The City of London Corporation has reinstated the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for the London Marathon for a further three-year term, following urgent action taken by the Policy and Resources Committee. The order, originally implemented in 2020, has been credited with reducing anti-social behaviour and public disorder along the marathon route to zero over the past three years.
Before the PSPO was introduced in 2020, recurrent issues of anti-social behaviour and serious violent public disorder were prevalent during the London Marathon. The key metric used to determine the reduction in these incidents is that incidents of harm and criminality along the protected route [have] reduced to zero over the past three years.
The previous PSPO expired in March 2026, and its absence risked a return to previous levels of disorder. The Town Clerk approved the making of the new PSPO under urgency procedures to ensure it was in place for the London Marathon on March 26, 2026, as the regular meeting schedule did not allow for prior approval. This urgent action was detailed in the Agenda frontsheet 21st-May-2026 13.00 Court of Common Council.
The reinstatement of the order is supported by the Corporation's Highways and Public Protection teams, the City of London Police, the Bronze Group for the London Marathon, and the Safer City Partnership. Further details on the public reports can be found in the Public reports pack 21st-May-2026 13.00 Court of Common Council.
