The London Marathon is set to break new ground in 2027, expanding into a two-day event for the first time and accommodating a record 100,000 runners over the weekend of April 24–25. This temporary change in format is in response to an overwhelming demand, as over 1.3 million hopefuls entered the public ballot. Despite this increase, the likelihood of securing a spot remains under 10%, highlighting the event’s immense popularity.
The organizers anticipate that the expanded marathon will generate more than £150 million for charity, potentially making it the largest fundraising event in the history of UK sports. Additionally, the marathon is expected to bring around £400 million in social and economic benefits, underscoring its significant impact beyond the running community.
The weekend will be structured with the elite women’s race, elite female para-athletes, championship, and “Good for Age” women’s races scheduled for one of the days, alongside a mass participation event with almost 50,000 runners. The elite men’s race will headline the following day, which will also feature another large-scale mass participation race. This means that participants will have the opportunity to compete only on one of the two days, ensuring a broad distribution of runners across the events.
Ballot results for this special edition of the marathon are expected to be announced in early July, giving participants ample time to prepare. The two-day marathon is confirmed as a one-off celebration, with future editions anticipated to revert to the traditional single-day format, preserving the unique character of this iconic sporting event while acknowledging the extraordinary interest it continues to generate.