The London Marathon: Where To Stay?

Got a place in London Marathon? Need a place to stay?

Every April around 50,000 runners head to the Capital to take part in one of the biggest running events on the planet. Many of them live in London and the south east, so finding somewhere to stay isn't an issue, but for thousands of others, it is a major consideration. There is a runner from every postcode in the UK in this marathon and the majority need somewhere to stay. Where's best, the start, the finish, or whatever you can get?

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When to book?

The sooner the better. With the race in April and most runners having been notified of an entry by late summer the year before, bookings will be made many months beforehand. The longer you leave it, the smaller the choice and the higher the price. Many runners don't book until the new year, as they aren't 100% committed, for a number of reasons, but come January there will be many more bookings and prices will rise further. There will of course always be cancellations, as runners drop out.

How many room are there in London?

There are approximately 140,000 hotels rooms in London across 1500 hotels and nearly 100,000 Airbnb listings, so there is plenty of space.

However many of the hotels are chains, there are nearly 50 of them, like Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, and Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts. Most are 4 star hotels and most are in Westminster and the City of London. This means they will be expensive, but the two 'budget brands', Premier Inn and Travelodge, also have plenty of supply.

If you look at Airbnb, there is a huge variety from studio flats to luxury townhouses.

How long should you stay?

This obviously depends on many factors, such as how much time off you have and how far you're travelling. Remember that you must head to the Expo to collect your race number and if you're not there by the close of the Expo on Saturday you won't be able to run, no exceptions. Saturday at the Expo is also incredibly busy, but that day might be your only option. Many runners travelling from within the UK will travel on Saturday morning, get to the Expo, then their hotel to check in. After the race they will then head home. That's the one night option, but that is manic and doesn't always give you the best experience.

Staying Friday night as well makes it a bit more relaxing, but remember if you do travel back by train after the race you must book your trip. You have to experience the trains on Sunday evening after the race to really appreciate the chaos. They are always busy then but with thousands of medal jangling runners added to the melee, there will be standing room only on most trains.

If you're travelling from overseas chances are you'll want to stay quite a few days. Before or after? If you walk around London for a few days beforehand this could tire out your legs, but on the flip side, you might not be able too walk far if you save the exploring until after the race!

Where should you stay?

The age old question; do you stay at the start, or close to the finish? It's a relatively late start as major marathons go, so you'll have plenty of time to get there before the gun goes off if you stay in central London. If you target getting there by 9am this still gives you lots of time, especially as the trains and the Docklands Light Railway are so good on race morning. However if you do decide to stay close to Greenwich you could have a leisurely breakfast and a relaxed ten minute stroll to the start, which is the perfect way to begin your day. The downside is you'll have to find your way back here afterwards and London will be exceptionally busy...

Covent Garden is the perfect place to stay, but won't be cheap

The finish is really well organised, but it will be incredibly busy with queues at the tube stations and you'll be very tired, so if you do decide to stay close to The Mall, you will want to be reasonably close. A mile or so is great, as the walk back will be the perfect cooldown. Nothing is straightforward though. The closer you are to the finish, chances are the more you'll be paying. In this instance though it might be worth it.

If you look at one of the hotel options 20 or so miles from central London, they are often much cheaper and may include a coach to the start. The Holiday Inn chain has done this in the past.

I've stayed at the start, close to the finish and miles from the finish (meaning public transport was needed) and the middle option was definitely the best every time.

How do you choose?

It is so much easier to find somewhere to stay these days. While not all hotel chains are on the main booking sites, plenty are. Hotels.com, trivago.com, booking.com are all obvious choices, along with airbnb.com and vrbo.com for self-catering options. Premier Inn and Travelodge need to be booked direct on their sites, but each site includes all their London hotels so it won't take you long to check them out.

How much?

Nothing will be cheap. A Premier Inn will likely cost around £200 and one of the 4 star options will be nearer £300 and potentially much more. Whatever they normally cost is irrelevant to what you'll pay on race weekend. When you have a major event like this in town, prices will always be more expensive. If you have friends in London, maybe call in a favour?

Spend a bit of time finding the right place to stay. While it isn't the main part of your weekend, get it wrong and it will take the edge off the experience.