Start, finish, and why the gap matters
London Marathon is a point-to-point course with a start area in southeast London and a finish in the centre. The start — in Greenwich Park and on Blackheath Common — is approximately 10 km from the finish on The Mall, next to St James's Park and Buckingham Palace.
For accommodation, this creates a genuine decision: prioritise the start (stress-free race morning, but further from post-race celebrations) or prioritise the finish (buzzy post-race location, but a more complicated race morning involving crowded trains southeast). Most experienced London Marathon runners prioritise the start — the cost of a stressful race morning, delayed on a packed train, is too high to justify the convenience of a central hotel after the race.
The three start waves are colour-coded and staggered from approximately 9:30 to 11:00am. Most runners need to be in their start pen at least 30–45 minutes before their wave. Build that into your transport calculation.
Your confirmation email will confirm your start zone (Red, Blue, or Green start) and your specific assembly point in Greenwich Park or on Blackheath Common. The zones are close together but not identical — confirm your exact location before choosing accommodation and planning your race morning route.
Zone breakdown — all four areas ranked
The undisputed best zone for race morning. Greenwich and Blackheath sit right at the start, meaning you can walk to your start pen — no trains, no crowds, no alarm-clock anxiety. Race morning in Greenwich at 7am is genuinely pleasant: the park is beautiful, local cafes are open early for runners, and the atmosphere is electric without being chaotic. The tradeoff is getting back post-race — expect 45–60 minutes by DLR or Southeastern train to return. That's manageable once you've finished, less so on a stressed race morning. Key hotels: DoubleTree by Hilton London Greenwich, ibis London Greenwich, Novotel London Greenwich, Clarendon Hotel Blackheath.
The finish line is on The Mall, steps from the hotels of Westminster and Mayfair — so post-race, Central London is unbeatable. Supporters can watch the finish, then be back at the hotel in minutes. The problem is race morning: getting from Central to Greenwich or Blackheath by 8am involves a 45–70 minute journey on trains that are crammed with other runners. You need an early start and a reliable transport plan. Best for runners with supporters who want to watch the finish close up, or those who've run the race before and know the morning logistics well. Near finish: St Ermin's Hotel (official partner packages), The Langham, Flemings Mayfair.
The pragmatic middle ground. Canary Wharf is served by the DLR — the same line that goes directly to Greenwich — so the race morning journey is 20–35 minutes and relatively straightforward compared to the Central London scramble. Prices are significantly lower than Westminster or Mayfair. Modern hotels, good food options, and less of the tourist premium. Stratford (Elizabeth Line connections) is another strong option, particularly for runners coming from outside London who are arriving by train. Not as atmospheric as Greenwich or as buzzy as Central, but the logistics work well for both start and finish access.
A solid choice for runners who want a balance between start access and finish proximity. London Bridge and Borough Market area has great pre-race dinner options on the Saturday night, and Southeastern trains from London Bridge to Blackheath run directly in around 20 minutes — making race morning less fraught than from deeper Central London. Post-race, it's 15–25 minutes from The Mall by tube or a pleasant (if slow) walk along the river. Good for runners who've thought through the logistics and want character over pure convenience.
Quick comparison table
| Zone | To start | To finish | Price/night (April race wknd) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwich / Blackheath Best for start | Walk 5–30 min | 45–60 min DLR/train | £280–650+ | First-timers, solo runners, stress-free mornings |
| Central (Westminster / Mayfair) Best for finish | 45–70 min train/DLR | Walk / 10 min tube | £350–900+ | Runners with supporters, post-race celebrations |
| Canary Wharf / Stratford | 20–35 min DLR | 20–30 min tube | £220–550 | Value-conscious runners, good DLR access |
| Southbank / London Bridge | 30–45 min train | 15–25 min walk/tube | £280–650 | Runners wanting balance + Borough Market vibes |
Race morning transport — what actually works
London Marathon race morning is one of the most logistically intense days in the London transport calendar. The DLR and Southeastern trains to Greenwich and Blackheath are packed from around 6am. Here's what experienced London Marathon runners actually do:
- From Greenwich or Blackheath: Walk. Seriously. If you can walk to the start, do it — every other option involves queues, crowds, or unreliable timing on a day when you cannot afford to be late.
- From Canary Wharf: DLR to Greenwich or Cutty Sark. Allow 35–40 minutes door to start pen. Travel before 7:30am if possible — trains become uncomfortably crowded after that.
- From London Bridge: Southeastern to Blackheath (direct, ~20 min). Reliable, and Blackheath station is very close to the start zone. Leave by 7:15am.
- From Central London: This is where it gets hard. DLR from Bank/Tower Gateway to Cutty Sark takes around 25 minutes, but the interchange and walk to the start adds time. Allow 60–75 minutes door to pen. Leave your hotel no later than 7:00am for a 9:30am wave. Consider a taxi to London Bridge then train — it's faster and avoids the worst tube crowds.
- Check TfL's race day advice: Transport for London publishes specific guidance for London Marathon weekend including special services and recommended routes. Check the TfL website and the official event communications the week before the race.
London Marathon draws 50,000+ starters plus spectators, volunteers, and press. Every train heading southeast on race morning is full of runners. If you're relying on public transport from Central London, build in a 30-minute buffer beyond what you think you need. Missing your start pen is devastating after months of training.
Booking strategy — the London Marathon accommodation playbook
London Marathon accommodation follows a predictable pattern: Greenwich and Blackheath sell out fastest (often within weeks of ballot results being announced), Central London sells out next (slower but prices spike sharply), and everywhere else tightens as the race approaches.
Don't celebrate and wait. The moment you know you have a London Marathon place, open an accommodation tab. Greenwich hotel availability disappears within weeks of ballot results being announced — the runners who booked within days of their confirmation are the ones in the right zone on race morning.
The marathon is on a Sunday. You need Saturday night at minimum. Friday night lets you arrive relaxed, collect your race pack without rushing, and eat a proper pre-race dinner. Search for the Friday–Sunday block first — availability as a two-night stay is sometimes different to individual nights.
Marathon Tours & Travel is the official accommodation partner for London Marathon. They offer guaranteed rates and flexible payment options for confirmed entrants. Worth checking even if you usually book directly — their block allocations sometimes include properties that individual booking sites show as full.
The instinct when Greenwich is full is to book Central London because it's familiar and there are more hotels. Resist this. Canary Wharf gives you the DLR directly to the start and is significantly cheaper. It's the better second choice for race logistics.
Local runners in Greenwich, Blackheath, and Canary Wharf who host through BibBuddy understand London Marathon logistics — they often know the walk to the start, the best café for 6am porridge, and the DLR timing better than any hotel concierge. Race Stays listings near London Marathon start will be available on BibBuddy as the event approaches.
Find London Marathon accommodation through BibBuddy
BibBuddy's Race Stays feature connects London Marathon runners with local hosts offering spare rooms near the start line in Greenwich, Blackheath, and southeast London. Runner hosts understand the 6am alarm, the pre-race porridge ritual, and the specific anxiety of a 50,000-person marathon morning.
Find your London Marathon bed
Browse runner-hosted accommodation near Greenwich Park and Blackheath — verified hosts, race-friendly, and none of the hotel marathon markup.
Browse Race StaysFrequently asked questions
The start is in the Greenwich Park and Blackheath Common area of southeast London, with three colour-coded start zones. Mass waves are staggered from approximately 9:30am to 11:00am. The finish is on The Mall, next to St James's Park and Buckingham Palace in Central London.
For most runners, Greenwich or Blackheath is the better choice — you can walk to the start, avoiding the packed race-morning trains entirely. Central London is better if you have supporters who want to watch the finish on The Mall, or if you're prioritising post-race celebrations over race-morning logistics.
As soon as you receive your ballot confirmation — ideally within the same week. Greenwich and Blackheath hotels sell out 6 or more months before race day. If you wait until January for an April race, your options in the best zones will be very limited.
Yes. Marathon Tours & Travel is the official accommodation partner and offers packages for confirmed entrants. St Ermin's Hotel near St James's Park also offers official finish-line packages. Check the official London Marathon website for current partner accommodation options as the event approaches.
Canary Wharf and Stratford offer the best balance of price and logistics — noticeably cheaper than Central or Greenwich, with direct DLR access to the start. Outer southeast London (beyond Blackheath) is cheaper still but requires careful transport planning on race morning.