The greatest reward when you cross the London Marathon finish line is that you can stop running. All that marathon training has paid off and you’re about to get your hands on some well-earned bling—your London Marathon medal.
While the medal will become a treasured souvenir, don’t hang it on the wall straight away. That’s because there are many establishments that will shower you with freebies when you flash your London Marathon medal at them.
Many are found close to the London Marathon route so you can stagger over to them after finishing to claim some free food and drink. Some freebies are available not just on the day of the race but on the days following too.
It’s not always easy to find exactly what freebies are available ahead of time: Most are now announced by the individual brands and restaurants on social media in the week of the race. However, some medal freebies have already been revealed ahead of the London Marathon 2024. There are several that seem to crop up every year, so I’ve included their details below in the hope they’ll be back.
Confirmed London Marathon Medal Freebies And Discounts
£10 Voucher For Boots At Deliveroo
To aid your recovery Deliveroo and Boots have teamed up to offer runners a £10 voucher (when you spend more than £20) to use on recovery products like bath salts, blister treatments and electrolytes to rehydrate. The marathon roo-covery hub is found on Deliveroo, and 125 Boots stores across the UK are participating. Use the code ROOCOVERY10 to get the £10 off, with 1,981 vouchers available on a first-come, first-served basis.
A Steak At Heliot Steak House
The first freebie I’ve seen confirmed for 2024 is a new one, with Heliot Steak House offering runners a free Argentinian Rib Eye Steak or Claire Heliot Burger if they flash their medal on either race day or the Monday after. Heliot Steak House is located at the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square, just a short but slow walk from the marathon finish line.
Free Pint Of Gipsy Hill At Warehouse Bar
The first pint after a marathon always goes down smoothly (the second one usually sends me to bed), and you can get it for free on Sunday 21st at Warehouse Bar in Seven Dials Market. The pint in question is Gipsy Hill’s carbon negative beer, so you’ll be refreshing yourself while helping the planet out, making it all the more enjoyable.
Burger And A Drink At Bill’s
The restaurant chain Bill’s is offering runners a free burger and a drink if they come into any of its London branches on race day. You can get a Peroni, a Lucky Saint, an Aperol Spritz or a soft drink as part of the offer, which also extends to those who have volunteered at the London Marathon. You can book on the website to guarantee a table or wander in with your fingers crossed and hope there’s space. The four Bill’s restaurants closest to the route are found in Soho, Covent Garden, Victoria and Clink Street (Bankside).
Travel On TfL
The freebie almost every runner will make use of is free travel on the London Underground and DLR on race day. You’ll need to show your bib to take advantage of this and the free travel is only available up until 5pm. It’s not clear whether you can travel for free on buses—it’s gone both ways for me in the past on marathon days, sometimes I have to pay and sometimes I don’t, so it may well be down to how charitable the driver is feeling!
The Real Greek
The good people at The Real Greek have been dishing up free meals to London Marathon runners for years, and 2024 is no exception. Flash your medal to get a free Greek Plate (vegan options available). The offer is usually for dine-in customers only, but can be used at any branch including those outside London. The nearest one to the marathon route is in Covent Garden.
Pizza At Franco Manca
This is my favorite freebie. Take your medal into any Franco Manca restaurant on the Sunday of the race, or the Monday after, and get yourself a free pizza. It’s as simple and as fantastic as that, and with every Franco Manca restaurant in England, Scotland and Wales participating, runners who travel to the capital and leave after the race don’t miss out.
A Protein Shake At Barry’s
Clearly you won’t be up for tackling one of the demanding exercises classes at Barry’s straight after your marathon, but if you head to the SW1 studio by Victoria station there’s a marathon afterparty you can join where you get a free protein shake to aid in your recovery. It’s free to join the party, but you need to sign up in advance.
An Ice Bath At Gymshark
If the idea of plunging your aching body into an ice bath after the marathon doesn’t terrify you, you can do it for free on the 21st at Gymshark’s flagship store on Regent Street. The ice bath is provided by LUMI Therapy and might be just the thing your muscles need to kickstart their recovery.
Free Kebab At Kebhouze
If thinking about the loved ones waiting for you at the finish isn’t providing enough motivation to help keep you going in the marathon, then perhaps the idea of a free kebab will? Go to Kebhouze on Oxford Street to get a free Chick & Chips Kebab or Chicken Classic Kebab, and any spectators also benefit from a 26% discount across the entire menu. You’ll need your medal for the free meal, while spectators should mention the code RUN26 at the self-checkout in-store to get the discount.
Free Bath Salts And Massage Bar From Lush
One of the most enjoyable parts of your marathon recovery is a bath, and Lush will upgrade that experience by giving you a free Epsom Salt Cube, a new product that is about to hit its shelves. The salt cube is designed for use in cold water, but will also work if you prefer a hot bath after your marathon. Along with the salt cube you can get a free Wiccy Magic Muscles massage bar to help ease your aching body. To get the freebies take your medal to any participating Lush store (these are Waterloo Station, Oxford Street, Paddington Station and Victoria Station) between Sunday April 21 and Sunday April 28.
Anticipated London Marathon Medal Freebies And Discounts
Stamped Race Poster At Tracksmith
This medal benefit is sure to be back in 2024, with the times when you can get a stamped post to be confirmed in the build-up to the race. Head to Tracksmith’s London store on Chiltern Street in Marylebone and you can get a commemorative race poster stamped with your London Marathon time. While you’re there it’s also worth checking out Tracksmith’s range of limited-edition London Marathon gear, which is far from free but makes for a great and useful souvenir from the race.
A Burger At MEATLiquor
Another fixture of the freebies calendar: You can usually head to any of MEATLiquor’s London locations on race day and your medal will entitle you to any burger on the menu, which includes vegetarian and vegan options. The nearest restaurant is MEATLiquor W1 on Margaret Street, near Oxford Circus, which is a little over a mile from the meet and greet area in Horse Guards Parade, but the offer is available at any of MEATLiquor’s nine London branches. Usually anyone who has volunteered at the London Marathon is also eligible for a free burger—just show your badge.
