Because 26.2 miles is hard enough without wearing the wrong kit.
The London Marathon is many things: a charity triumph, a personal reckoning, an excuse to eat an inadvisable amount of pasta the night before. What it is also, consistently, is an April morning in London, which means it could be 8°C and drizzling at mile one and somehow still muggy by the Embankment. Dressing for it is a sport in itself.
We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this. Possibly too much time, if you ask anyone we live with. But the result is a list of eleven pieces that cover everything from the jacket you’ll throw away at the start line (or won’t, once you see how well it packs) to the running belt that makes gels and your phone feel like they’re floating somewhere behind you, not bouncing off your hipbone for four hours.
Everything here is practical. Most of it is stylish. A few pieces are genuinely worth owning long after race day, because good kit doesn’t expire just because your Garmin says you’ve hit the finish.
Helly Hansen Women’s Trail Windbreaker Jacket
Best for: throwing in your bag and forgetting about it until you need it
April in London is not to be trusted. The Helly Hansen Trail Windbreaker is the jacket you wear to the start line and stuff into your pocket the second it stops being necessary, which on a warm race morning could be mile two. Made from ultra-lightweight N66 nylon ripstop, it’s wind-resistant without adding any meaningful bulk, and the elastic hood and cuffs are cord-free, which means no tangling while you’re trying to remember your race number. The whole thing packs into the inner chest pocket. We’d wear it to literally every outdoor event in shoulder season, not just marathons.
ThruDark Mountain Pro Waterproof Jacket
Best for: the kind of runner who takes no chances with the weather
ThruDark was founded by two former British Special Forces operators, which tells you something about the level of seriousness here. The Mountain Pro Waterproof Jacket is a 3-layer hardshell built from Pertex Shield fabric with Dyneema-reinforced shoulder and back panels, and a 20,000mm hydrostatic head rating that means it will keep you dry in conditions far worse than even the most catastrophic April morning in Greenwich. It comes with RECCO rescue technology built into the hood, reflective patches, and an Overwatch warranty that means if something goes wrong with your kit, they will sort it. Overkill for a road marathon? Possibly. But if you train through winter and head into the hills the rest of the year, this is the shell you keep forever.
Mammut Aenergy Trail Endurance Ultra Low
Best for: runners who want trail-shoe grip with road-shoe comfort
Swiss mountaineering brand Mammut has been quietly building one of the most compelling running shoe lineups of the last few years, and the Aenergy Trail Endurance Ultra Low is the one to know for marathon-distance efforts. The dual-density midsole pairs lightweight Mammut CORE Ultra foam with CORE Plus for rebound and sustained cushioning, while the Flextron PRO propulsion plate gives each stride a push in the right direction. The Vibram Megagrip Litebase outsole handles wet tarmac without drama, and memory foam heel pods keep the foot locked in place over distance. At 320g (UK 8.5), it is not the lightest shoe on the market, but it is built to last the full 26.2 without punishing you for it.
Nike Vomero Plus
Best for: anyone who wants their legs to feel approximately fine the next day
The spiritual successor to the Nike Invincible, the Vomero Plus arrived in 2025 and promptly became one of the more enthusiastically discussed running shoes in the category. A full-length ZoomX midsole at 45mm in the heel delivers the kind of impact absorption that makes you genuinely wonder whether you’ve just invented an easier sport. The engineered mesh upper is soft and breathable, and the fit is generous across the board. It is not a shoe for runners who like to feel the road. For everyone else, it is extremely good. We would wear it for the long training runs and consider race-day carefully based on what your feet prefer, but there is a reasonable contingent of runners doing everything in these.
On Ultra Belt 2L
Best for: making gels, a phone, and 500ml of water disappear
Running belts have a reputation for bouncing, sliding, and reminding you they exist for approximately 20 miles. The On Ultra Belt has dispensed with all of that by building in 360-degree stretch, targeted padding to distribute pressure, and a premium Darlington mesh body for ventilation. It comes with a 500ml Hydrapak soft flask with a locking nozzle, mesh side pockets deep enough for gels, a front pouch for your phone, a wide rear pocket for the flask, and bungee cords for pole attachment if this somehow escalates into trail running. Unisex sizing. Stays where you put it. The kind of accessory that converts runners who previously believed belts were for people who hadn’t tried pockets yet.
Lululemon Fast and Free Trail Running Vest
Best for: the woman who decides 26.2 is just the beginning
For runners who want to carry more than a belt allows, Lululemon’s Fast and Free Trail Running Vest is thoughtfully constructed and genuinely well considered. Adjustable stretch sternum straps keep it snug without a bounce, there’s a 500ml flask pocket at the front, a watertight zippered pocket for your phone, a 1.5L hydration bladder compartment at the back, and, delightfully, the sternum straps double as hair ties in a pinch. The back panel is recycled nylon, the front mesh is Xtra Life Lycra. It fits four size bands (XS/S through L/XL) which means it actually fits. We are in favour.
Oysho Medium-Support Comfortlux Sports Bra with Cups
Best for: comfort over a long distance without thinking about your bra once
Oysho is a Zara Group label that has, quietly, become one of the better places to buy technically sound activewear at prices that don’t require a moment of internal negotiation. The Medium-Support Comfortlux Sports Bra is built for moderate-impact sport: internal mesh for breathability, removable lightly padded cups, quick-dry high-resistance fabric, and a back strap detail that is genuinely flattering rather than purely functional. Medium support is appropriate for marathon pace for most people. Worth stocking up in multiple colours, because at Oysho’s price point there is simply no reason not to.
Oysho 2-in-1 Light Touch Shorts
Best for: the shorts that don’t gap, slide, or require a second thought
The 2-in-1 construction means an outer woven short with an inner brief, which means no chafe, no mid-run adjustments, and no visible line. The Light Touch fabric lives up to the name. A hidden pocket in the inner brief handles a gel or a key. The waistband is elasticated with a concealed drawstring so you can actually fasten them to your body without them moving. Excellent value, several colourways, and the kind of piece you’ll reach for on every training run between now and October.
Alo Yoga 7″ High Tide Board Short
Best for: men who want to look like they actually thought about what they’re wearing
Alo Yoga’s men’s shorts are, in our view, underrated in the running conversation. The High Tide Board Short is a 7-inch inseam with a relaxed-athletic silhouette that works as hard as you do without announcing itself. The brand’s focus on fabric quality shows: the material moves, breathes, and holds its shape in a way that cheaper performance shorts don’t. The Provence Blue colourway is particularly good. Wear it to the start line, wear it to brunch after. It will survive both.
Oakley Sphaera Sunglasses
Best for: actually being able to see where you’re going
April sun on the Thames is not aggressive, but it is enough to warrant something decent on your face, and the Oakley Sphaera earns its place as a performance piece rather than a style exercise. The lightweight O’Matter frame is built to be worn with hats and helmets, and the Unobtanium nose pads and ear socks increase their grip exactly when you’re sweating the most. Prizm lens technology sharpens contrast and road texture in changing light conditions. The Prizm Road colourway is among the better-looking sport sunglass options currently available. Unisex sizing. A genuine upgrade on whatever ancient wraparound has been living in your kit bag since 2018.
Ralph Lauren Iconic Cotton Chino Ball Cap
Best for: looking like you run marathons and also occasionally sail things
Is a Ralph Lauren ball cap the most technical piece of running headwear available? No. Is it the one you’ll actually keep wearing long after the marathon is a memory? Yes. The cotton chino fabric is soft from the start and improves with use, the six-panel construction sits properly on the head, and the embroidered Pony is 982 individual stitches of entirely unnecessary restraint. Buckle strap at the back, sweatband inside, pre-curved brim. Available in enough colourways to suit your start-line look, and genuinely nice enough to wear off the course. Sometimes the practical choice and the stylish choice are the same item.
Lululemon The Towel
Best for: the finish line, the post-race shower, and every training session between now and then
We would not normally include a towel on a kit list. But The Towel, as Lululemon dryly names it, is microfibre, absorbent, faster-drying than anything cotton, and compact enough to live in the bottom of your kit bag without taking over the whole operation. It handles post-race showers, hot yoga warm-downs, and the unfortunate reality of changing rooms at race villages. Can be lightly misted for added grip during yoga if your post-marathon life includes yoga, which it should, because your hamstrings will need it. Small but considered. The kind of thing you only replace when you lose it.
Looking for more race-day inspiration? Our guides to the best running trainers of 2026 and what to pack for a London marathon weekend have everything else you need.
