London Marathon freebies

Sometimes getting to the London Marathon can be as tough as the race itself, but one bonus of being a runner is you can get free public transport on most services within London and on some services to and from the capital on race day.

Here's a list of services giving marathon runners (but not spectators) free travel on Sun 28 Apr. You don't need to get a ticket, just show your race number to staff.

• Transport for London - runners can travel for free on London Underground, London buses, London Overground, DLR, TfL Rail, trams, and Emirates Air Line between 4.30am and 6.30pm. If you're a race official or on-duty St John Ambulance volunteer you can also travel for free on these services by showing your officials' course pass or tabard.
• Southeastern - runners get free travel from London Victoria, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge to either Greenwich, Maze Hill or Blackheath.
• Thameslink - runners can travel free on services from London Bridge to either Greenwich or Maze Hill, between 6.45am and 10.30am.
• c2c - runners get free travel between Essex and London.
• Chiltern Railways - runners get free travel on London Marylebone services with additional early morning trains at 6.40am from Banbury and 7am from Aylesbury via High Wycombe.
• Oxford Tube - runners get free travel on coaches between Oxford and London on Sat 27 Apr (if you're travelling down the day before the race) and Sun 28 Apr. Show your race number, certificate or badge to the driver.
• Oxford Bus Company - runners can travel free on the X90 coach service between Oxford and London.

If you're running the 2019 London Marathon, grab some extra fuel to help you along by showing your official race number at any London branch of Leon on Fri 26 Apr or Sat 27 Apr to get a free 'Little Box' (usually £3.95-£5.95).

You can choose from Sicilian chicken meatballs (pictured above), Brazilian black beans (vegan), lentil masala (vegan), Caribbean plantain curry, or Kay's home-style Thai curry.

You can get this freebie from 11am till close and you don't need to purchase anything else.

Show your medal for completing the 2019 London Marathon and get a free Greek plate (usually £8.50) at any Real Greek restaurant when you dine in at any time of day.

The offer’s available from Sun 28 Apr (race day) until Fri 3 May and you don’t have to buy anything to claim your freebie.

You can choose between chicken skewer, halloumi skewer, loukaniko (beef and pork sausage), falafel or lamb kefte, and it'll be served with saffron rice, Greek salad, tzatziki, and Greek flatbread.

Show your 2019 London Marathon medal when you dine in at any Franco Manca restaurant, not just the ones in London, and you can get any pizza from its menu or specials board for free (norm £5-£8ish) on Sun 28 Apr or Mon 29 Apr.

If you want extra toppings, you'll need to pay for those, and you can't use any other deal with the freebie offer. There are 35 branches in London and nine elsewhere in England including Bath, Brighton, Reading and Southampton – see the full list of locations.

After running the London Marathon, you can get a free main meal at Thai restaurant chain Busaba when you show your 2019 medal on Sun 28 Apr or Mon 29 Apr.

The freebie's available at all 13 Busaba restaurants in London, and you can choose from pad thai, wok noodles, curries, char-grills, soups, salads, stir-fries and rice bowls (normally £9.50-£18).

Complete this year's London Marathon and take your 2019 medal to any MEATliquor in London on Sun 28 Apr to get any burger free (including meat, veggie, or vegan options – usually £7.50-£9.75). If you're an official volunteer, you'll get a free burger too by showing your steward badge.

Fries, sides and drinks aren't included (these cost from £2). The eight participating restaurants are MEATliquor SW11, MEATliquor KingsX, MEATliquor N1, MEATliquor East Dulwich, MEATliquor Queensway, MEATmission Hoxton, MEATmarket Covent Garden, and MEATliquor Croydon Boxpark.

If you're running the London Marathon and you download the All Bar One app (or you're an existing user), you can get a voucher for a free 125ml glass of Moet Champagne.

Show the voucher in the app along with your 2019 London Marathon medal at any All Bar One in London only (find your nearest) on Sun 28 Apr.

Please be Drinkaware.

You can build up a thirst running 26.2 miles, so go to juice bar Crussh between Sun 28 Apr (race day) and Fri 3 May to get any free medium smoothie (usually £4.50-£4.80).

You don't need a voucher, just flash your 2019 London Marathon medal in store (find your nearest and check opening times – some stores aren't open on Sunday).

Pop to one of 42 Nicholson's pubs in London for that well-deserved post-London Marathon celebratory beverage and show your 2019 medal to get a free drink on Sun 28 Apr. See 'More info' for the full list of participating pubs.

You can choose from a pint of Nicholson's pale ale, a 25ml Tanqueray gin & tonic, or draught soft drink. It's one free drink per marathon runner.

After running 26.2 miles around London, you're bound to build up a thirst.

If you take your 2019 London Marathon medal to any of the 12 Hippo Inns pubs in London (see 'More info' below for the full list), you can get a free pint of house beer, house wine, house spirit or soft drink when you show your medal at the bar on Sun 28 Apr (race day).

Please be Drinkaware.

After completing the 2019 London Marathon you can quench your thirst with a free drink at any of the nine Three Cheers pubs in London (see 'More info' below for a full list).

The offer's available between 12pm and 11pm on Sun 28 Apr (race day) – just show your 2019 medal at the bar. You can get either one free pint of beer, a 175ml glass of house red or white wine, a 125ml glass of prosecco, a house spirit and mixer, or a soft drink. The offer can't be used with any other promotion.

Please be Drinkaware.

If you visit Maxwell's at Covent Garden in London and show your 2019 London Marathon medal you can get a free burger and fries when you dine in on Sun 28 Apr (race day).

You can choose either:

• 'Maxwell's Old Timer' burger (6oz burger with lettuce, tomato, red onion, gherkin, and relish) - normally £11.95
• 'Vegan Bacon & Cheese' burger (plant-based 'Moving Mountains' burger, shiitake bacon, vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, gherkin, and avocado mayo) - normally £14.95
  
  

Additional sides and drinks will be charged. Maxwell's says booking is advisable as the restaurant can get busy. You'll find Maxwell's at 34 King Street, Covent Garden, London.

After you've completed the 26.2 miles of the London Marathon, you can treat yourself to a well-deserved free sourdough pizza at Taproom in Woolwich, Deptford, or Ashford (Kent) on Sun 28 Apr.

All you have to do is show your 2019 medal at the bar when ordering. You can choose any pizza from the menu (usually £7-£10). You'll need to pay for extra toppings, other food, and drinks.

If you're running the London Marathon and you've been craving pizza, then if you visit sports bar Greenwood at Victoria in London and show your 2019 medal, you can get a free pizza on Sun 28 Apr. You can also get the deal if you're an official volunteer – just show a form of volunteer ID.

You can get a free '2042g' pizza (normally £11) which has Italian cured ham, mozzarella, and cauliflower on a pea protein base, or a vegetarian option.

You'll find Greenwood at 170 Victoria Street, London.

If you're running the London Marathon, the least you deserve (aside from a medal) is a free burger. Take your 2019 medal to The Market Porter at London Bridge on Sun 28 Apr or Mon 29 Apr and you can get that well-deserved free burger and fries (normally £13.50).

You can choose beef, fried chicken (pictured above), or a vegetarian option. You'll find The Market Porter at 9 Stoney Street, London.

If you're running the London Marathon and feel like you need a hearty meal after you've had a couple of days to recover, then you can get free pie & mash at The Carpenters Arms in London when you show your 2019 medal on Tue 30 Apr or Wed 1 May.

The Pieminister pie and mash also comes with peas and gravy (normally £9.50). You'll find The Carpenters Arms at 12 Seymour Place, Marleybone, London.

You can get a free pizza after you've run the London Marathon when you show your 2019 medal at The Perseverance pub in Bloomsbury, London, on Sun 28 Apr or Mon 29 Apr.

There's a selection of pizzas to choose from (normally £8-£13) including a vegan option – see the menu. You'll find The Perseverance at 63 Lambs Conduit Street, Bloomsbury, London.

If you visit pan-Indian restaurant Baluchi in London and flash your 2019 London Marathon medal on Sun 28 Apr, you can get a free butter chicken curry or an aubergine and tamarind curry, with pilau rice (norm £7).

You'll find Baluchi at 181 Tooley Street, London.

If you're feeling a bit peckish after running 26.2 miles, you can get a free chaat dish at Cinnamon Bazaar in London's Covent Garden when you show your 2019 medal on Sun 28 Apr (race day).

There are nine chaat dishes to choose from (normally £5.75-£15) including papdi chaat with tamarind, yoghurt, and chickpea vermicelli, and soft shell crab chaat with curried yoghurt, apple, and celeriac pickle.

You'll find Cinnamon Bazaar at 28 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London.

Show off your 2019 London Marathon medal at Bunga Bunga in Battersea, London to get a free pizza on Sun 28 Apr.

You can choose any pizza from the menu (norm £10-£13). Other food and drinks will be charged.

You'll need to be 21-years-old or over, and you can find Bunga Bunga at 37 Battersea Bridge Road, London.

If you visit Old Compton Brasserie at Soho in London and show your 2019 London Marathon medal you can get a free burger and fries (norm £15) when you dine in on Sun 28 Apr.

You can choose either:

• 'The OCB' burger (6oz burger with dry cured streaky bacon and Godminster organic cheese).
• 'The PB' burger (plant-based 'Moving Mountains' burger, shiitake bacon, vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, gherkin, and avocado mayo).
  
  

Additional sides and drinks will be charged. Old Compton Brasserie says booking is advisable as the restaurant can get busy. You'll find it at 34-36 Old Compton Street, Soho, London.

Running 26.2 miles will build up a thirst, and you'll be able to quench it for free at two Salsa! bars in central London.

Flash your 2019 London Marathon medal at the bar and you can choose either a free glass of prosecco (norm £5.95), a mocktail or a soft drink on Sun 28 Apr.

You can find Salsa! at Temple Place or Soho in London. Please be Drinkaware.

If you're running the London Marathon and you take your 2019 medal to Thai Square restaurant near London's Trafalgar Square, you can get free chicken satay (normally £7.50).

You'll find Thai Square at 21-24 Cockspur Street, London.