Greenwich Park has always remained constant.