'Rock, paper, scissors' decides order of London Marathon races
Source: BBC Sport ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
A game of rock, paper, scissors was used to decide the scheduling of the elite races for next year’s two‑day London Marathon. World‑record holder Catherine Debrunner, the women’s wheelchair champion, defeated men’s marathon world‑record holder Sabastian Sawe in the contest, earning the right for the women’s elite and women’s wheelchair races to be held on the traditional Sunday, 25 April. Consequently, the elite men’s marathon and men’s wheelchair events will take place on Saturday, 24 April, while the women’s races will follow the next day.
The split‑day format is part of a broader overhaul announced earlier in the year, aimed at accommodating a record‑breaking entry list and expanding the event’s charitable impact. Organisers confirmed that 1.33 million people entered the ballot for the 2026 edition, prompting the decision to stretch the marathon across two days for the first time. The change is intended to give each elite field a clearer spotlight, with the women’s championship categories now positioned directly behind the women’s elite field—a first in the race’s history—while a mixed field of male, female and non‑binary participants will compete in the main events on both days.
London Marathon chief executive Hugh Brasher praised the playful decision‑making method, calling the rock‑paper‑scissors battle “entertaining” and saying it underscores the event’s commitment to celebrating its athletes. He noted that the new schedule will highlight the extraordinary performances of both the elite runners and wheelchair competitors, and that the 2027 marathon is projected to host 100 000 participants and raise over £150 million for charity. The innovative format, coupled with the record‑setting participation, signals a momentous, one‑off edition that could reshape how major city marathons are organized in the future.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Confidence among international firms could wobble until the picture clears.
- ▶Currency traders elsewhere may start pricing in the fallout within hours.
🏙️Local Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Small businesses near the ground typically plan their week around match days.
- ▶Corner shops near the stadium rarely complain about match-day footfall.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶A change in the cost of money, if it comes, will likely arrive subtly.
- ▶Banks generally prefer a wait-and-see approach before touching their rates.
❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Fans' hearts race with the drama — in a mostly good way.
- ▶A shared sporting moment can genuinely lift a whole community's mood.
💷Wealthlow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Your financial adviser, if you have one, might already be watching this.
- ▶Financial plans built on solid ground rarely need urgent revisiting here.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Estate agents typically say the market takes weeks to catch up with news.
- ▶First-time buyers watching the market closely might see little change in the short term.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.