The 2027 London Marathon schedule was decided by rock-paper-scissors

A game of rock-paper-scissors to decide a historic weekend. Sabastian Sawe, winner of the 2026 London Marathon after becoming the first man to break two hours, and Catherine Debrunner, a four-time London winner and wheelchair marathon champion, were invited to face off in a decidedly unusual duel. The prize: choosing which day the elite races would be held on 24 and 25 April 2027. In the end, it was the Swiss athlete who won the game.

The women will therefore race on Sunday 25 April, while the men will get things under way on Saturday 24 April. The decision has officially entered the Guinness World Records as the first elite marathon race schedule to be determined by a game of rock-paper-scissors.

Two race days, 100,000 runners

Behind the light-hearted moment, however, lies a major change. For the first time, the London Marathon will be held over two days, allowing up to 100,000 participants to take part. Saturday will be dedicated to the men’s races, including the elite, wheelchair, Championship and Good For Age fields, before the women take over on Sunday. The mass-participation races will remain mixed on both days. Above all, the split will give both elite fields unprecedented exposure. Two days, two race scenarios and two events devoted entirely to the very highest level of competition.

Separating the elite races will allow us to shine an even brighter spotlight on the extraordinary athletes taking part in the event. I am particularly looking forward to the start of Sunday’s women’s elite race, when, for the first time in London, female Championship athletes will line up behind the women’s elite field. Our exceptional women’s elite wheelchair field will set the celebrations in motion just beforehand, creating a true celebration of women’s marathon running.

An ordinary game, a historic event

The most amusing part of the story is the contrast. To decide who would get Saturday or Sunday, two champions played a game everyone has known since childhood: rock. Paper. Scissors. A few seconds were enough to settle a question involving an event for 100,000 runners, one of the world’s most prestigious marathons and two of the season’s strongest elite fields.