Andy Devaney
The TCS London Marathon is many things: heroic, chaotic, emotional and occasionally held together by tape, gels and blind optimism. Now it is getting a new headquarters to match the madness, with New Balance opening London Run House at Somerset House for a full-throttle marathon weekend takeover.
Right on the route and sat beside the Thames, London Run House is being billed as a place for runners, crews, spectators and finishers to gather, recover, celebrate and make a proper noise. In truth, it sounds like a smart move. The London Marathon is no longer just a race. It is a rolling street party with sore hamstrings.
Not just a pop-up — a marathon clubhouse
Plenty of brands show up for the London Marathon, slap a logo on something shiny and hope for the best. This feels more considered.
London Run House is set inside Somerset House’s Embankment Galleries and is being pitched as a community-led space built around the people who actually give the city’s running scene its spark. Not just the speedy lot. Everyone.
That includes first-time marathoners, seasoned runners, local crews, supporters and spectators looking for somewhere to plug into the buzz without standing on the pavement for five hours with a cardboard sign and numb feet.
London’s running scene takes centre stage
At the heart of the whole thing is a documentary and portrait series focused on London’s running communities.
Directed by Joshua Simpkins and filmed across Greenwich, Battersea, Tower Hamlets and Lewisham, the documentary follows crews as they train, gather and edge towards marathon day in their own way.
There are riverside runs, track sessions, art-led meet-ups and long runs shaped by culture as much as mileage. That is London in a nutshell. No single style. No single pace. Just different boroughs, different rituals and one giant shared finish line.
Alongside the film sits a portrait series by photographer Vivek Vadoliya, featuring members of Run The Boroughs, Runner Beans, Deaf Run Club, LES Running and 2-Step Collective.
It is a reminder that the London Marathon is powered long before race day arrives. The city’s running culture is built in groups, in neighbourhoods and in those grim little training sessions when nobody is watching.
New Balance leans into the community angle
New Balance has developed the programme alongside London communities including Runner Beans, LES Run, PASSA and Green Street Collective, which gives it more credibility than the usual corporate song and dance.
The brand’s message is simple enough: running belongs to anyone who runs.
“At New Balance, our running vision is shaped by the athletes and communities who move the sport forward every day. London represents one of the most diverse and creative running communities in the world, and London Run House is designed as a space where everyone who runs can feel part of that energy, bringing together performance, culture and connection during marathon weekend.”- Kevin Fitzpatrick, New Balance Global Vice President of Running
For once, the marketing line matches the event. The London Marathon has always belonged to the masses as much as the medal chasers.
What’s actually inside?
Quite a lot, and most of it sounds useful.
There will be a bar and lounge with coffee, snacks and seating. There will be compression boots and massage guns for trashed legs. There will be medal engraving, T-shirt heat press printing and treadmill test stations for runners wanting to try New Balance footwear.
The product line-up includes the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5, Ellipse v1, 1080v15 and RC apparel collection.
There is also British Sign Language education, race-day nails and hair styling, which gives the whole thing a broader, more welcoming feel than the usual performance-only setup.
In short, it is not just for serious runners with watches worth more than a used hatchback. It is for the full circus.
The weekend line-up looks busy
Friday kicks off with a pre-race body regulation session hosted by Mikey Kratzer and Jay Levine from 14:00 to 17:00. Later, Runner Beans hosts an arts and crafts workshop from 18:00 to 19:00.
Saturday is the big build-up. Race Ready runs from 10:00 to 16:00 with massage, hair styling, sign-making and more. LES Run then hosts a guided collage session from 16:00 to 18:00.
From 18:00 to 22:00, the Relaxation Lounge offers a women’s community-led pre-race recovery space hosted by LES Run and PASSA.
Then comes the Ellipse Sunset Run from 19:30 to 20:30, a relaxed 5km with The Greenstreet Collective and a chance to test the new Ellipse.
Sunday shifts into race-day mode. The Spectator Party runs from 09:00 to 13:00, with cheer packs, sign-making and support stations. The Finisher Party follows from 13:00 to 17:00 with medal engraving, finisher posters and celebrations.
Pillar will also host post-marathon stretch and mobility sessions, plus post-marathon Pilates.
The cheer zones could be the real game-changer
New Balance is also activating cheer zones at Mile 8, Mile 16 and Mile 25 with Runner Beans, Deaf Run Club, Run The Boroughs, PASSA and LES Running.
That matters.
Because the London Marathon runs on crowd noise. A good cheer zone can lift a broken runner like jumper cables on a dead battery. By Mile 25, it can feel like the voice of God with a megaphone.
Why this could matter
The best thing about London Run House is that it understands the London Marathon for what it really is.
Not just a race. Not just a fitness challenge. Not just a sponsor’s dream weekend.
It is a city-wide release of nerves, pride, pain, humour and support. It is London at full volume.
And in a weekend built on movement, noise and emotion, this looks like a place that might actually add something rather than just take up space.
Location and opening times
New Balance London Run House
Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, WC2R 1LA
Opening Hours
Friday 24 April | 14:00 – 17:00
Saturday 25 April | 10:00 – 18:00
Sunday 26 April | 09:00 – 17:00
Sign-up details are here: www.newbalance.co.uk/london-marathon-events
