Less than 5% of the world record-breaking 1,133,813 people from the UK and around the world who expressed their intention to run the 2026 TCS London Marathon were successful. The public ballot results are in and the lucky participants have been notified by email. Like the National Lottery, the TCS London Marathon Ballot draw is completely random.

The previous world-record total of 840,318 applications was set in 2024 by applicants for the 2025 TCS London Marathon, which itself broke the Guinness World Record for the largest number of finishers in a marathon when 56,640 people crossed the finish line on The Mall.

According to London Marathon Events, UK applicants include 433,775 men (49.87%) and 430,983 women (49.55%). The breakdown of runners accepted also includes 6,000 places for runners who have achieved a "Good For Age" time, with 3,000 for men and 3,000 for women. A further 1,000 places have been reserved for Championship runners (500 men, 500 women).

If you are among the 95% people who were unlucky in the public ballot, all is not lost. Many charities have entries available for the 2026 TCS London Marathon – including Charity of the Year, Marie Curie – and allocate places to people who commit to raising funds for their cause. Learn more about taking part for charity here.

The 2026 TCS London Marathon MyWay offers participants the chance to run the TCS London Marathon in their own way, on a course of their choice, anywhere in the world. Participants have 24 hours to complete 26.2 miles between 00:00 and 23:59:59 BST on Sunday, 26 April. For more information, visit the event webpage here.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon, said: “The 2025 TCS London Marathon was a truly inspiring day. We celebrated the 45th London Marathon in style – not only breaking records for the largest number of finishers in a marathon but inspiring more than 1.1 million people to apply to join us next year."

Those who have been successful can start planning to take on the TCS London Marathon course from Greenwich to Westminster on Sunday, 26 April 2026. Coopah, the TCS London Marathon’s Official Training App Partner, can support participants’ journeys to the start line in April with personalised training plans. For more information, visit Coopah's website.

The stage is set for another record TCS London Marathon – good luck to all the runners.

London Marathon details, results, and reports at runABC South here.

Image courtesy TCS London Marathon