The London Marathon Running Show, or Expo, is where your race experience for the London Marathon really begins. After many months of marathon training, joining thousands of fellow runners to collect your race number only serves to heighten the anticipation of race day.
Your Expo experience will be significantly better if you plan your trip to ExCeL in east London carefully, and ideally try to avoid going on Saturday, which is by far the busiest day.
When Is The London Marathon Running Show 2024?
The Running Show runs from Wednesday to Saturday and broadly speaking, the earlier you can go to collect your number the better, since it only gets busier as the week goes on. The opening times for 2024 are below. Note that it closes earlier on Saturday than the other days, so don’t turn up at 7pm on Saturday hoping to get your number.
Wednesday 17th April 10am-8pm
Thursday 18th April 10am-8pm
Friday 19th April 10am-8pm
Saturday 20th April 8.30am-5.30pm
Where Is The London Marathon Running Show 2024?
The Expo is held in Halls N1-N8 of ExCeL London—the entrance you have to use is N3. ExCeL is in east London at Royal Victoria Dock, and it’s a huge space, so be prepared to do a lot of walking to get to the London Marathon Running Show itself within it. That’s another reason to avoid going on Saturday if you can, because racking up an extra 10,000 steps the day before running a marathon isn’t ideal.
How To Get To The London Marathon Expo
The best station for ExCeL is Custom House, which is on both the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Elizabeth Line. You can also use the DLR to go to Prince Regent, which is almost as close to the Expo as Custom House. Bear in mind both stations are a longer walk away from the London Marathon Expo than seems reasonable. Calm your maranoia—it’s just the cavernous expanse of ExCeL.
All DLR trains heading towards Beckton or Gallions Reach on the DLR will stop at these stations, and Elizabeth Line trains heading towards Abbey Wood will stop at Custom House. If using the DLR it’s wise to avoid busy periods so you can increase your odds of getting the plum seat at the front where you can pretend to be the driver of the driverless train.
If you’re driving, put the postcode E16 1DR into your satnav or app. There are also cycle racks at the east and west entrances to ExCeL, if traveling on two wheels.
What You Need To Take To The London Marathon Running Show
Participants have been sent an email that contains a QR code you need to show at the Expo to get your event pack. It’s a good idea to reload the email on your smartphone before setting off so you don’t have to fight for bandwidth with everyone else trying to download it at the same time.
You will also need photo ID, like a passport or driving license, to pick up your pack. This contains your race number and official kit bag, which you use at the bag drop on the day. If you haven’t had your email, contact the London Marathon organizers before going to ExCeL.
What Else Can You Do At The London Marathon Running Show?
While you don’t want to spend hours on your feet during marathon week, the Expo is a great place to soak in the atmosphere surrounding the event and treat yourself to some new running gear (not to wear for the race of course—don’t try anything new on race day). The New Balance stand will have all the London Marathon 2024 edition gear available, for those seeking sartorial souvenirs, and most big and many small running brands have stands to show off their wares.
There are also many stands for other running events around the world, and the main stage will feature a range of expert speakers through the Expo, so you can get some last minute advice from elite sportspeople and coaches.
This year you can also donate old pairs of running shoes to charity JogOn at the Expo. Take your used shoes along and pop them into any of the drop-off points around the Expo. You might think no one will want your old shoes, but JogOn is able to send 97% of shoes it receives to others who can make good use of them, so there’s a high chance your old running shoes will have a new lease of life.
