Cynthia Erivo and Tony Adams among more than 59,000 to run London Marathon

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo and former England footballer Tony Adams will be among the thousands to race in the TCS London Marathon on Sunday in what is set to be its biggest year yet.

Record-breaking numbers are expected at the start line in Greenwich, with more than 59,000 people gearing up to race in warm sunshine.

Temperatures are forecast to reach the high teens, with participants taking on the 26.2-mile course advised to stay hydrated ahead of the marathon and wear lightweight clothing on the day.

Last year, the event broke the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the most finishers in a marathon, with 56,640 participants making it to the end – a record organisers hope to beat.

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is running the TCS London Marathon in aid of The Kings Trust and Shameless Fund (Matt Crossick/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Matt Crossick

Around 55.7% of participants registered for this year’s race are male while some 44.2% are female and 0.15% non-binary.

It is set to be the most inclusive London Marathon in history, with more than 1,900 people with a disability registered to take part, organisers said.

Oscar-nominee Erivo, who ran in 2022, will race for The King’s Trust and Shameless Fund while former Arsenal captain Adams is racing for the first time, in support of the Forward Trust.

Speaking on the Nobody Asked Us with Des and Kara podcast on Friday, Erivo said: “A win is if we get there and it’s less than 3.35 (her 2022 run time). If we get 3.20, that’s the win, that is the practical side.

“The other side is actually getting to this weekend and getting to the start line tomorrow is a huge win, because it’s been a really long, wild process.”

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams will take on his first London Marathon in support of the Forward Trust (Mike Egerton/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Mike Egerton

She added: “The fact that we’ve got here and, come rain or shine, I’m getting to the finish line… that will be the win to me.”

Former England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook will race for the second year running, in aid of the Ruth Strauss Foundation, while children’s TV’s Daddy Pig, from hit show Peppa Pig, will take part alongside “The Body Coach” Joe Wicks.

In a specially-designed costume, Daddy Pig will run for the National Deaf Children’s Society after a Peppa Pig storyline revealed George Pig is moderately deaf.

Among those to race costumed is Jordan Adams, who plans to strap a fridge to his back “because we are all carrying something. And we don’t have to carry it alone,” he said in a statement released through mental health charity Mind.

Mr Adams was diagnosed with early-onset frontotemporal dementia in 2018, a disease which his mother died of two years before.

Former England cricketer Sir Alastair Cook will run the London Marathon for the second year running (Joe Giddens/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Joe Giddens

Elite runners for the men’s field include Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe, who placed first in his category last year, while Rafael Botello Jimenez, from Spain, will be among the top participants in the men’s wheelchair field.

Last year’s fastest woman, Tigst Assefa, from Ethiopia, will hope to retain her crown, while Mauritia’s Noemi Alphonse will be among the top competitors in the women’s wheelchair field.

The oldest participants to cross the start line will be Harry Newton, 88, and Maria Rivera, 86.

Celebrating their 18th birthdays on marathon day, Olivier Smythe, Khadija Khalfaoui and Molly Bull-Diamond will be the youngest racers.

Some 76 participants are hoping to break 73 GWRs, including Jennifer Ferris, 40, who will attempt to run the world’s fastest marathon with a double mastectomy in aid of Breast Cancer Now.

Daddy Pig will race alongside Joe Wicks in a specially designed running costume (London Marathon Events/PA)PA Media - Andrew Baker

Mark Goulder, 35, hopes to break the record for the fastest marathon blindfolded (tethered), inspired by his younger brother Bobby, who was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease – a rare, genetic eye disorder that causes progressive vision loss.

Royal Marines Commando veteran Simon Fannon will attempt the record for longest scarf knitted while running a marathon while Ben Spencer, 52, will attempt the fastest marathon in a non-racing wheelchair (male).

Last year, the event raised a record £87.3 million, bringing the cumulative total raised since the first race in 1981 to £1.4 billion, according to organisers.

Marie Curie, the event’s charity of the year for 2026, hopes to raise £2 million to fund care for those at the end of their lives and support for their loved ones.

This year, the event’s estimated 800,000 spectators will be encouraged to sign up to give blood as part of the Blood, Sweat and Cheers campaign.