London Marathon 2023: Road closures during the TCS London Marathon and when they will reopen

The London Marathon will once again take over the city this weekend, with the event’s organisers having already confirmed which roads will be closed.

Participants will get to see some of London’s well-known sights and landmarks across the event’s 26.2 mile course this Sunday, April 23. But, as marathon runners take to the streets, road closures will be in place across the city.

The course itself has remained largely unchanged in the four decades it has been held in the city. Those taking part will pass through Westminster and Canary Wharf, among other spots across the capital which could impact residents with cars in those areas.

TCS London Marathon coordinators have advised residents who normally park their car on affected roads to move it the evening before marathon day. Remaining cars will be removed by event contractors from 6am on the day of the race.

Here’s all you need to know about what roads will be affected by TCS’ London Marathon this April and when they will reopen.

Westcombe Park

TCS London Marathon is set to kick off in the Westcombe Park area with several roads set to close from 7am on the day.

Roads south of Westcombe Park are expected to reopen as early as 1pm, while roads north are set to reopen a few hours later at 3pm. The following roads will be closed during the London Marathon event:

• Shooters Hill Road 
• St John’s Park 
• Old Dover Road
• Charlton Way 
• Vanbrugh Park 
• Charlton Road 
• Charlton Park Road 
• Charlton Park Lane
• Trafalgar Road

Woolwich

Runners will next pass through Woolwich, meaning a number of roads are also closed there too. Affected roads, which will close from 7am on April 23, include:

• Little Heath 
• Artillery Place
• John Wilson Street
• Woolwich Church Street
• Woolwich Road

Little Heath, Artillery Place and John Wilson Street are expected to reopen by 1pm, while Woolwich Church Street and Woolwich will reopen an hour later.

Greenwich

A few roads in Greenwich will also be closed until the early afternoon on April 23 as London Marathon participants pass through the area. The affected roads listed below will be closed from 7am to 3pm:

• Romney Road
• Creek Road (A200)
• The northernmost part of Greenwich Church Street and King William Walk.

Rotherhithe & Wapping

Roads impacted by London Marathon participants in Rotherhithe will be closed from 8am to 4pm on April 23. They are as listed below:

• Lower Road
• Evelyn Street
• Surrey Quays Road
• Quebec Way
• Salter Road
• Brunel Road
• Jamaica Road

The north and south of Wapping’s The Highway will be closed from 8am to 7pm on marathon day, with Tower Bridge closed during those times too.

Canary Wharf & Isle Of Dogs

As runners pass through the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and deeper into the Isle Of Dogs, residents living there will also experience road closures.

In particular, roads in Canary Wharf will be closed between 8am to 7pm, while vehicle access to the rest of the large peninsula will be restricted from 9am to 4pm on April 23.

The roads set to face closures in and around Canary Wharf and the Isle Of Dogs include:

• East Ferry Road
• Marsh Wall
• North Colonnade
• South Colonnade
• Poplar High Street
• West India Dock Road
• Westferry Road
• Commercial Road
• Narrow Street 

Westminster & City Of London

Several roads will be affected in both Westminster and City Of London on the weekend of the marathon as participants pass iconic landmarks such as Big Ben and The Tower Of London.

A mini-marathon event will be held in the morning of April 22, the day before the main event. As the mini-event takes place, a number of roads will be affected between 7.30am to 11:30am:

•  Arundel Street  
•  White Lion Hill  
•  Victoria Embankment
•  Blackfriars Underpass (westbound)
•   Surrey Street  
•   Temple Place  
•   Savoy Street  
•   Northumberland Avenue  
•   Whitehall Place  
•   Great Scotland Yard 
•   Horse Guards Avenue  
•   Whitehall 
•   Bridge Street (eastbound)  
•   Westminster Bridge (eastbound)  
•   Great George Street 

The two routes of the mini-course cover part of the main TCS London Marathon course. Therefore, road closures will likely continue across April 23. In particular, Victoria Embankment will close from 7.30am and reopen at 8.30pm on April 23.

There will also be extended road closures ahead of the day of the marathon and past it for King Charles III’s coronation. The following roads will be closed until May 18:

• The Mall - closes 20 April
• Marlborough Road - closes 20 April
• Spur Road - closes 21 April
• Constitution Hill - closes 21 April
• Horse Guards Road - closes 21 April 
• Bird Cage Walk (eastbound) - closes 21 April
• Bird Cage Walk (westbound) - closes 22 April

The City Of London roads that will also be closed between 7.30am and 8.30pm on April 23 are listed below:

• Byward Street
• Lower Thames Street
• Upper Thames Street