London Marathon 2022: Start time, route, qualifying times, list of past winners

Ben Miller

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London Marathon 2022: Start time, route, qualifying times, list of past winners image

World record holder Brigid Kosgei, defending champions Sisay Lemma and Joyciline Jepkosgei and European record holder Bashir Abdi are among the top athletes taking part in the London Marathon when it returns for its 42nd edition in 2022.

Alongside the thousands of amateur runners and celebrities slogging along the streets, British legend Mo Farah is back for the first time since 2019, having achieved his best ever finish of third the previous year.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who holds the record for a female marathon debutant, and home star Charlotte Purdue are also among those taking on the gruelling test of endurance this time around.

Want to follow the action? Wondering what the route is and who's won the London Marathon in past years? The Sporting News has the details.

MORE: Hong Kong confirms half-marathon across world’s longest bridge-tunnel for 2023

When is the London Marathon 2022?

Here are the key details for the mass participation event and broadcasting coverage.

  • Date: Sunday, October 2
  • Time: 09:30 BST
  • TV: BBC One, from 08:30 BST
  • Live stream: BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

London Marathon start times

The races are staggered with the following order in place: 08:50 (elite wheelchair men’s and women’s races), 09:00 (elite women’s race) and 09:40 (elite men’s race and mass start.)

London Marathon route 2022

The description of the course as "easy" is undoubtedly a case of marathon relativity rather than the term most amateurs would apply to the 42.2km course, but London is known as a marathon where participants can realistically target personal best finishes.

A flat course, the London Marathon starts at Greenwich Park, crosses Tower Bridge and passes the Tower of London, lending itself to snapshots of landmarks for viewers.

The path along the River Thames includes a final flourish following The Mall to Buckingham Palace.

London Marathon weather forecast

It's set to be a chilly start to the day with the highest temperature at 17c and cloudy skies throughout the day. 

The good news is there's set to be few winds and little rain at all, making it perfect weather conditions for runners.

London Marathon qualifying times

Male entrants needed to have run a certified marathon event in under two hours and 40 minutes to qualify for the competitive marathon.

Female runners were required to have gone over the finish line in under three hours and 14 minutes. Applications closed on July 1 2022.

MORE: Here's why professional runners are banned from wearing carbon fibre plate shoes

List of past London Marathon winners

Men

YearRunner (Country)Time
1981Dick Beardsley (US), Inge Simonsen (Norway)2:11:48
1982Hugh Jones (UK)2:09:24
1983Mike Gratton (UK)2:09:43
1984Charlie Spedding (UK)2:09:57
1985Steve Jones (UK)2:08:16
1986Toshihiko Seko (Japan)2:10:02
1987Hiromi Taniguchi (Japan)   2:09:50
1988Henrik Jorgensen (Denmark)2:10:20
1989Douglas Wakiihuri (Kenya)2:09:03
1990Allister Hutton (UK)2:10:10
1991Yakov Tolstikov (Soviet Union)2:09:17
1992Antonio Pinto (Portugal)   2:10:02
1993Eamonn Martin (UK)2:10:50
1994Dionicio Ceron (Mexico)2:08:53
1995Dionicio Ceron (Mexico)2:08:30
1996Dionicio Ceron (Mexico)2:10:00
1997Antonio Pinto (Portugal)2:07:55
1998Abel Anton (Spain)2:07:57
1999Abdelkader El Mouaziz (Morocco)2:07:57
2000Antonio Pinto (Portugal)2:06:36
2001Abdelkader El Mouaziz (Morocco)2:07:09
2002Khalid Khannouchi (US)  2:05:38
2003Gezahegne Abera (Ethiopia)2:07:56
2004Evans Rutto (Kenya)2:06:18
2005Martin Lel (Kenya)2:07:35
2006Felix Limo (Kenya)2:06:39
2007Martin Lel (Kenya)2:07:41
2008Martin Lel (Kenya)2:05:15
2009Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya)2:05:10
2010Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia)2:05:19
2011Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai (Kenya)2:04:40
2012Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich (Kenya)2:04:44
2013Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia)2:06:04
2014Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich (Kenya)2:04:29
2015Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)2:04:42
2016Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)2:03:05
2017Daniel Wanjiru (Kenya)2:05:48
2018Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)2:04:17
2019Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)2:02:37
2020Shura Kitata Tola (Ethiopia)2:05:58
2021Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia)2:04:01

Women

YearRunner (Country)Time
1981Joyce Smith (UK)2:29:57
1982Joyce Smith (UK)2:29:43
1983Grete Waitz (Norway)2:25:29
1984Ingrid Kristiansen (Norway)2:24:26
1985Ingrid Kristiansen (Norway)2:21:06
1986Grete Waitz (Norway)2:24:54
1987Ingrid Kristiansen (Norway)2:22:48
1988Ingrid Kristiansen (Norway)2:25:41
1989Veronique Marot (UK)2:25:56
1990Wanda Panfil (Poland)2:26:31
1991Rosa Mota (Portugal)2:26:14
1992Katrin Dorre-Heinig (Germany)2:29:39
1993Katrin Dorre-Heinig (Germany)2:27:09
1994Katrin Dorre-Heinig (Germany)2:32:34
1995Malgorzata Sobanska (Poland)2:27:43
1996Liz McColgan (UK)2:27:54
1997Joyce Chepchumba (Kenya)2:26:51
1998Catherina McKiernan (Ireland) 2:26:26
1999Joyce Chepchumba (Kenya)2:23:22
2000Tegla Loroupe (Kenya)2:24:33
2001Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) 2:23:57
2002Paula Radcliffe (UK)2:18:56
2003Paula Radcliffe (UK)2:15:25
2004Margaret Okayo (Kenya)2:22:35
2005Paula Radcliffe (UK)2:17:42
2006Deena Kastor (US)2:19:35
2007Zhou Chunxiu (China)2:20:38
2008Irina Mikitenko (Germany)2:24:14
2009Irina Mikitenko (Germany)2:22:11
2010Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia)2:22:38
2011Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (Kenya)     2:19:19
2012Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (Kenya)2:18:37
2013Priscah Jeptoo (Kenya)2:20:15
2014Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)2:20:21
2015Tigist Tufa (Ethiopia)2:23:21
2016Jemima Sumgong (Kenya)2:22:58
2017Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (Kenya)2:17:01
2018Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya)2:18:31
2019Brigid Kosgei (Kenya)2:18:20
2020Brigid Kosgei (Kenya)2:18:58
2021Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya)2:17:43

Ben Miller

Ben Miller has been writing about sport for 25 years, following all levels of football as well as boxing, MMA, athletics and tennis. He’s seen five promotions, three relegations, one World Cup winner and home games in at least three different stadiums as a result of his lifelong devotion to Brighton & Hove Albion. His main aim each week is to cover at least one game or event that does not require a last-minute rewrite.