London Marathon reports over 1 million applicants days after Sawe’s record-breaking feat
By The Guardian, May 6, 2026The London Marathon has set yet more records, with organisers announcing that 1.8 per cent of the United Kingdom’s adult population, more than one million people, have applied to run in next year’s race.
Running’s boom was reflected in a world record 1,338,544 global applications for the 2027 London Marathon, up from 1.13 million for this year’s race and more than double the number they received in 2024.
The extraordinary figures were welcomed by the London Marathon CEO, Hugh Brasher, who said: “This astonishing total of more than 1.33 million ballot applicants firmly establishes London as the world’s most sought‑after marathon. Nothing else comes close.
Extraordinary numbers
“Our mission is to inspire people of every age and ability to get active, and these extraordinary numbers show the massive draw and power of the London Marathon.”
Organisers said they had received 1,008,091 entries from the UK, topping the million barrier for the first time, with another 330,450 entries coming from 200 countries around the globe.
There was near parity between female and male applicants.
Notably the largest number of applications came from women aged 20-29, with more than 179,000 in that age group applying, reflecting the popularity of running among members of Generation Z.
Two-day event
Ballot results will be announced by early July, with places allocated through a random draw. Most applicants are likely to be disappointed, given fewer than 20,000 people usually get a place through the ballot.
However, organisers are hoping to get the go-ahead by the end of the month to stage a two-day London Marathon in 2027, which would mean two mass participation races and nearly double the number of people running to about 100,000 people.
The 2026 marathon had a record 59,830 finishers and was the biggest annual one-day fundraising event in the world.
It also made global headlines with Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe running 1:59:30 to become the first man to break the two‑hour barrier in a competitive marathon, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa set a world record for a women’s race without male pacemakers.