Your London Marathon 2027 training and diet plan.

Quick answer. The official London Marathon training page offers free 16-week plans for beginner, improver and advanced runners, plus a wheelchair plan. Counted back from Sunday 25 April 2027, week one starts on Monday 4 January (calculated). For the diet plan, the British Dietetic Association scales carbohydrate with training, from 3 to 5g per kg of body weight a day for keeping active up to 5 to 8g for 2 to 3 hours of hard training a day. Practise fuelling on long runs from January, then carb load in the last 36 to 48 hours.

What is the London Marathon training plan for 2027?

London Marathon Events publishes its own plans. The official page says: "we have free 16-week plans packed full of fundraising and nutrition tips and podcast suggestions." There are four: Beginner, Improver, Advanced and Wheelchair. It also points to Coopah, its official training app, for a personalised plan.

On 10 October 2026 the downloads on that page were still the 2026 editions. The shape is the useful part. The 2026 beginner plan builds the weekend long run from 50 minutes of run/walk in week one to a 3 hour 30 minute run in week 13, then tapers for three weeks.

A 16-week plan does not start until the new year. That leaves October to December to build a base, so the first week of the plan feels routine rather than hard.

When is the 2027 London Marathon?

For one year only, it is a two-day event. The official announcement confirms "Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April 2027", with 100,000 participants on the same route from Greenwich to Westminster. London Marathon Events puts the split at 45,000 on Saturday and 55,000 on Sunday.

• Saturday 24 April: the men's championship and Good for Age races. The Double FAQs say the start is likely to be 09:00, with the finish closing at 17:30.
• Sunday 25 April: the women's championship and Good for Age races. The likely start is 09:30.

Ballot runners were told their day with their result and cannot swap. If you still need a place, our guide to how to get a London Marathon place covers every route that is still open.

What should a London Marathon diet plan look like?

Mostly ordinary food, with carbohydrate rising and falling with your training. The BDA fact sheet calls carbohydrate "the main fuel source for exercising muscles" and notes that muscle stores of it are limited. Its guide to daily needs is below. Use the row closest to your current week of training, and expect to move down the table as the long runs grow.

Protein matters too. The BDA puts endurance athletes at about 1.4 to 2.0g per kg a day, against 0.75g for people who do not exercise, and says a balanced diet usually covers it if you eat enough overall. In practice that means some protein at every meal: milk, yoghurt, eggs, fish, meat, tofu or beans.

Month by month: from October 2026 to race day.

The weeks below follow the 16-week structure of the official plans, counted back from Sunday 25 April. Saturday runners finish each week a day earlier.

October to December: build the base.

Run three or four times a week at an easy pace and make one run a little longer each fortnight. Eat regular meals built around a carbohydrate food, with protein and vegetables. This is also the time to settle what you eat before a run. The BDA suggests a low fat, high carbohydrate snack or light meal two to three hours before exercise, such as toast, cereal or porridge.

January and February: weeks 1 to 8.

Week one runs from 4 to 10 January (calculated). In the 2026 beginner plan, the long run reaches 2 hours by week 8. Once runs pass an hour, start practising fuel on the move. A 2019 review of endurance nutrition, drawing on the joint position of the American College of Sports Medicine and two dietetic bodies, gives 30 to 60g of carbohydrate an hour for exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours. The BDA counts two carbohydrate gels as about 50g.

March: weeks 9 to 13.

The longest runs land here: 2 hours 30, 3 hours and 3 hours 30 minutes in weeks 11 to 13 of the 2026 beginner plan. For efforts over 2.5 hours, the same review gives 60 to 70g an hour, and up to 90g if you can tolerate it. Use one of these runs as a full rehearsal: race breakfast, race kit, race fuel, at the time of day you will start.

April: weeks 14 to 16, taper and race.

Week 14 begins on 5 April (calculated). The 2026 beginner plan's tip for that week is to "increase the proportion of carbohydrate in your diet but not overall calories". In the last 36 to 48 hours, the review describes carb loading at 10 to 12g per kg a day. The plan's advice for the day before is to "stick to familiar foods that are rich in carbs, avoid spicy food and stay well hydrated". On race morning, the review gives 1 to 4g per kg in the 1 to 4 hours before the start. Our carb loading guide turns those numbers into meals.

What does London mean for British runners?

A lot of history on one course. The official facts and figures still list Paula Radcliffe's 2:15:25 from 2003 as the women's course record for a mixed race. She won London three times, and the full story is in Paula Radcliffe's three London wins.

What should I eat after a long run?

Carbohydrate and protein, soon. The BDA advises that after exercise you "start replenishing glycogen stores immediately with a high carbohydrate snack or meal". It also advises drinking to "just stay ahead of thirst" rather than forcing fluid down. A bowl of cereal with milk, a bagel with eggs, or rice with chicken all cover both. If you have a medical condition, talk to your GP or a registered dietitian before changing how much you eat.

Where Immufix fits.

Immufix is not race fuel and does not replace any meal above. It is one 25g scoop in around 200ml of water, once a day, as part of a varied diet. Riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and magnesium contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Magnesium and vitamin D contribute to normal muscle function. Every amount is on the science page.

The short version.

• The 2027 London Marathon is on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April. Men's championship and Good for Age races are on Saturday, women's on Sunday.
• The official free plans run for 16 weeks. Week one starts on 4 January 2027 (calculated). Use October to December to build a base.
• Match carbohydrate to training: the BDA gives 3 to 5g per kg a day for keeping active and 5 to 8g for hard daily training.
• Practise fuelling on runs over an hour: 30 to 60g an hour, rising to 60 to 90g on runs over 2.5 hours.
• Carb load at 10 to 12g per kg in the last 36 to 48 hours, then 1 to 4g per kg on race morning.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication, speak to your GP or pharmacist before taking any food supplement.