The whole idea, in plain English
If you’ve never done a Monopoly Run before, start here. No jargon, no assumptions.
It’s a day-long game of Monopoly where the board is London, and the pieces are your team.
Your group coordinator chooses which of the three London start zones you set off from, picked when they register. From your start time you have seven and a half hours to cross the city, reach as many Monopoly locations as you can, and build the biggest bank balance in your game.
Your group doesn’t travel round as one block either. Every team goes its own way, which is why a group bringing four teams needs enough leaders to cover all four.
Every location is a real place. Old Kent Road, Angel Islington, Trafalgar Square, Mayfair. You go to the actual street.
Each property comes with a photo showing the exact spot to stand, not just the street name. Get there and check in on the app, which uses your phone’s location to confirm you really are on it. If nobody has bought it, it can be yours. If a rival team already owns it, you pay them rent on the spot.
You aren’t playing against all ten thousand people. That would be chaos. You’re pooled into a mini-game of around six teams, so the leaderboard you’re watching is one you can genuinely win.
Scouts and Guides, from anywhere in the UK
Open to the sections listed below. Groups travel in from all over the country, and you don’t need to know London. Half the fun is working it out as you go.
Teams of 3 to 7
Seven is the hard maximum, and leaders count towards it. Each team plays on its own, separately from the rest of your group.
Under 14s need a leader
Anyone under 14 must have a leader in their team. All-14-and-over teams can go without one, but it’s your group leader’s call.
Teams of 14 and over
Explorer and Ranger teams don’t need a leader in the team, but a leader must be in London that day. Network and Inspire members are adults, so that doesn’t apply to them.
Things people usually ask first
Is it just a treasure hunt?
No. It’s a live game. Property gets bought, rent moves between teams, and your balance goes up and down all day depending on what everyone else is doing.
Do we need to know London?
Not at all. Groups come from all over the UK and plenty arrive having never used the Tube. Working out the route is part of the game.
Is it a race?
In a way, yes. You’re racing the clock to reach as many locations as you can before your time runs out, and getting somewhere first is how you claim it. But it isn’t a running race. Teams move at whatever pace suits them, and a well-planned route beats a fast one.
Are we up against all 10,000 people?
No. You’re grouped with around six other teams, all of whom picked the same team speed as you, so everyone in your game wants the same sort of day. That’s the leaderboard that matters to you, and it’s one you can realistically top.