Map shows the ‘London Marathon of Pubs’ to complete this weekend instead of running

It’s almost over. You stagger towards the finish line, barely able to stand, heart pounding, the feeling of imminent vomit in your mouth from the exertion.

Congratulations! You finished the London Marathon… of pubs.

If you didn’t manage to get a place in this Sunday’s race, never fear, you can comfort yourself by sitting (or standing) with a frosty pint and watching thousands of runners do the hard work for you.

Metro has compiled a list of some of the pubs along the London Marathon’s 2025 route, forming a fun pub crawl if you’ve got a loved one running the race and want to cheer them on from a beer garden.

Some of them are opening early, and some are taking bookings, so if you want to guarantee a spot you may need to get in touch with them directly.

We’ve tried to avoid chain pubs where possible, because who wouldn’t want to support independent local boozers, but there are some chains pubs offering free pints to runners as well as a host of other businesses offering freebies.

And we’ve actually only listed 14 pubs below, as it would be pretty irresponsible to try and visit 26.2 pubs in the same day.

But despite that, this pub crawl is still a hefty challenge – even if the preparation is much less intensive than training regimens for the actual marathon.

And if you also aren’t successful when the 2026 London Marathon ballot opens on Friday, this pub crawl will be there to drown your sorrows.

The starting line: The Royal Standard Pub

Address: 44 Vanbrugh Park, SE3 7JQ.

Not far from the starting line, this pub serves up delicious Sunday dinners as well as other snacks and sharers alongside plenty of craft beers and even cocktails.

We wouldn’t necessarily recommend starting the day with a mixed drink, but a breakfast Bloody Mary sounds pretty tempting.

Mile 3: The George IV

Address: 120 Rectory Place, SE18 5BY

For a more budget-friendly tipple, The George IV is a cheap and cheerful boozer.

Mile 5: Rose of Denmark

Address: 296 Woolwich Road, New Charlton, SE7 7AL

If, fingers crossed, the weather is nice on Sunday, there’s plenty of seating outside Rose of Denmark to watch racers run past al fresco.

Mile 7: The Spanish Galleon

Address: 48 Greenwich Church Street, SE10 9BL

Another gastropub dishing up Sunday roasts, this family-friendly pub is a solid choice.

Mile 9: The Pacific Tavern

Address: 100 Redriff Road, SE16 7LH

A bit different from your classic London boozer, this gastropub dishes up Pacific-inspired meals, Sunday roasts and sharing platters.

Alongside this they offer cocktails, plenty of ales and wines from New Zealand and South America.

Mile 11: The Brunel

Address: 47 Swan Road, SE16 4JN

The Brunel pub offers outdoor seating in its dog-friendly beer garden, perfect to watch the marathon runners whiz by.

Mile 13: Sir Sydney Smith

Address: 22 Dock Street, Tower Hill, E1 8JP

This pub isn’t directly on the London Marathon route, but it’s close enough that you should be able to pop in for a swiftie without missing too much of the action.

It also dishes up stone-baked pizzas and burgers alongside real ales.

Mile 15: The Ledger Building

Address: West India Quay, 4 Hertsmere Road, E14 4AL

This pub has a massive front terrace, perfect for watching the racers run past. Plus it’s a Wetherspoon so you know you’ll be able to get cheap and cheerful grub if you’re starting to feel a bit peckish.

Mile 17: The Lord Nelson

Address: 1 Manchester Road, Millwall E14 3BD

This 19th century pub has a dog-friendly courtyard and offers food and drink throughout the day.

Mile 19: BrewDog Canary Wharf

Address:2 Churchill Place, E14 5RB

With its own craft beers and regular guest brews on tap, there’s loads of choice for the discerning beer fan here. It has some outdoor seating, too.

Mile 21: The Craft Beer Co Limehouse

Address: 576 Commercial Road, E14 7JD

There are plenty of craft beers on an ever-changing menu here, giving thirsty punters plenty to choose from.

Mile 23: Traitors Gate

Address: 14 Trinity Square, EC3N 4AA

Not far from the Tower of London, this McMullen pub has food on offer alongside plenty of cocktails and a decent wine list.

Mile 25: Tattershall Castle

Address: Victoria Embankment, SW1A 2HR

This former passenger ferry turned pub and restaurant stands proud on the Thames – and should afford you a decent view of the Marathon runners from its deck.

The finish line: Buckingham Arms

Address: 62 Petty France, SW1H 9EU

A favourite with CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale), this pub is also not directly on the route but is only a short walk from St James’s Park, where the marathon wraps up.

It’s a fitting way to bring our pub crawl to an end, too.

Cheers!

Metro first published a version of this article in April 2016

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