A new running concept is heading to East London in 2027, with Team Marathon promising to turn the marathon distance into a shared team experience built around running, music and a festival atmosphere.

Team Marathon will make its debut in Hackney Wick on Saturday 22 May 2027. Teams of four will collectively cover the marathon distance, with each runner completing 10.55K. The format differs from a conventional relay. All four teammates start and run at the same time, with their performances contributing towards a shared marathon time.

Benchmark, the sports business behind the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay, is launching the concept after delivering 86 of those events in major cities around the world since 2008. Its new event is aimed squarely at the growth in social running and run clubs, with the race itself forming only part of the experience.

A short loop course will keep runners, teammates and spectators close to the action. Live music stages, DJs, a brass band, cheer zones and spectator areas are planned around a central race village. Once the running is finished, the emphasis switches even further towards the social side, with street food, drinks, big screens, music and brand experiences forming part of the festival.

Benchmark CEO Nick Keller believes traditional race formats have not fully reflected the increasingly social nature of running, particularly among younger participants and the growing network of formal and informal running communities.

Staggered waves will run through the afternoon rather than concentrating the event into a conventional morning race format. The first 100 founding team tickets, covering 400 runners, went on presale on Wednesday 26 August at 10:00am, priced at £26.20 per person.

London is intended to be only the beginning. Team Marathon plans to expand into three major UK cities during 2027 before taking the concept into Europe.

Entries are now available via the runABC race hub here.

Image courtesy Action Group.