The London Marathon has revealed how its elite races will be split across next year’s historic two-day event – with the decision settled by a game of rock, paper, scissors!
Catherine Debrunner beat Sabastian Sawe in the unusual showdown between two reigning London champions, securing Sunday 25 April for the elite women’s and women’s wheelchair races.
The elite men and men’s wheelchair athletes will open the one-off Double TCS London Marathon on Saturday 24 April 2027.
But the split does not mean separate men’s and women’s mass races: both days will feature mixed fields of male, female and non-binary participants.
World record holders settle the schedule
Sawe and Debrunner are more accustomed to making headlines for their racing, but this time their contest determined the order of an entire marathon weekend.
The pair took part in front of an official adjudicator, with organisers announcing a new Guinness World Records title for the first elite marathon race start decided by a game of rock, paper, scissors.
Debrunner, a four-time London champion and women’s wheelchair marathon world record holder, emerged victorious.
Her win means the elite women’s wheelchair field will begin Sunday’s action, followed by the elite women’s race.
Who races on which day?
The Championship and Good for Age competitions will also be split across the weekend, with male runners competing on Saturday and female runners on Sunday.
| Date | Elite and qualifying categories | Mass participation |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 24 April 2027 | Men’s wheelchair, elite men, male Championship and Good for Age runners | Mixed field |
| Sunday 25 April 2027 | Women’s wheelchair, elite women, female Championship and Good for Age runners | Mixed field |
Entries for the Championship and Good for Age categories open on Thursday 1 October.
A notable change will see female Championship runners line up behind the elite women’s field for the first time in London.
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said: “Splitting the elite races will allow us to shine an even brighter spotlight on the extraordinary athletes taking part.
“I’m particularly looking forward to the elite women’s start on Sunday, when, for the first time in London, female athletes in the Championship categories will line up behind the women’s elite field.
“Our outstanding elite women’s wheelchair field will begin the action just ahead of them, creating a true celebration of women’s marathon racing.”
A one-off weekend for 100,000 runners
The Double will enable a record 100,000 participants to tackle the course from Greenwich to Westminster across the two days.
Organisers estimate that more than £150 million will be raised for charity, which they say would make it the largest fundraising moment in UK sporting history.
The expanded format is a one-off for 2027, with organisers also promising more opportunities to volunteer and support runners across the weekend.
Brasher described the event as “momentous”, adding: “We can now look forward to two spectacular days of elite racing, with the men opening the weekend on Saturday 24 April and the women launching the second day on Sunday 25 April. The competition may not be quite so friendly when race weekend arrives!”
More information on qualifying entries is available through the official Championship and Good for Age pages.
![Yee (far left) and Sawe (far right) [Photo credit: TCS London Marathon]](https://run247.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Alex-Yee-start-London-Marathon-2026.jpg)
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