Not sure if this needs merging elsewhere but I've been trawling around the internet (work related) and note not many hotels availalble central London or Wembley presumably due to the Marathon as well as Semi Finals. Found this one though and its right next to a tube station so relatively easy access without driving. Its Heathrow area where there are still quite a lot of hotels available but not many of them have as easy access to the tube as this one. Might be useful to anyone thinking of making a weekend of it. http://www.jurysinns.com/hotels/london/heathrow
If you're thinking of making a weekend of it, you really don't want to be out at Heathrow, unless you're a plane spotter. Heathrow to Wembley Park on the tube takes almost an hour and twenty minutes and it's 50 minutes from the West End(and the tubes don't run late).
The Marathon starts at 10.00 am and goes on for bloody ages, so you could go see some of it if you fancy it. It's chaos though, the main spectator spots are rammed and it can take an hour queuing just to get into a tube station.
As OLM says it is chaos but i reckon you will have time. We have been twice as 2 of our sons have done it and if you watch near Canary Wharf or Canada Water then you can get straight onto Jubilee line direct to Wembley. Good runners will take about 3 hours or less to complete the race so if you watch till about 12:00 then you have a good couple of hours to get the tube over for the game. So i would say do it, the atmosphere is fantastic!
Don't know how you can all so aptly talk about the tube, i'm bloody terrified of the thing Like an african tribesman seeing an escalator for the first time
http://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/interactive-map/ Here is a map of the course which you should find useful
It is a long way out but there are not a lot of options in central London. Hattons Cross (next to Jurys Inn) to Green Park (Piccadilly line) 35/40 mins. Watch Marathon around Birdcage Walk - 15mins walk from Green Park or Hyde Park Corner. Then catch tube up from Green Park to Wembley Park (Jubilee line) 20 mins. Back into London for a few beers post match and last tube back from Picadilly Cricus to Hatton Cross is just after 11.30 pm. 2 nights accommodation at Jurys Inn £140 for a family of four. Sorted. Just need my Wembley tickets now.
Is there a possibility that coercing to Wembley one could inadvertently end up involved in the marathon?
Agree with Lamby, you don't want to be out at Heathrow. Did a job once in London working 12 hour shifts for 6 days and because we needed that many hire cars they couldn't deliver them. We had to do the final 12 hour shift and then Tube it to Heathrow, it took forever on packed Tubes with our suitcases, never did it again.
If people are looking for budget hotels, this site is well worth a look, for about £25 a head you can get a decent 2 star B & B http://www.travelstay.com/
Firstly i wouldn't recommend watching there as anywhere near the finish or on Embankment is absolutely rammed and if you want any chance of getting a decent view you will need to be there early. In my opinion stay east and not too far from the start so the runners pass you early in the race and so giving you more time to then get over to Wembley. If you are looking for a hotel then you could try here http://securebooking.eviivo.com/mywebsite/details.aspx?ReferrerName&IndustryType=1&StartDate=12/04/2014&Nights=2&NoOfRooms=1&Adults1=2&Children1=0&Adults2=1&Children2=0&Adults3=1&Children3=0&shortname=windmillnw23jx it is near Kilburn tube (5-10 minute walk) which is on Jubilee line 4 stops from Wembley. It is a pub with rooms on the Edgeware Road so lots of other pubs and restaurants around. It is a bit basic but we have found it ok and includes a continental breakfast.
I used to drink in there quite a lot, there's a quirky little restaurant round the corner called Little Bay(Belsize Road), which I used to eat in before all Wembley games. http://www.littlebaykilburn.co.uk/
I forgot how big the marathon is. I pictured myself sat in a grandstand with my feet up with a whiskey in one hand and cigar in the other watching people fall over. I don't think I'll be attending the marathon, it sounds like a pretty boring spectacle for the spectators. Thanks for the advice though.
What day you off down? Friday or the Sat? You doing a report on it like you did for the League cup final?
Off down on the Saturday. No chance, i'm watching this as a fan. My coursework for the year finishes that weekend anyways, thank God.
