Whether you’re a runner or not, there’s an extremely high chance that you’ve heard of the London Marathon – one of the largest and most famous running events on the planet. An annual event held on a Sunday in April, the almighty London Marathon celebrates its 45th anniversary this year and is a legendary fixture in the race calendar.
While the London Marathon is, without doubt, the headline act, all headliners need a great support act to escalate the excitement – and that’s where the Mini London Marathon comes in.
Held the day before the London Marathon and now in its 40th year, the Mini London Marathon enables pupils from across the UK to race, run, walk or wheel one mile or 2.6km in the heart of London. In fact, Mini London Marathon participants cross the same iconic finish line as that used for the 26.2-mile event, giving adults and youngsters alike the chance to experience that immense ‘I did it!’ euphoria on The Mall.
What everyone's reading
But what if participants can’t make it to central London for the main event? That’s not a problem – they can complete the Mini London Marathon virtually, in their own school environment, instead.
We spoke with Ben Cooper, Event Lead at the Mini London Marathon and Mini London Marathon in schools, to unearth the history, impact and future of this long-standing event – and what we can expect from this year’s anniversary edition.
What is the Mini London Marathon?
Just four years after the London Marathon was staged for the first, pivotal time in 1981, the Mini London Marathon came to fruition in 1985. For most of its existence, the Mini London Marathon has taken place on the same day as the full 26.2-mile race – but in 2022, it moved to the Saturday, making it a distinct, celebrated event in its own right and accessible to more children and young people than ever before.
In its earlier years, the Mini London Marathon was held exclusively for the fastest young runners in the country. Now, the event is open to all – from promising Olympians to those who simply want to move and have fun with their friends – and invites schools from all corners of the UK to enter pupils to take part. In fact, it is the biggest one-day children’s activity event in the country.
Even better, the Mini London Marathon is completely free for schools to enter and its title partner, TCS, gives schools £10 for every pupil who finishes the event.
‘The Mini London Marathon has always been an inspirational event for the best young athletes in the country to race,’ says Cooper. ‘Since the event moved to Saturday in 2022, the last two years have seen enormous jumps in participation. From 1,224 participants in 2021, there were over 13,000 finishers in 2024 – and this number will only grow in the years ahead, with more than 18,000 participants already registered for 2025. We aim to have 50,000 participants on Mini London Marathon day in 2030.’
With this in mind, the ambitions of the Mini London Marathon are not far off those of the London Marathon itself, which aspires to have a staggering 56,000 finishers in 2025. If it achieves this, it would become the largest marathon held anywhere in the world.
What events are included in the Mini London Marathon?
Today, the Mini London Marathon has three branches – and, thankfully, none of them expect youngsters to cover the length of an actual marathon.
Mini London Marathon mass event
The in-person event in central London invites children and young people to head to St James’s Park with their schools to take on either one mile (if they’re in Reception up to Year 7) or 2.6km (if they’re in Years 4 to 12). Schools in the UK need to enter a ballot for a chance to take part – if they’re successful, they can register up to 40 children across both distances.
Mini London Marathon Championships
These are staged for the UK’s best young runners, who compete in U13, U15 and U17 age categories over a 2.6km circuit around St James’s Park. The Mini London Marathon Championships have helped to launch the careers of some of the country’s most decorated athletes, including – among numerous others – reigning Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, reigning 1500m world champion Josh Kerr, former 1500m world champion Jake Wightman, reigning Paralympic 100m (T53) champion Sammi Kinghorn, 2024 Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Bell and the one and only Sir Mo Farah. Phew.
Mini London Marathon in schools
Born in 2020, this virtual event enables schoolchildren of all ages and abilities to complete two miles however they wish – whether that’s running or in a wheelchair – in their school setting over a two-week period. All participating schools receive a special toolkit including certificates, running bibs, bunting and Finish Line tape, which helps to bring the experience to life for youngsters around the country. As Cooper says, with the Mini London Marathon in schools, ‘no school or child is left out and children from every part of the UK can be part of the London Marathon magic’.
When is the 2025 Mini London Marathon?
This year’s Mini London Marathon mass event and Championships will take place on Saturday 26 April, the day before the London Marathon.
The 2025 Mini London Marathon in schools, meanwhile, can be completed in schools from Tuesday 22 April to Friday 2 May. Here, children can cover the two-mile distance over the space of one, two, three days or more, depending on their ages and abilities.
What time does the Mini London Marathon start?
The Mini London Marathon mass event kicks of with the 2.6km option for older children. The first wave sets of at 9:45am, with subsequent waves starting at regular intervals until around midday. Waves for the one-mile option for younger children then begin at 12:25pm and continue until 3:35pm.
The Mini London Marathon Championships begin earlier, at 8:30am, with the U17/U14 wheelchair category, followed by the ambulant category of the same age group. Then U17 men get going at 8:40am, just ahead of the U15 and U13 boys. The U17 women start at 9:01am, before the U15 and U13 girls set off in the final wave of the Championships at 9:15am.
What is the Mini London Marathon route?
The Mini London Marathon traces the same unforgettable course used for the final stretch of the London Marathon – and it shares the same finish line as the marathon, too.
After setting off from the start line on Horse Guards Parade, children in the one-mile event loop clockwise around the manicured green space of St James’s Park – along Birdcage Walk and past the world-famous Buckingham Palace – before crossing the finish line on The Mall. Youngsters in the 2.6km event cover the same road course, with an additional stretch up and down Constitution Hill after passing Buckingham Palace.
On completing their respective distance, every participant will be met with bountiful cheers and receive their very own finisher’s medal.
What can we expect from the 2025 Mini London Marathon?
The 40th edition of the Mini London Marathon promises to be an upbeat occasion for children and accompanying adults alike.
Special warm-up activities will be led by WWF-UK – the event’s charity of the year – and Joe Wicks, better known as The Body Coach. ‘[Wicks] was inspirational in making activity accessible during the pandemic and has continued to bring activity to young people across the UK,’ says Cooper. ‘We were at a school recently and the children were referring to completing a short workout as ‘doing a Joe Wicks’!
‘We’ll also be welcoming back some alumni from the past to run with children in a celebratory wave at the end of the day, bringing together the stars from the past with some potential stars of the future,’ adds Cooper. ‘This event has inspired greatness and we want to tell those stories in the run-up to the day and on the day of the event itself.’
On a practical level, the Mini London Marathon will also provide timed results and medals for all pupils, a public grandstand for proud parents and guardians to watch the finish line action, as well as start and finish areas that are amply stocked with toilets (including accessible toilets), a Sensory Calm Space, a Multi-Faith Prayer Space and a Parent and Child Space for breastfeeding/pumping and entertaining young children. There will also be a Fan Zone for family and friends, featuring food and drinks stalls and a live video stream of the finish line.
What is the legacy of the Mini London Marathon?
The Mini London Marathon is nothing short of a breeding ground for some of the UK’s most accomplished athletes – but that’s not all. It also inspire grassroots activity among children around the country, no matter what their sporting ability.
‘Three Mini London Marathon alum – Eilish McColgan, Sammi Kinghorn and Alex Yee – have made their names in the elite world of athletics and will be making their London Marathon bows in 2025,’ notes Cooper. ‘The success of these individuals cannot fail to inspire future generations. Not all participants will be champions, but that is not the objective of the event. We want to give young people the chance to enjoy activity – and whatever comes from that afterward, only time will tell. But without opportunity, there cannot be a foundation to build on.’
As Cooper reiterates, the Mini London Marathon is for everyone. ‘Every child should have access to activity and it has long been our ambition to inspire as many young people as possible to take part,’ he says. ‘The key is making activity feel manageable – you don’t have to run a long distance to get the same sense of achievement as you can from going on a walk or completing on a more attainable distance.
‘Teachers have told us that the event is creating a real buzz and the enthusiasm on the day is there to see – the smiling faces of children as they cross the finish line says it all,’ adds Cooper. ‘Plus, by bringing the Mini London Marathon to schools, we are showing that participation is still accessible in a school’s own playground – and it can be made fun.’
How can children and young people take part in the 2025 Mini London Marathon?
Although entries for the in-person event in London have now closed, children can still take part in this year’s Mini London Marathon in schools. To get involved, schools from across the UK can register their pupils here. If 50% of more of a school’s pupils take part, that school will even receive a trophy – an excellent incentive!
