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Rock, paper, scissors determines London Marathon elite race dates

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 30, 2026, 11:05 AM

Last updated Sep 30, 2026

Rock, paper, scissors determines London Marathon elite race dates

Summary

A rock, paper, scissors game between Sabastian Sawe and Catherine Debrunner decided the scheduling of elite races at the 2026 London Marathon. The men's events will take place on Saturday, April 24, while the women's races are set for Sunday, April 25. This marks a unique two-day format for the marathon, aimed at accommodating more participants given the record 1.33 million ballot entries. The chief executive of London Marathon Events, Hugh Brasher, highlighted the significance of the split format to showcase elite talent. It will also see women's championship categories race alongside the elite women for the first time.

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Status Watch

•Sawe and Debrunner are both 2026 London Marathon champions.
•Men's elite races scheduled for April 24, women's for April 25.
•Unique two-day format aims to accommodate more participants.
•1.33 million people entered the marathon ballot for 2026.
•Women's championship categories will race alongside elite women.

Latest Updates

11:05 AMYahoo Sports — 'Rock, paper, scissors' decides London Marathon dates

What they're saying

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A game of rock, paper, scissors is used to determine when the elite female and male races will take place at next year's two-day London Marathon.
— Yahoo Sports

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