Hire Frequencies Debuts At TCS London Marathon With All-Martin Audio Rollout

London event specialist Hire Frequencies marked its 15th anniversary with a first-time audio deployment at the record-breaking TCS London Marathon 2026, delivering an all‑Martin Audio setup across the Finish Line, Fan Zone and the TCS London Mini Marathon.

"We first met the Marathon events team two years ago," explains Will Smith, Founder and MD of Hire Frequencies. "We were convinced we could take the production values to a new level with high-quality sound systems and were delighted to win the project this year."

Drawing on a significantly expanded inventory, the company supplied Martin Audio FlexPoint Series, TORUS and Wavefront Precision (WPS) loudspeakers, driven by iKON iK42 four‑channel amplifiers, to achieve consistent coverage and control across three zones.

"Our technical director Ritchie Nicola and technical manager Kieran Hall were key to the specification and deployment," continues Smith. "We worked closely with the Marathon events team to ensure everything was right first time."

Ahead of the main race, the TCS London Mini Marathon invited schools to run, jog, walk or wheel either one mile or 2.6K through central London, finishing with medals on the line. For this, Hire Frequencies implemented four TORUS T1230 array elements with a pair of SXC115 subwoofers, complemented by a distributed system of eight FlexPoint FP8 loudspeakers.

"TORUS was ideal for this site thanks to its quick deployment and high output," says Smith. "It delivers exceptional clarity with strong mid-range throw, perfect for the application. The SXC115 is compact and fast to deploy, while the FP8s worked perfectly as infills across the wide crowd area. They didn't have subs at the Mini Marathon previously, so we were really able to elevate the experience—we had lots of positive feedback."

For the main Marathon's Fan Zone—featuring music playback and live acts throughout the day—Hire Frequencies specified a super‑compact WPS Wavefront Precision line array in ground stacks, with four WPS elements per side supported by two SXCF118 subwoofers per side.

"The Fan Zone was effectively a mini festival stage," says Smith. "WPS was the ideal solution. With the help of Martin Audio's DISPLAY software, we set the throw length to 50m and used the Hard Avoid feature to assist with noise control on stage."

Along the finishing straight, 16 FlexPoint FP12 loudspeakers were spaced across the final 300 metres to deliver commentary and motivational music for athletes approaching the line.

"The FP Series are compact and punchy, making them ideal for the finish line where space was limited between hospitality areas," notes Smith. "Even the commentators remarked on the difference, describing the improvement on last year as 'chalk and cheese' in terms of both impact and sound quality."

Despite a busy build with multiple contractors, the system was installed over two days and fully de‑rigged within just two hours once the event ended.

"Everything performed perfectly - that's why most of our inventory is now Martin Audio," concludes Smith. "The marathon broke the Guinness World Record for the most finishers, as well as world records in both the men's and women's races. For me, it was an incredibly proud moment to have our team supporting such a globally recognised event."

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