Rock, Paper, Scissors Settles Elite Race Schedule for Landmark Two-Day London Marathon

A children's playground game has determined the competitive timetable for one of the world's most prestigious endurance events, as organisers of the 2027 London Marathon turned to rock, paper, scissors to allocate race days for the elite fields in what will be a historic two-day format.

The contest pitted two reigning London Marathon champions against each other, with women's wheelchair world record holder Catherine Debrunner defeating men's world record holder Sabastian Sawe. The winner earned the right to race on the traditional Sunday slot, a decision that carries significance both symbolically and logistically for the athletes involved.

As a consequence of Debrunner's victory, the elite men's race and the men's wheelchair race will now take place on Saturday, 24 April, while the women's elite and women's wheelchair races will be staged the following day. The arrangement marks a departure from the marathon's long-standing single-day tradition, where all elite categories have historically competed within hours of one another on the same morning.

The two-day format was confirmed by organisers earlier this year as a one-off edition of the event, designed to accommodate unprecedented demand from the running public. A record 1.33 million people entered the ballot for places in the 2027 race, a figure that far exceeds the capacity of any single-day staging.

Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, framed the unconventional tiebreaker as both light-hearted and purposeful. He described the rock, paper, scissors battle between Sawe and Debrunner as an entertaining method for determining which day would host each elite race, adding that splitting the elite competitions would allow organisers to shine a brighter spotlight on the athletes involved.

The decision to divide the elite races across two days reflects a broader strategic shift in how major marathons are approaching scheduling. By separating the men's and women's showcase events, organisers can dedicate undivided broadcast attention and spectator focus to each field, rather than compressing multiple high-stakes races into a single morning window.

Brasher also highlighted a significant change to the women's championship categories, which will line up behind the women's elite field for the first time in the history of the London race. He noted that the outstanding elite women's wheelchair field will begin the action just ahead of them, creating what he described as a true celebration of women's marathon racing.

That sequencing places female competition at the forefront of Sunday's programme, a notable development for a sport that has increasingly sought to elevate the profile of women's distance running. The move follows wider trends in athletics, where major events have restructured schedules to give female competitors standalone platforms rather than positioning their races as undercards.

Beyond the elite competitions, the main events on both days will feature mixed fields comprising male, female and non-binary participants, preserving the mass-participation character that has made the London Marathon one of the largest fundraising sporting events in the world.

The 2027 edition is expected to welcome a record-breaking 100,000 participants across the weekend, a scale that would have been impossible under the previous single-day model. Organisers estimate that more than £150 million will be raised for charitable causes, underscoring the event's role as a philanthropic engine as much as an athletic competition.

Both Sawe and Debrunner arrive at the 2027 race as defending champions in their respective categories, lending additional weight to their involvement in the scheduling decision. Sawe's participation in the rock, paper, scissors contest came months after he produced one of the most talked-about performances in marathon history.

The Kenyan runner broke the iconic two-hour barrier at the London Marathon, a feat that prompted widespread discussion about the shifting limits of human endurance. His achievement was described at the time as moving the goalposts for marathon running, and it cemented his status as the dominant figure in the men's discipline.

Debrunner, meanwhile, has established herself as the pre-eminent force in women's wheelchair racing, holding the world record in her category. Her victory over Sawe in the informal contest adds a playful footnote to a rivalry that exists across disciplines rather than on the same start line.

The split schedule also raises practical considerations for broadcasters, sponsors and spectators. With elite races now spread across two days, television coverage can be extended and tailored, while audiences can engage with each competition separately rather than navigating overlapping start times.

For the athletes themselves, the change could influence race preparation and recovery strategies. Competing on a Saturday rather than a Sunday shifts travel plans, pre-race routines and post-race commitments, though the traditional weekend window remains intact for both fields.

The London Marathon has long been a fixture of the global athletics calendar, attracting elite fields alongside tens of thousands of amateur runners. Its evolution into a two-day spectacle signals a willingness among organisers to experiment with format in order to meet surging demand and maximise the event's reach.

Whether the split-day model becomes a permanent feature or remains a one-off remains to be seen. What is clear is that the 2027 edition will be remembered not only for its record fields and fundraising totals but also for the unlikely manner in which its elite race schedule was settled.

A game most associated with settling childhood disputes has, for one year at least, determined the shape of one of the world's great marathons. The outcome favours the women's fields with the coveted Sunday slot, and Debrunner with bragging rights that extend well beyond the roads of the British capital.