London Marathon surge
The London Marathon drew a record‑breaking 1.1 million ballot entries this year — a 36% jump from last year and nearly double the pool from two years ago — and organizers are planning a major overhaul that could expand the race to two days and up to ~100,000 runners starting in 2027. The change would double the current field and aims to give more spots to elite athletes and charity runners as demand explodes. (bbc.com) (runnersworld.com)
Less than 5% of public‑ballot applicants secured a place after organisers processed the ballot for the incoming race, according to coverage of the results. (runabc.co.uk) The 2026 TCS London Marathon is scheduled to be held on 26 April 2026, per the event organiser’s calendar. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) Last year’s event registered 56,640 finishers — a new Guinness World Records total that beat New York’s previous mark — and raised about £87.3 million for charity, organisers reported. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) Sources say the two‑day proposal being discussed would be staged on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April 2027 and is understood to have the backing of the Mayor’s office, though formal approval had not been granted. (uk.news.yahoo.com) Internally dubbed the “Double London Marathon,” the plan would reportedly split roughly 50,000 mass runners across each day, stage the men’s and women’s elite races on separate days and is being modelled as a one‑off expansion that could lift charity income to an estimated ~£130 million. (marathonhandbook.com) London Marathon Events said it is “continually exploring innovative ways” to enable more people to take part while focusing immediate resources on delivering the 2026 race, and stressed any 2027 change remains under consideration. (tournaments.com)
