When does the TCS London Marathon ballot open?

The ballot for the 2027 race opened on 27 Apr 2026 and closed on 2 May 2026. Dates for the 2028 ballot haven't been announced yet.

What are my chances in the TCS London Marathon ballot?

1,338,544 people applied in the ballot for the 2027 race. The number of ballot places wasn't published, so we can't give the odds.

Can I get into the TCS London Marathon without the ballot?

Yes. Besides the ballot there are 5 other ways in. Qualifying time: Good For Age: UK residents only; applications open until 16:00 GMT on 29 October; meeting the time does not guarantee a place; places allocated fastest first within age category. Club membership: Must be a registered member of a UK athletics body (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland). Charity place: The largest charity programme of any major. Tour operator package: International travel partners with guaranteed entries. Other: Unsuccessful UK residents may be offered a Good For Age place if applied with a marathon time only.

Can I get into the TCS London Marathon with a qualifying time?

Yes. The organizer publishes 44 qualifying standards by age and gender; Medal lists them all with their source.

How to get into the TCS London Marathon 2027.

All 6 ways into the TCS London Marathon in London, with the ballot dates and the published ballot odds.

Race details Official site

Ways in

There are 6 ways into the TCS London Marathon, each with what it involves and, where we have it, the organizer's own detail.

01
Ballot
Apply while the ballot is open. Places are then drawn at random from everyone who applied, and those drawn are invited to pay the entry fee.
At this race: Ballot results for 2027 Double TCS London Marathon were sent on Thursday 9 July. Ballot place holders who qualify for Championship can switch.
02
Qualifying time
Run a time under the race's standard for your age and gender within the qualifying window, then apply with proof. At popular races, meeting the time doesn't always guarantee a place.
At this race: Good For Age: UK residents only; applications open until 16:00 GMT on 29 October; meeting the time does not guarantee a place; places allocated fastest first within age category.
03
Club membership
Places set aside for members of a club or running organization, sometimes for completing a set number of its races.
At this race: Must be a registered member of a UK athletics body (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland).
04
Charity place
Take a place from a partner charity and commit to raising a minimum amount for it. Charities usually ask you to apply and choose their runners.
At this race: The largest charity programme of any major.
05
Tour operator package
Buy a travel package (usually hotel plus race entry) from an official tour operator. It costs more than entering yourself, but the place is guaranteed.
At this race: International travel partners with guaranteed entries.
06
Other
Another route the organizer offers.
At this race: Unsuccessful UK residents may be offered a Good For Age place if applied with a marathon time only.

Ballot dates

The ballot for the 2027 race, as the organizer announced it.

Ballot opens
27 Apr 2026
Ballot closes
2 May 2026
Draw
TBA
Results
TBA

Ballot odds

Applicants and ballot places as the organizer or the press published them. The chance is worked out only where both numbers were published for the same year; ballot places are those drawn in the ballot, not the whole field.

Race year	Applicants	Ballot places	Chance	Source
2027	1,338,544	—	—	londonmarathonevents.co.uk UK 1,008,091 and international 330,450.
2026	1,133,813	—	—	londonmarathonevents.co.uk UK 869,803 and international 264,011.
2025	840,318	—	—	londonmarathonevents.co.uk UK 672,631 and international 167,687.
2024	578,374	—	—	londonmarathonevents.co.uk UK 457,105 and international 121,269. Later organiser releases give 578,304.
2023	410,000	—	—	londonmarathonevents.co.uk Stated as more than 410,000.
2020	457,861	—	—	runabc.co.uk UK 373,736 and international 84,125.
2019	414,168	—	—	runabc.co.uk UK and international ballots together. Cited as the previous record in the 2020 report.

Good for Age and qualifying

Good For Age: UK residents only; applications open until 16:00 GMT on 29 October; meeting the time does not guarantee a place; places allocated fastest first within age category.

The organizer publishes 44 standards by age and gender. Check yours against your best time, and the window it must have been run in.

TCS London Marathon qualifying times

Charity places and tours

Both are guaranteed places. A charity place asks you to raise a minimum amount; a tour package bundles entry with travel and a hotel.

Charity places

No charity places listed yet.

We're gathering them from organizers. Until then, the official site lists its charity partners.

Tour operators

TCS London Marathon MyWay
London Marathon with TCS London Marathon MyWay
Entry included

FAQ

When does the TCS London Marathon ballot open?: The ballot for the 2027 race opened on 27 Apr 2026 and closed on 2 May 2026. Dates for the 2028 ballot haven't been announced yet.
What are my chances in the TCS London Marathon ballot?: 1,338,544 people applied in the ballot for the 2027 race. The number of ballot places wasn't published, so we can't give the odds.
Can I get into the TCS London Marathon without the ballot?: Yes. Besides the ballot there are 5 other ways in. Qualifying time: Good For Age: UK residents only; applications open until 16:00 GMT on 29 October; meeting the time does not guarantee a place; places allocated fastest first within age category. Club membership: Must be a registered member of a UK athletics body (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland). Charity place: The largest charity programme of any major. Tour operator package: International travel partners with guaranteed entries. Other: Unsuccessful UK residents may be offered a Good For Age place if applied with a marathon time only.
Can I get into the TCS London Marathon with a qualifying time?: Yes. The organizer publishes 44 qualifying standards by age and gender; Medal lists them all with their source.

Looking for other ballots? See every ballot opening soon.