The fastest way to run the 2025 London Marathon, according to F1 experts
As London inches closer towards marathon day, you might be one of the tens of thousands of entrants carefully considering your tactics for pacing yourself, refuelling, and making sure your mates get the best pics of you looking demure and sporty next to a famous landmark.
Running – it's quite hard, isn't it? Sweaty and tiring and quite miserable, if we're honest. Legs are only good for so much, and 26.2 miles is quite long. Much easier to be a Formula 1 driver in a shiny car instead, with the ability to just… zoom around.
What if we told you this dream could become a reality, and you could be zipping around the course like little Lando Norris this Sunday, thanks to tips from F1 experts? Though, to be clear, you'll need to run, and there isn't a podium with champagne afterwards (unless your friends are really committed to the bit).
The quick-witted bods at F1 Arcade have reimagined the London Marathon course as a race track, plotting out the ideal spots to overtake, refuel, and get an edge on the competition. Forget sub-4 - you can smash all your PBs with these nifty tricks.
Here's some sage advice from the pros on how to get round the track in record time, using just your legs.
First up, here are the ideal refuel spots for getting some energy-boosting snacks down you:
Mile 9, Surrey Quays
Mile 15, the entry to Canary Wharf
Mile 22, Poplar High Street
Mile 24, Embankment
The experts recommend having a gel or chew every 30-40 minutes to ensure you have access to steady energy throughout the race. And remember, it IS a race, no matter what anyone tells you about it being the 'taking part that counts'. You know better, and you're going to be crossing the finish line with the pros, so make sure you're planning your water pit stops effectively too, sipping often so you don't get too dehydrated to make your winner's speech.
No one's invented a way to shut down your bladder for a couple of hours yet, so it's likely you'll need to find the loos at some point. The experts recommend having a slash early on, between miles 4 and 7, where you're less likely to need to take time out queuing.
Now that you've got food, drink and loo breaks nailed, winning strategy turns to endurance. Save your sprints, don't get boxed in, and make sure you're running on flat surfaces as much as possible, and you'll be guaranteed to do well.
But how easy is that in practice, when the course is so varied? F1 Arcade have you covered. Your biggest barrier may be hairpin turns. There are a few of these bad boys on the route, including at Canary Wharf and Westminster, but you'll be cruising past everyone else if you 'clip the apex' - go wide and round the inside before returning to the outside. Plus it's just a really technical phrase that you can impress your supporters with at the pub after.
There are several other yucky bits of the route (not F1 Arcade's terminology), but you'll be fine, because you've read this article and will breeze through them with ease.
Here they are:
Canary Wharf: apart from just being quite overwhelming any day of the week, this section of the route features horrendous zig zags and sharp corners. WWVD (What would Verstappen do)? Stay wide on entry, tight on exit.
Tower of London and Cutty Sark: these stretches are both cobbly as hell, and you could wind up with a twisted ankle if you're not careful. Look ahead and find the flattest sections, and stick to them.
Embankment: this part of the course is headwind-central, but it's totally legal to tuck in behind a runner going at roughly the same pace as you and let them battle the breeze instead.
Busy spots like Tower Bridge: photo opp favourites are likely to make people crowd up, but if you stick to the edge of the road you can keep on pace and avoid getting boxed in.
After all of this, you're on the home stretch. When you get to Pall Mall, it's simple: sprint the final 600m, celebrate uproariously, then pop the champagne and never think about doing any of that ever again.
No excuses for shoddy Strava stats now - embody an F1 car cruising around a track, and you'll be gliding along London's streets.
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