London Marathon Events (LME) has announced the addition of a brand-new 5K event to the TCS London Marathon weekend. Produced in partnership with Friday Night Lights, the event will take place on the evening of Friday April 24, 2026, in Battersea Park.
The new 5K event fixture aims to mark the beginning of the marathon weekend, which culminates in the TCS London Marathon on Sunday April 26, 2026. According to the organisers, the event is open to participants of all abilities, including international runners, spectators, and those not taking part in the full marathon.
London Marathon Events organises a portfolio of mass participation events, including the world’s largest marathon and various cycling festivals. It invested in Friday Night Lights in February 2025 as part of its ongoing expansion programme.
Friday Night Lights is an events company founded in 2023 that fuses social running with music and high-energy entertainment. The 5K in Battersea Park will feature experiential lighting and music at every kilometre. The out-and-back course will also include a tunnel of lasers at the halfway mark to guide runners back toward the finish line.
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said “We’re seeing an unprecedented boom in running and the TCS London Marathon & Friday Night Lights delivers a vibrant, inclusive, unmistakably London way to kick off the marathon weekend. Tickets will go fast, so grab one now to be part of the opening party.”
The London Marathon has expanded significantly since its inception in 1981. Last year, the event saw a record-breaking 56,640 finishers, while more than 15,000 children completed the TCS Mini London Marathon. The addition of the Friday 5K further extends the schedule, which the organisers believe makes it the largest weekend of running globally.
Tickets for the new 5K event are priced at £45.00 and are currently on sale. Friday Night Lights also organises events across the UK in locations such as Brighton, Liverpool, Manchester, and Portsmouth.
All surplus generated by London Marathon Events is passed through corporate Gift Aid to its parent charity, the London Marathon Foundation. Since 1981, the foundation has awarded £120 million to more than 1,800 projects designed to inspire physical activity across the UK.
www.tcslondonmarathon.com
www.fridaynightlights.run
