It’s part of a three-year agreement between London Marathon Events and UK Athletics, with the championships hosted by the London Marathon until 2027
The 2025 TCS London Marathon will host the UK Athletics Marathon Championships (April 27).
As part of an agreement between London Marathon Events and UK Athletics, the London Marathon will also be the trial race for the 2026 European Championships in Birmingham and 2027 World Championships in Beijing.
Among the British athletes taking part in this year’s London Marathon are Eilish McColgan, Rose Harvey, Charlotte Purdue, Mahamed Mahamed, Phil Sesemann and Alex Yee.
With the 2025 edition not being a trial race for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, qualification will instead be determined by a number of factors.
London Marathon (Getty)
To make the Great Britain team for Tokyo, an athlete must either obtain World Athletics’ or UK Athletics’ standards in the marathon.
World Athletics’ qualification marks for the World Championships stand at 2:06:30 and 2:23:30 for men and women respectively.
UK Athletics’ selection policy, which includes a ‘B’ standard, is slightly more lenient and their marks are 2:08:00 and 2:24:00 for men and women respectively.
According to UK Athletics’ selection policy, athletes who obtain the “B” standard must also be in a ranked position on World Athletics’ Road To Tokyo list, at the final publication of the WA rankings.
As well as obtaining either the World Athletics or UK Athletics standard, athletes must also achieve a top five finish in a Platinum Label marathon or win a Gold Label race over 26.2 miles.
London Marathon (Getty)
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said: “The TCS London Marathon is the most competitive marathon on the planet. It provides a platform for the very best marathon runners in the UK to not only race each other, but to test themselves against the world’s best athletes. This is why it’s the perfect location for the British Athletics marathon championships.”
UKA Endurance Strategy Manager Chris Jones said: “We are delighted to confirm the inclusion of the UKA Marathon Championships for the next three years within the TCS London Marathon. Also, confirming the trial races for the major championships in 2026 and 2027 ensures athletes can factor this into their race programmes. It’s a fantastic backdrop and will give British athletes a brilliant opportunity to perform at their best.”
Read the full selection policy for Tokyo here
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