London Marathon ballot: How can I enter next year’s race?

The ballot for the 2026 London Marathon has opened with this year’s race set to take place this weekend.

A world record 840,000 people entered the ballot for this year’s marathon and that demand means the London event, which takes place on Sunday, is officially the most popular marathon on the planet.

The ballot has opened a day earlier this year than in 2024 when applications were taken from the Saturday morning before the marathon on Sunday 21 April and this year’s ballot will be open until Friday 2 May which means the window to apply is a day longer than it was in 2024.

A record-breaking total of more than 56,000 people are expected to take part in Sunday’s marathon with next year’s event slated for Sunday 26 April 2026 and Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said: “The London Marathon is one of the most iconic and inclusive sporting events in the UK and is unique in the fact that anyone can be part of it. You can stand on the same start line as the legends of the sport and be cheered on by the hundreds of thousands of people who line the streets.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to enter:

How can I enter next year’s race?

You can secure a place in the 2026 London Marathon by entering the ballot by clicking here. The ballot opened on Friday 25 April, two days before the 2025 edition of the race and closes on Friday 2 May 2025. The ballot results will be announced before the end of July.

The 2026 London Marathon will take place on Sunday, 26 April 2026 and the winners are drawn at random, so everyone has an equal shot. If you're successful, you'll secure a coveted spot in the marathon.

The cost of a place in the London Marathon for successful UK participants is £79.99. You do not have to pay your entry fee at the ballot, but UK residents can opt to donate their entry fee to the London Marathon Foundation no matter the outcome of the ballot.

You will receive a confirmation email when you apply and you’ll also receive a payment receipt, if you have donated your entry fee. The results of the ballot will be emailed to all entrants in July.

Your entry fee, should you get a place through the ballot, is reduced from £79.99 to £49.99. If you live in the UK and didn’t opt to donate your entry fee when applying, you’ll need to pay the full entry fee of £79.99.

If you don’t get a place in the main ballot, you are automatically entered into a second ballot and that will at least double the chance of getting a place through that second draw. If you are successful in either ballot, your entry is prepaid and confirmed.

If you are unsuccessful in both ballots, you’ll receive a winter running top that would retail at £60, as consolation.

The ballot is performed at random, while alternative options include applying for a charity place while you wait for the results of the ballot – if you end up gaining a ballot place and a charity place you can return your place to the charity and still raise funds for them as an own-place runner.

When is the 2025 London Marathon?

The 2025 London Marathon is on Sunday 27 April.

What time does it start?

8.50am – Elite wheelchair men’s and women’s races.

9.05am – Elite women’s race.

9.35am – Elite men’s race followed by mass start.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the London Marathon live on the BBC, with extensive television coverage and online streaming available via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.

What is the route?

The London Marathon tends to follow a largely unchanged route since it was first run in 1981. Covering 26.2 miles, the course begins in Greenwich, dropping down from the high point of the race to follow a largely flat course, first heading east to Woolwich before doubling back on itself and follow the Thames to Bermondsey.

From there, the runners cut across London Bridge and turn right to take in Canary Wharf and London’s old Docklands, before a U-turn to track through central London, running along the Embankment until another right turn at Westminster Bridge towards St James’s Park.

The route takes in many famous London landmarks, from the Cutty Sark (mile six), Tower Bridge (mile 12), the Tower of London (mile 22) the London Eye and Big Ben (both mile 25) before its iconic finish line on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.

What is the prize money on offer?

Last year’s race was the first to offer equal prize money to the elite wheelchair races as their able-bodied counterparts.

In 2024, the elite men’s and women’s able-bodied races and men’s and women’s wheelchair races had a total prize pot of £243,000, with the winners receiving $55,000 (£44,000) each.

The prize money on offer this year is the same, with $55,000 going to each winner, the runners-up earning $30,000 (£23,100) and third-place $22,500 (£17,400).

There are also $150,000 (£115,900) bonuses on offer for running sub-2:02 for the men and sub-2:15 for the women, $125,000 (£96,500) for setting a new world record, and $25,000 (£19,300) up for grabs in the elite men’s and women’s races for a new course record.