TCS Mini London Marathon Championships

Event overview

Supporting distance running from playground to podium

The TCS Mini London Marathon championships has given the UK’s most promising young athletes the chance to compete against the best new talent in British road running.

Over the years, the event has launched the careers of international athletics stars including Laura Muir, Keely Hodgkinson and Josh Kerr – not to mention Sir Mo Farah, who won the Mini Marathon three times.

The 2.6K event will take place on Saturday 25 April 2026.

New age categories are being introduced, based on UKA guidance. These are:

U12 for London boroughs only (four girls and four boys per borough team)
U14, U16 and U18, replacing the previous U13, U15 and U17 (as in 2025, there will be six girls/women and six boys/men per team)

As 2026 is a transition year to the new categories, we also want to recognise the fastest U13, U15 and U17 runners so they will still have the chance to secure their place on the TCS Mini London Marathon podium.

The TCS Mini London Marathon Team will be in touch with Team Managers to support with the preparation for the 2026 event.

What are the new age categories for 2026?

The new age categories will be U14, U16 and U18. These replace U13, U15, U17. In addition, there will be a new U12 category for London boroughs only.

What are the dates of birth/age ranges for the new categories?

They are as follows:

Age Group	School Year	Date of Birth Range (on 31 August)
U12 (London boroughs only)	Year 5 & 6	1 September 2014 to 31 August 2016
U14	Year 7 & 8	1 September 2012 to 31 August 2014
U16	Year 9 & 10	1 September 2010 to 31 August 2012
U18	Year 11 & 12	1 September 2008 to 31 August 2010

Why are you making the changes?

These changes are in line with revised UKA rules which are effective from 1 April 2026. Further information can be found on the England Athletics site.

Why is the U12 category being introduced?

This is an exciting opportunity for younger athletes to experience the TCS Mini London Marathon championships. Team size will be smaller with up to four girls and four boys per borough.

Why is the U12 category limited to London boroughs?

This is in line with the new rules, which indicate that children of this age should only take part in local competitions.

Can participants run ‘up’ the age groups?

They can, except for the U12 category. An U14 could run in the U16 category, for example, but an U12 is not able to run in the U14 category.

What about the ‘in-between’ age groups (U13/U15/U17)?

We recognise that young athletes who would have been in the ‘top’ age category for the U13, U15, and U17 in 2026 will not have this opportunity because of the rule changes. We will have a system in place where we can identify these athletes on the day and have an extra podium presentation. This would be the top three U13s, for example, who will be taking part in the U14 race (and then the top three U15s in the U16 race and so on).

What are the age ranges you are using to identify the U13, U15 and U17 participants?