Why You Can Trust CNET London Marathon 2024: How to Watch Live From Anywhere
Over 5,000 runners take to the streets of the UK's capital in the 44th running of this iconic race.
From record breakers to long-distance fun runners, the London Marathon returns to the streets of the UK's capital this Sunday for the 44th running of the prestigious race.
There's special focus on the women's race this year, with Tigst Assefa is widely expected to both win this year's event set and in turn set a new world record.
The men's race is meanwhile likely to be a bittersweet affair, with 2023 men's champion Kelvin Kiptum having tragically died earlier this year following a car crash in his native Kenya.
Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch every match of the 2024 London Marathon, no matter where you are in the world.
London Marathon 2024: When and where?
The 2024 London Marathon takes place on Sunday, April 21. The scheduled start times are as follows:
Elite wheelchair race: 9:05 a.m. UK / 4:05 am. E.T. / 1:05 a.m. PT / 6:05 p.m. AEST
Elite women: 9:25 a.m. UK / 4:25 am. E.T. / 1:25 a.m. PT / 6:25 p.m. AEST
Elite men/mass start: 10 a.m. UK time / 5 am. E.T. / 2 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. AEST
How to watch the London Marathon 2024 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you can't view the tournament locally, you may need a different way to watch this match; this is where a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic. It's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you can virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 35% -- the equivalent of $8.32 a month -- if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watch the London Marathon 2024 for free in the UK
Long distance running fans fans in the UK can watch the 2024 London Marathon live on free-to-air channel BBC 1. This also means viewers in the UK will be able to stream the event for free on BBC iPlayer.
Coverage starts at 8.:30 a.m. UK time on Sunday morning.
With the match being broadcast on BBC1, that also means you'll be able to watch the game online for free via the network's on-demand streaming service, BBC iPlayer.
With an app that's available for Android and Apple mobile devices as well as a vast array of smart TVs and streaming boxes, all you need is a valid UK TV license to stream the game.
Livestream the London Marathon 2024 in the US, Canada, and Australia
This year's race will be available to watch live in all three regions via FloTrack, with coverage starting at 3:30 a.m. ET and 12:30 a.m. PT in North America, and at 5:30 a.m. AEST in Australia on Sunday.
Live broadcast rights in the US for the 2024 London Marathon rest with dedicated athletics streaming service.
A FloTrack subscription will currently set you back $30 a month, while an annual subscription will cost you $210 for 12 months of viewing.
Quick tips for streaming the 2024 London Marathon using a VPN
- With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming the 2024 London Marathon live may vary.
- If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.
- If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.