London is getting a race which calls itself a marathon even though nobody taking part will run 26.2 miles.
Instead, four runners will divide the distance equally, begin at the same time and combine their results to produce one team marathon time.
Team Marathon will make its debut in Hackney Wick, East London, on May 22nd, 2027. It is a separate event and should not be confused with the TCS London Marathon, which takes place the previous month.
The concept removes one of the defining features of a traditional marathon relay. There will be no baton, no changeover area and no runner standing around waiting for a teammate to complete the previous section.
All four members of each team will start together.
How The Four Runner Marathon Works
Every participant will run 10.55km, equivalent to approximately 6.55 miles. They can remain together or complete the distance at their own pace.
The four individual chip times will then be added together to create the team’s official marathon result.
In practical terms, if every runner completes the course in exactly one hour, the team will finish its race after roughly one hour. Its combined marathon time, however, will be recorded as four hours.
That distinction is central to the new format. The full 42.2km marathon distance is covered collectively rather than continuously by one athlete.
Faster members can race ahead, while others can take a more relaxed approach. Every performance carries equal weight once the four times are combined.
The organisers are open about the fact that this is not a conventional marathon or relay. The result belongs to the team, with no individual participant completing or receiving a time for the full marathon distance.
A Race Built Around Social Running
The event will use a short circuit across grass and paths in Hackney Wick. Detailed course information has not yet been released.
Staggered starting waves will continue throughout the afternoon, with the circuit designed to keep runners, teammates and spectators close to the central race village.
Live music stages, DJs, a brass band and organised cheer zones are planned around the course. Food and drinks will also be available beside the circuit, allowing runners to move directly from the finish into the event area.
The format has been created amid the continued growth of run clubs and community running groups.
Benchmark, the company behind Team Marathon, says 80 per cent of entrants aged between 18 and 24 now register for mass participation events with other people. It has also pointed to figures indicating that global run club participation has increased by 59 per cent.
The company previously created the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay and has delivered 86 editions of that event across 13 cities, involving more than 100,000 runners.
It intends to bring Team Marathon to three major British cities during 2027 before expanding the format into Europe.
Entry Details For Team Marathon London
The event is open to runners aged 18 and over, with no previous marathon experience required.
The first 100 founding team entries were released at £26.20 per runner, making the total cost £104.80 for a team of four. The current entry platform lists prices ranging from £26.20 to £34 per person, with payment plans available.
One person purchases the team entry before sending registration links to the remaining three runners.
Individual entries are also planned for people who cannot immediately assemble a full team. Anyone still without teammates by April 2027 can be matched with other solo entrants by the organisers.
Calling the event a marathon will inevitably irritate a few purists. No participant will experience the physical challenge traditionally attached to running 26.2 miles alone.
That, however, is not being hidden.
Team Marathon is effectively a 10.55km race presented through marathon mathematics, with the collective result taking precedence over individual distance.
For runners attracted by the occasion of a marathon but considerably less keen on months of long runs, London is about to test if four sets of legs can carry one marathon result.
Further information and registration details are available on the Team Marathon website.
