- Race day
- Saturday–Sunday, April 24–25, 2027
- How to enter
- Multiple options, including ballot
- Ballot
- April 24 → May 1, 2026, closed
- Results announced
- July 9, 2026
- Entry fee
- £79.99 UK standard, or £49.99 upfront for Double Your Chances
- Your odds
- Very low (under 7.5%)
Dates marked ~ are projected from the last confirmed cycle. Always verify on the official race website.
The race
Your odds
Very low. A record 1,338,544 people applied for the 2027 ballot. The race fields 100,000 runners across the two days, 45,000 on the Saturday and 55,000 on the Sunday, so even if every place came from the ballot the rate would be 7.5%. It does not: charity, Good for Age and club entries take a large share, so the real ballot figure is lower. London does not publish the split.
| Cycle | Applicants | Places | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 1,338,544 | 100,000 total field | record ballot; two-day edition |
| 2026 | 1,133,813 | Not published | previous record |
| 2025 | 840,000+ | Not published |
How to enter
6 ways in
- Public ballotOpen to anyone. The main route in, and heavily oversubscribed at under 7.5%. Closed for 2027
- Abbott WMM Race DrawRequires you to have completed 3+ Majors; 500 spots, the largest of any Major. Closes Aug 26, 2026
- Charity entryOpen now. Expect to raise £2,500 or more. Through late 2026
- Good for AgeUK residents only, on a qualifying time. Fastest first, not guaranteed. Opens Oct 2026
- Running club entryA small allocation held by affiliated UK clubs. Varies
- Official tour operatorGuaranteed entry bundled with travel. The priciest route. Rolling
Pro tip: The 2027 ballot has closed, so this is a decision for the 2028 ballot, which should open during 2027 race week in late April 2027. You pick one of two tiers as you enter. Standard is £79.99, charged only if you are drawn, and gives you one draw. Double Your Chances is £49.99 charged upfront and non-refundable: miss the first draw and you go into a second automatically, and if you are drawn that lower fee already covers your place. Miss both and the £49.99 goes to the London Marathon Foundation. Enter at londonmarathonevents.co.uk/ballot.
Public ballot
Anyone can enter: no qualifying time required. The 2027 ballot ran April 24 to May 1, 2026 and results went out July 9, 2026. It is closed. A record 1,338,544 people applied against a total field of 100,000 across the two days, and the ballot is only part of that. The 2028 ballot should open during 2027 race week, in late April 2027.
Abbott WMM Race Draw
London puts 500 guaranteed places into the Abbott WMM Race Draws, more than any other race, drawn August 27, 2026 with applications closing the day before. You need three to six completed Majors by the draw date and cannot have run London already. With the ballot closed, this is the best remaining odds available to anyone chasing stars.
Charity entry
The most reliable route left for 2027. Charities hold their own allocation of guaranteed places and most confirm between August 2026 and January 2027, with deadlines varying by charity. Expect a fundraising minimum around £2,500. Apply to several rather than waiting on one.
Good for Age
A separate entry route for UK residents who have run a qualifying time for their age group. Around 6,000 places, split evenly between men and women. Hitting the standard does not secure a place: entries are ranked fastest-first, so how far under the time you ran is what decides it. The qualifying window for 2027 ran October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, with applications expected to open in October 2026.
Running club entry
Affiliated running clubs receive a small number of ballot places to distribute among members, usually by their own internal draw. If you belong to a UK club it costs nothing to be in that draw, and the pool is a few hundred people rather than a million.
Official tour operator
Official international tour operators hold guaranteed places sold with hotel and transfers, at a significant premium over the entry fee. For non-UK runners with no charity or Good for Age route, it is often the only guaranteed option.
When the next ballot opens
The 2028 ballot should open during 2027 race week, in late April 2027.
If you're in, when does training start?
Results for this cycle went out July 9, 2026.
Race day is Saturday–Sunday, April 24–25, 2027. An 18-week build puts your start date at Saturday, December 19, 2026.
Common questions
Has the 2027 London Marathon ballot closed?
Yes. It ran April 24 to May 1, 2026, and results were announced July 9, 2026. Successful applicants had to confirm their place by 4:00 PM BST on July 31, 2026.
When does the 2028 London Marathon ballot open?
Expected in late April 2027, during 2027 race week. London has opened its ballot the week of the race in recent cycles.
How many people applied for the 2027 London Marathon ballot?
A record 1,338,544, against a total field of 100,000 across the two days. That caps ballot odds at 7.5% and the real figure is lower, because charity, Good for Age and club entries take a large share of the field. London does not publish the split.
Can I still get into the 2027 London Marathon?
Yes, charity places are open through late 2026, Good for Age applications open in October 2026 for UK residents, and official international tour operators sell packages that include guaranteed entry.
