A closer look at how we became an integral part of the London Marathon journey for this year’s 55,000 participants.

Race day support team, left to right: Ben, Carly, Mark and Stuart.

An iconic event on the global running calendar, the TCS London Marathon annually brings together runners of all abilities and from every corner of the world. The marathon, usually held in April, outdid itself this year, achieving a new record for the largest number of finishers at an astonishing 56,640! This wasn't just a landmark achievement for the marathon itself, however, but also for CitySprint.

Pre-event

CitySprint's extensive marathon logistics operation took place over several months, with our team handling the receipt of more than 1.2 million products like water and Lucozade. These essential supplies were then seamlessly distributed across the event, thanks to the hard work of our drivers, colleagues, and a network of volunteers. Our comprehensive event planning kicked off early, in December 2024, as soon as we received the preliminary refuel station layout, enabling our team to begin developing our robust logistics plan.

Our extensive pre-event preparations began a full two weeks before the marathon, ensuring everything was in place for a seamless race day. We successfully executed 15 bespoke and dedicated haulage movements, directly contributing to the event set-up. This included critical logistics like transporting equipment to the Running Show at the Excel Centre, alongside vital deliveries to the start and finish lines. These movements also facilitated our initial drink distribution, with 125,000 bottled drinks ready at the finish line and over 50,000 bottles of water positioned at the start, ensuring runners stayed hydrated.

In parallel, we managed the collection of more than 600 tables, 1,500 cake trays, and 15 pallets of diverse equipment, ranging from brooms and shovels to essential signage. Once these items arrived, we carefully broke them down and repacked them onto individual, bespoke pallets, guaranteeing precise delivery to each of the 16 refuel stations. The final, crucial step was to load 20 vehicles, meticulously preparing them to support race day operations.

While preparations had been running smoothly, a significant challenge emerged the night before the event. The London Marathon Event (LME) team realised that due to extreme weather, they urgently needed over 30,000 additional bottles of water on the course. With the race kicking off early the next morning, securing another accredited vehicle on such short notice seemed close to impossible.

Yet, Ben, the driving force behind the logistics operation, rose to the occasion. He proposed a clever workaround: the team would arrive early Sunday and utilise the available capacity on the gel station vehicle to transport the extra water. This resourceful approach was not only welcomed by the LME team but ultimately favoured by the race director.

Part of the hospitality stock which was rebuilt into dedicated pallets.

During the event

Marathon morning saw CitySprint hit the ground running. Our initial two vehicles were deployed by 4:30 AM, tasked with delivering and erecting 22 gazebos along the race route, a coordinated effort with the LME Route Logistics team. Shortly after, the remaining 18 vehicles, all outfitted with Moffett forklifts, left the warehouse and reached their assigned drink stations promptly between 6:30 – 7:00 AM.

The delivery phase was a testament to meticulous planning: over 850,000 refuel items, alongside tables, chairs, and other necessary equipment, were distributed to all 16 drink stations in a mere 60 minutes. Fortunately for the teams on the ground, the first three stations enjoyed an additional 30 minutes to their schedule. The entire operation was executed with perfection; every single driver arrived ahead of schedule, ensuring they were fully prepared before the road closures clamped down and that intense 60-minute clock started ticking.

To guarantee seamless deliveries, Ben, Mark, Stuart, and Carly from the CitySprint team proactively patrolled the course, personally checking in with drivers to ensure everything unfolded as planned. Typically, after these crucial deliveries, the team would finally enjoy a few hours of well-deserved downtime. However, this year was different due to the request of the previously mentioned 30,000+ bottles of water that came in. This request presented a significant logistical puzzle, given the concurrent road closures and severely limited vehicle access during the ongoing race.

After a quick discussion with drivers already positioned at early drink stations, the team swiftly devised a solution: two vehicles, strategically located, could collect the surplus water immediately after completing their initial tasks and then deliver it directly to the finish line. To help navigate the throngs of spectators and the tight schedule, the LME team arranged for a police escort, which proved to be an immense help. This marked a significant first for CitySprint: collecting and delivering products during the race, rather than exclusively beforehand.

Post-event

Once the race had passed, the meticulous cleanup operation began. Drivers, who had been on standby at their assigned stations, promptly re-entered the course to systematically collect all remaining products, equipment, gazebos, tables, empty pallets, and other items. Their goal was to ensure the rapid and efficient clearing of London's streets. This crucial clear-up is often the most complex part of the entire event, as the unpredictable breakdown times of each drink station demand exceptional coordination and unwavering effort.

Some of the medals and 800,000 bottles we delivered to the event.

Even after the intense race day operation wrapped up, our work wasn't quite finished. The team still had nine bespoke movements to execute. This included collecting equipment from both the start and finish lines, returning hired items to suppliers, and handling any final product collections.

“Looking back, this was one of the most successful TCS London Marathon operations I have been part of. Despite multiple last-minute changes, the entire process, pre-event, race day, and post-event, went seamlessly. A special thanks goes to the CitySprint team members –  Mark, Stuart, and Carly. Their contributions were crucial in making this operation such a success.” – Ben Cox, National Operations Contract Manager

With the TCS London Marathon now successfully behind us, CitySprint is already shifting gears to other major events, including the Great Manchester Run and the London MoonWalk. And, of course, our sights are firmly set on the future, as we've already begun planning the logistics for the TCS London Marathon 2026.

A huge shout-out to our colleague, Jennifer, who also ran the London Marathon this year on behalf of our charity partner, Make-A-Wish Foundation UK. If you can afford to, you can support her efforts here: https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/jennifer-green.

If you require Event Logistics solutions, please reach out to us at nationalcustomercare@citysprint.co.uk to discuss your requirements.

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