Marathon hopefuls can enter the ballot for the 2027 TCS London Marathon from today, giving runners a shot at one of the most coveted places in endurance sport. The ballot opened on Friday, 24 April 2026, and will close at 4pm on Friday, 1 May 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by early July 2026. Entry into the ballot itself is free.
The 2027 event could look very different from previous years. Organisers are exploring permission to stage the marathon across both Saturday, 24 April, and Sunday, 25 April 2027. If approved, this one-off two-day format would allow up to 100,000 runners to take part — roughly 50,000 on each day. Under the proposal, every ballot entrant would be automatically entered into the draws for both days, effectively doubling their chances of securing a place. Successful entrants would only be permitted to run on one of the two days. The elite men’s and women’s races could also be split between the Saturday and Sunday. The two-day plan is still awaiting formal approval.
What you need to know about the ballot and costs
For those who prefer the standard route, the ballot itself costs nothing. If your name is drawn, the entry fee for UK residents is £79.99. For international runners, the fee is significantly higher at £225. But there is also a “double entry” option for those willing to pay an upfront fee of £49.99. This gives you two entries into the ballot — effectively doubling your chances — and first refusal on any leftover places after the main draw. If your name does come up, the entry fee is then reduced to £49.99. That means the total cost for the double-entry route is £99.98, compared with £79.99 for a single ballot entry.
The difference is worth spelling out clearly. With the standard single entry, there is no upfront cost; you pay £79.99 only if you win a place. With the double entry, you pay £49.99 upfront regardless, and then a further £49.99 if successful — making a total of £99.98. In exchange, you get twice the chance of being selected and priority access to any leftover spaces.
For those who do not secure a place through the ballot, or who wish to run for a specific cause, charity places are available through a number of organisations. Cancer Research UK offers places with a £100 entry fee and a minimum fundraising target of £3,000. GOSH Charity sets a minimum fundraising target of £2,500 and a registration fee of £120. Marie Curie requires a £100 registration fee and a minimum fundraising target of £2,500. PSPA also asks for a £100 registration fee and a minimum fundraising target of £2,500.
Record demand and the scale of the event
The London Marathon has grown enormously since its first race in 1981, when more than 20,000 people applied and 6,747 were accepted. By 2010, over 36,000 runners crossed the finish line. Demand has surged further in recent years: the ballot for the 2026 marathon attracted a record-breaking 1,133,813 applications, smashing the previous record of 840,318 for the 2025 race. The event is now broadcast in more than 196 countries and watched by millions in the UK, reflecting a sustained running boom.
The race has also become a major fundraising platform, raising over £1.4 billion for charity since its inception. In 2025 alone, it raised a record £87.3 million. The London Marathon Foundation has granted more than £100 million to over 1,460 projects.
Accessibility, records and sustainability
The organisers are committed to making the event accessible and inclusive. For the 2025 marathon, 250 dedicated places were available for disabled participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Assisted wheelchair places are offered for those who cannot self-propel. The event provides a disability support desk, quiet and sensory calm areas, a welfare hub with wheelchair repair equipment and medical support, and dedicated bibs such as ‘Give Me Space’ or ‘Deaf Runner’. Guide and support runner vests are available, accessible toilets are located along the course, and participants have up to eight hours to complete the marathon.
Course records at the London Marathon include a men’s mark of 2:01:25 set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023 and a women’s record of 2:16:16 achieved by Peres Jepchirchir in 2024. The women’s mixed marathon record of 2:15:25 was set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003, who also broke the women’s world record twice on the course. Mary Keitany set a women-only world record in 2017. In the wheelchair categories, Marcel Hug holds the men’s record of 1:23:44 (2023) and Manuela Schär holds the women’s record of 1:39:52 (2017).
London Marathon Events has set an ambitious target of net-zero emissions by 2030. The 2025 TCS London Marathon was the first major UK event and the first marathon in the country to achieve Evergreen sustainability certification. TCS also donates £10 to schools for every child who completes the TCS Mini London Marathon. The economic impact of the 2025 event was estimated at £226 million in total UK economic activity, with £68 million directly benefiting London. A study also found that 82% of non-London spectators expected to return to the capital within a year.
The 2027 TCS London Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, 25 April 2027, with a potential additional race on Saturday, 24 April 2027. The ballot remains open until 4pm on 1 May 2026.
