LONDON — Organisers of the London Marathon received a world record 1,338,544 global ballot applications for the 2027 race, up from 1.13 million applications for the 2026 race and more than double the total received in 2024.

Entries from the United Kingdom topped one million for the first time, reaching 1,008,091, while a further 330,450 entries came from 200 countries. The UK total represented 1.8% of the country's adult population.

"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." London Marathon CEO Hugh Brasher said.

Brasher also addressed the broader aim of the event. "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," he said.

The applications showed near parity between female and male entrants. More than 179,000 women aged 20 to 29 applied to run in the 2027 race.

Places will be allocated through a random draw, with ballot results to be announced by early July. Fewer than 20,000 people usually secure a place through the ballot.

Organisers are seeking approval by the end of the month to stage a two-day London Marathon in 2027. Such a format would create two mass participation races and nearly double the number of participants to about 100,000 people.

The 2026 London Marathon had a record 59,830 finishers and was the biggest annual one-day fundraising event in the world. The sharp rise in applications for 2027 follows that record-setting 2026 event, in which applications were already up from 2024 levels.