How to Use the Tube During the 2026 London Marathon: Complete Guide for Locals and Tourists

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If you’re travelling anywhere in central or east London on Sunday, 26 April 2026, you need to read this before you leave the house. The TCS London Marathon is one of the biggest single-day disruptions to London’s transport network of the entire year — and in 2026, with a record 59,000 runners on the course and hundreds of thousands of spectators expected along the route, the pressure on the Underground will be unlike anything you’d encounter on a typical Sunday.

This isn’t a matter of things being “a bit busy.” In previous years, stations near key spectator points have seen queuing systems introduced, one-way systems on platforms, and temporary closures at peak periods. Trains fill up fast. Journeys that normally take 20 minutes can take over an hour. And this year, the disruption is compounded by a partial Piccadilly line closure that was already planned for this weekend, completely independently of the marathon — meaning that one of London’s key east-west arteries is already running a reduced service before a single runner has crossed the start line.

Whether you’re a tourist visiting London for the first time, a local trying to get across the city for something completely unrelated, or a spectator trying to hop between viewing spots, this guide gives you everything you need: which stations to avoid and when, where to get on instead, how the DLR compares to the tube, and how to time your journeys to minimise misery. Plan carefully, and you’ll have a great day. Don’t plan at all, and you may find yourself trapped in a sweaty, stationary carriage somewhere between Monument and Cannon Street for a very long time.

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The Big Picture: What Makes Marathon Sunday Different

On a typical Sunday, London’s tube carries around 2–3 million journeys. On London Marathon day, that number spikes dramatically, concentrated into specific parts of the network at very specific times. The disruption falls into two distinct phases:

• Morning peak (7.30am–11am): Runners heading to the start areas in Blackheath and Greenwich, combined with early spectators. The southeast of the network — particularly Blackheath, Greenwich, and Deptford Bridge — takes the biggest hit during this window.
• Afternoon peak (12pm–5pm): Spectators moving between viewing spots along the course, particularly around Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Westminster, and the Embankment. This is when central London stations become most severely overcrowded.

And on top of all of this, there is a pre-planned engineering closure that was confirmed before marathon day was factored in:

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The Piccadilly Line: Partial Closure All Weekend

This is the most significant pre-planned disruption affecting Marathon Sunday. The Piccadilly line has a partial closure in place all weekend (Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April). Here is exactly what is affected:

• No service between Wood Green and Cockfosters — all day Saturday and all day Sunday
• No service between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge — all weekend. Replacement: use the Metropolitan line for this section
• Barons Court station: Eastbound trains will not stop at Barons Court — this is an ongoing closure running until June 2026. Eastbound travellers should go one stop west to Hammersmith and change to an eastbound service from there

The Piccadilly line serves Heathrow Airport (Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5), making this particularly important for tourists arriving or departing on Sunday. If you are travelling to or from Heathrow on Sunday 26 April, check your route carefully before you travel — the line is still running between central London and Heathrow, but allow extra time and check the TfL app for live updates.

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The Waterloo & City Line: Closed All Weekend

The Waterloo & City line is closed on weekends — this is an ongoing closure, not specifically caused by the marathon. If you were planning to use it to reach Waterloo or Bank, you will need to use an alternative. The Jubilee line (for Waterloo) and the Central or Northern line (for Bank) are the most practical replacements.

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Stations to Avoid and When: Precise Advice

The following stations will be at their most overcrowded at the times listed. At these stations and times, TfL staff are likely to be managing entry queues or implementing one-way systems on platforms.

Avoid: Blackheath and Lewisham (7am–10am)

These stations serve the start area. Runners and supporters heading to the Blackheath start will overwhelm the National Rail services and local bus routes into the area. If you live in this area and need to travel, try to leave before 7am or after 11am.

Avoid: Greenwich (DLR) and Cutty Sark (DLR) (9am–12pm)

These are the closest DLR stops to the Cutty Sark spectating area at Mile 6.5, and will be extremely busy during the morning as spectators arrive. The Cutty Sark DLR stop in particular funnels directly into the spectator zone and becomes very congested. If you want to watch at the Cutty Sark, aim to arrive before 9am to get a good spot and avoid the worst crowds at the station.

Avoid: Canada Water (Jubilee line / Overground) (10am–1pm)

Canada Water serves the spectating zone around Mile 9 and is one of the busier interchange points on marathon day. It is a key station for spectators who want to hop ahead on the course. Expect significant crowding on the Jubilee line between here and Canary Wharf.

Avoid: Tower Hill (Circle / District line) (10.30am–2pm)

Tower Hill is the closest tube station to Tower Bridge — the single most popular spectating spot on the entire route. This station will be among the busiest in London between 10.30am and 1.30pm, as tens of thousands of spectators converge to watch runners cross the bridge at approximately Mile 12–13. The elite runners cross Tower Bridge from around 10.45am to 11am; mass runners begin crossing from around 11am onwards, continuing for several hours. If you need to use Tower Hill for any reason unrelated to the marathon, avoid the 10am–2pm window entirely and use a different station.

• Alternative for Tower area: Use Monument (Central or District/Circle line) and walk. It is a few minutes’ walk from Monument to Tower Bridge and avoids the worst of the Tower Hill congestion.

Avoid: Shadwell (DLR / Overground) (11am–3pm)

Shadwell sits at roughly Mile 20–21 of the course and becomes busy in the mid-afternoon as spectators follow the race westward.

Avoid: Westminster (Jubilee / Circle / District line) (12pm–4pm)

Westminster is directly on the course in the final miles and is one of the busiest tube stations on marathon day. Jubilee line trains at Westminster will be severely overcrowded from midday onwards. If you are trying to get from south or east London to Westminster or St James’s Park to watch the finish, build in at least an extra 45–60 minutes on top of your normal journey time.

• Alternative: Use St James’s Park (Circle/District line) — it is one stop further along the District/Circle line from Westminster and will be noticeably less crowded, yet is still a short walk from the finish area on The Mall.

Avoid: Embankment (Bakerloo / Northern / Circle / District) (12pm–5pm)

Embankment is also directly on the course and sees enormous footfall during the afternoon. It is used by spectators watching the final miles along the Thames Embankment.

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Best Stations to Use Instead: A Practical Guide

Here is a breakdown of the smartest tube choices for getting to the key spectating spots:

Spectating Point	Avoid	Use Instead	Line
Cutty Sark (Mile 6.5)	Cutty Sark DLR (after 9am)	Greenwich (National Rail from London Bridge) or Deptford Bridge DLR	DLR / National Rail
Canada Water (Mile 9)	Canada Water (peak hours)	Bermondsey (Jubilee) and walk	Jubilee
Tower Bridge (Mile 13)	Tower Hill (10am–2pm)	Monument (Central/District/Circle)	Central or Circle/District
Canary Wharf (Mile 15–19)	Canada Water (midday)	Canary Wharf DLR (see DLR section below)	DLR
Tower Hill (Mile 23)	Tower Hill tube (late morning)	Fenchurch Street (National Rail)	National Rail
Westminster/Finish (Mile 26)	Westminster (12pm–4pm)	St James’s Park (Circle/District)	Circle or District
The Mall / Finish Line	Westminster (peak)	Green Park (Jubilee/Victoria/Piccadilly)	Jubilee or Victoria

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Is the DLR a Better Option for Tourists?

For tourists specifically, yes — the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) is often the smarter choice for getting to several of the most popular spectating spots, particularly in the morning and early afternoon.

Here is why:

• The DLR runs on an automated, driver-free system with higher frequency than many tube lines on Sundays
• It serves Greenwich, Cutty Sark, Shadwell, Limehouse, Canary Wharf and Tower Gateway — all key areas along the marathon route
• Canary Wharf DLR is a far better option than trying to reach Canary Wharf by Jubilee line on marathon day, as the station has multiple platforms and handles high volumes more efficiently
• The DLR connects to the Elizabeth line at Canary Wharf, giving direct, fast access to central London without touching the most overcrowded tube stations
• Tower Gateway DLR is a short walk from Tower Hill and provides a useful alternative to the crowded Tower Hill tube station

However: The DLR stations in the Cutty Sark and Greenwich area will still be very busy from around 9am–12pm. Even with a better-managed system, long wait times are possible. The morning tip still applies: get there before 9am for a good spot and a tolerable station experience.

For tourists staying in central London hotels (Covent Garden, South Bank, Victoria, Waterloo area), the most practical approach is:

• Morning: Take the Jubilee line to Canada Water or Bermondsey and walk to the Cutty Sark or Bermondsey spectating zones
• Midday: Head to Tower Bridge — use Monument on the Central or Circle/District line
• Afternoon: For the finish, use Green Park on the Jubilee or Victoria line and walk through St James’s Park to The Mall

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Timing Your Journeys: Hour-by-Hour

Time	Situation
Before 7.30am	Relatively normal service. Best time to travel to start areas or early spectating spots
7.30am–9am	Start-area routes (Blackheath, Greenwich, Lewisham) becoming very busy
9am–11am	Tube pressure builds across the whole southeast. Cutty Sark/Greenwich DLR stations congested
11am–1pm	Peak pressure on Tower Bridge corridor. Tower Hill, Monument, London Bridge all busy
12pm–3pm	Jubilee line between Canada Water and Westminster severely congested. Westminster station at capacity
2pm–5pm	Embankment, Charing Cross, Westminster all crowded as spectators chase the later mass runners
5pm–7.30pm	Gradual easing as the bulk of the race concludes. Post-race travel from The Mall begins, crowding Victoria, St James’s Park, and Green Park stations
After 7.30pm	The Mall closes. Significant post-race dispersal from The Mall area. Expect busy trains on the Victoria, Jubilee, and District/Circle lines until around 9pm

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Advice for Locals Not Watching the Marathon

If you live in central or east London and simply need to travel on Sunday for reasons unrelated to the marathon, here are the practical realities:

• If you need to cross the river between Tower Bridge and Blackfriars — you cannot do so by road. Use the tube (Monument/Bank), the DLR (Tower Gateway), or the Jubilee line crossing at London Bridge or Waterloo
• If you need to drive anywhere in central London — the road closures make this essentially impossible between 7.30am and 9pm. Do not attempt it
• Santander Cycle hire docking stations on the marathon route and surrounding closed roads will be suspended throughout Sunday. Do not plan a cycling route that uses these docks
• Buses on routes crossing the marathon course will be diverted or terminated short of their usual destination. Do not rely on buses crossing the route between Blackheath and Westminster on Sunday
• If you must travel by tube through affected areas, the quietest windows are before 9am and after 7pm

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The Elizabeth Line: Your Friend on Marathon Day

One piece of good news: the Elizabeth line is running normally on Sunday 26 April and is not significantly impacted by marathon disruption. It does not run through any of the route’s closed road areas at street level, and its stations (Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Stratford) offer a fast, relatively uncrowded alternative for cross-London travel.

For tourists or locals who need to get from west London to Canary Wharf, the Elizabeth line’s Canary Wharf station is a far better option than attempting the Jubilee line in the middle of marathon chaos. From Canary Wharf Elizabeth line station, you are within easy walking distance of the Canary Wharf spectating area at Miles 15–19.

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Quick Reference: The Golden Rules

• Leave earlier than you think you need to — add at least 45–60 minutes to any central London journey
• Use the DLR for eastern spectating spots (Cutty Sark, Canary Wharf, Tower Gateway)
• Use the Elizabeth line for fast cross-London travel where possible
• Avoid Tower Hill between 10.30am and 2pm — use Monument instead
• Avoid Westminster between 12pm and 4pm — use St James’s Park or Green Park instead
• The Piccadilly line is partially closed — no trains Wood Green to Cockfosters, no trains Rayners Lane to Uxbridge
• The Waterloo & City line is closed all weekend
• Buses on affected routes are diverted or terminated — do not rely on them to cross the course
• Check the TfL app before you leave — live travel updates will reflect any additional station closures or queuing systems imposed on the day