London Marathon latest as BBC commentator left speechless and Sabastian Sawe speaks out

That is all from us today; thank you for joining us for our live coverage of the 2026 London Marathon.

Plenty of runners are now heading for the finish line on The Mall.

Sebastian Vettel was one of the many sports stars who ran today’s London Marathon.

It was the first time the four-time World Championship F1 driver had run a marathon, and he finished with a time of two hours, 59 minutes and eight seconds.

And speaking to the BBC after he finished, he said:"It felt very long, but my first time, so I didn't know what to expect, but it has been amazing, the amount of people next to the course.

"A great experience – very happy I finished. You are never on your own. Some of the sessions are quite lonely, but it is really exciting.

"So many people, so many signs and so many people cheering you on. I always wanted to do a marathon. I kept fit, did a lot of cycling, and I thought it is about time.

"Happy I finished having lived the experience. I can only recommend people to sign up and try to do it."

More runners are making their way around the circuit.

Around 59,000 people are expected to take part today, and thousands have lined the streets of London to show support. And as has become the norm, plenty of banners have been on show.

Tigst Assefa has spoken of her delight after she defended her London Marathon crown in a women’s-only world record of two hours, 15 minutes and 41 seconds. 

Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I am so happy to win again. I want to thank God for giving me this victory. To repeat my victory means even more.

"The happiness I feel is welling up inside of me. It was one of my plans coming into this competition to break my own world record from last year's race. To do that has brought me a lot of satisfaction.

"I want to thank Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei for making it a great competition. I feel very lucky. I want to thank them on their success. They also ran great races."

Plenty of support for today's runners from the Invictus Games Foundation's 'Veterans' Corner'.

As expected, plenty of runners have opted to run today's race in fancy dress.

Runners in the mass event are making their way round the 26.2 mile circuit, and plenty have already made their way across London Bridge.

Sabastian Sawe has been speaking for the first time since he set a new world record in winning the London Marathon in a time of 1:59:30. 

Speaking to the BBC’s Gabby Logan, he said: "First of all, I want to thank the crowds. They help a lot. They helped a lot. 

“You feel so happy and strong and pushing. What comes for me today is not for me alone but all of us in London."

Paula Radcliffe believes what Sabastian Sawe has just achieved will reverberate around the world.

While BBC One commentator Steve Cram, who was at first left speechless by what he had witnessed, said: “There are things that happen in sport where you want to be there to see it. Roger Bannister the first ever four-minute mile. 

“Those who were there on that day still tell that story today. We did say it was a day for records. The world will never be the same again.”

Sabastian Sawe breaks the marathon world record as he becomes the first man to ever run under two hours in a race. What an incredible achievemen!

Tigst Assefa goes back-to-back as she wins the women's elite race. And just for good measure, she’s gone and beat her world record from last year too.

Tigst Assefa leads the way and looks comfortable in front of the women's race in a group with Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jopkosgei. While in the men’s elite race, Sabastian Sawe is still in the lead as they approach the 35km mark.

Plenty of oufits on show now.

Some action shots as runners make their way around the circuit.

Catherine Debrunner wins the women's wheelchair race.

Reacting to Debrunner's victory, which means she defends her title, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said: "An incredible race from Catherine Debrunner in terms of being measured and not panicking. She has not done a lot of back-to-back marathons. It is unusual that she has done Boston and then come to London."

Plenty of fancy dress on show now as runners make their way around the 26.2 mile circuit.

Marcel Hug wins his eighth men's wheelchair race overall and his sixth in a row. This is his third marathon of the year, and he has a 100% record.

And Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson says: “Marcel Hug is keeping his elbows high at the moment. He is pretty quick and it is not the fastest course.” 

As I said earlier, we can expect to see plenty of runners in fancy dress today, but fair play to Jordan Adams, who is running with a 25kg+ fridge on his back to symbolise the weight of his diagnosis with FTD.

The BBC is reporting that Hellen Obiri, Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jopkosgei have gone through the 10km mark in 31 minutes.That is rapid and we could be on for another record being broken here.

The main contenders are still all keeping pace with the pacers, but they should be pulling away soon.

Some action shots from the elite women’s race and wheelchair races – as plenty of runners set off in their own races.

Well, our first runner in fancy dress has been pictured. The mass event is now under way, and we can expect to see plenty more costumes.

Conditions are expected to be dry, with sunny intervals and light winds throughout the day.

Temperatures are expected to be around 10 degrees when the race starts, before reaching highs of 17 degrees by mid-afternoon.

And Paula Radcliffe believes it is a perfect temperature for marathon running.

She said: “A perfect day to run quickly. They have done all the hard work. These women knew in their heads what they wanted to do. It's a perfect temperature for marathon running.”

Not long to go until the mass event gets under way, and runners are making their way to the start line.

An Army veteran is planning to become the first triple amputee to complete today’s race in the hopes of showing others with a disability or injury what can be achieved “with the right mindset and the right support network”.

Former corporal Andy Reid, who lost both legs and his right arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2009 when on patrol with the 3rd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment, expects it will take him 12-13 hours and 80,000 steps to complete the 26.2 miles.

The 49-year-old, from St Helens in Merseyside, will also be walking the route on Sunday in honour of the seven members of his regiment, his friends, whom he lost, saying: “I’m still here despite my injury, so I’ve got to make the most of life.”

The elite women's race is now under way. The men's elite race and the mass event get underway at 9.35am. Just a reminder that Tigst Assefa set a new women-only world record of 2 hours 15 minutes and 50 seconds last year.

Confirmation that Eden Rainbow-Cooper only managed to get her women's wheelchair race under way four minutes after it officially started. Rainbow-Cooper won the Boston Marathon last weekend, but she faces a huge task winning here.

The 2026 London Marathon is under way after a delay to the start of the wheelchair races because Eden Rainbow-Cooper had a puncture.

Speaking live on the BBC’s coverage, Gabby Logan confirmed: “We're just hearing, I was going to talk to you about the elite wheelchair racers. Rainbow-Cooper has got a puncture, and this might delay the start of the race."

Despite not starting the race when it started, Rainbow-Cooper has indeed got her race underway, but she is some way behind the rest of the pack.

Dame Laura Kenny is making her debut at this year's London Marathon after she was forced to drop out of last year’s race due to being pregnant.

And speaking to the BBC just now, she said: “I think he [Jason Kenny] is glad that he can hand it back and not come today. I think looking after the kids at home is harder than this!

“I am looking forward to the crowd, but the running I am terrified of. I get told if I start walking, I will walk to the finish.”

Sir Ben Ainslie is also running today’s race, and he said: “Definitely out of my comfort zone. It's my first marathon, but like Laura [Kenny], not sure of the timing, but just get stuck in and have a good day out.”

Last year, Tigst Assefa ran a world record for a women-only field, crossing the line in two hours 15 minutes 50 seconds, while Sabastian Sawe won the men's race in 2:02:27.

The ballot for next year’s London Marathon has already opened.

People have until 4pm on Friday May 1 to try their luck in the random draw for next year’s event, which will take place on Sunday April 25, with ballot results to be announced by early July.

A record-breaking 1,133,813 people applied for a ballot place for today's race, but the odds of getting lucky may improve for 2027 with plans being explored to hold an extra London Marathon on Saturday, April 24.

If permission is granted for the one-off two‑day format, all entrants would automatically be entered into the ballot for both the Saturday and Sunday events, although they would only be able to run in one event.

A two-day event would mean more places for charity fundraisers.

A few more classic fancy dress costumes that we have seen over the years at the London Marathon. 

A look back at some of the classic costumes runners have run in over the years, with more expected to be on show today.

Record-breaking numbers are expected at the start line in Greenwich, with more than 59,000 people gearing up to race in warm sunshine.

Temperatures are forecast to reach the high teens, with participants taking on the 26.2-mile course advised to stay hydrated ahead of the marathon and wear lightweight clothing on the day.

Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah and England's Women's Rugby World Cup winner Ellie Kildunne have the honour of officially starting the event in Greenwich Park.

Aaron Ramsey, former footballer

Sir Alastair Cook, former cricketer

Sebastian Vettel, former F1 driver

Tony Adams, former footballer

Dame Laura Kenny, former Olympian

Sir Ben Ainslie, former Olympian

Sir AP McCoy, former jockey

Geraint Thomas, former cyclist

Cynthia Erivo, actor

Jack O'Connell, actor

Ore Oduba, TV presenter

Fern Brady, comedian

As well as following what happens here on our dedicated live blog, you can also watch the race on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. 

Coverage starts at 8:30 and runs until 2pm before the action switches over to BBC Two for an hour. There are also highlights on BBC Two tonight at 7pm.

Elite wheelchairs - 08:50

Elite Women - 09:05 

Elite men - 09:35

Mass Event - 09:35 - 11:30

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of today's London Marathon. Thousands of runners are currently gearing up to take on the 26.2-mile race. So let's get going!