London Marathon to stage one-off two-day race in 2027
The 2027 London Marathon will test a two-day format, with ballot entrants entered for both days and a £79.99 fee as organisers chase more places and broader access.
The London Marathon is preparing to split its 2027 edition across Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April, a one-off change that would turn one of the world’s biggest races into a two-day test of capacity, access and commercial pressure. London Marathon Events says the expanded format would create a two-day celebration and increase the number of places available, a move it presents as a way to make the race more inclusive.
The ballot for the 2027 TCS London Marathon opened on Friday 24 April 2026 and closed at 16:00 BST on Friday 1 May. If the two-day format is approved, everyone who entered the ballot would be placed into both days, but each runner would still be able to run only one event. The charity ballot for 2027 has 500 entries available for eligible charities, underscoring how tightly prized places remain even as organisers look to widen access.
The pricing shows how valuable those places have become. Standard ballot entry costs £79.99, or £49.99 for entrants who choose the double your chances option and secure a place. That structure sits alongside a race that is already one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and is described by organisers as the world’s biggest annual one-day fundraising event, a label the 2027 edition would temporarily set aside for a one-off exception.
The scale of the event explains why organisers are willing to experiment. The marathon was first held on 29 March 1981, and more than 1.3 million people have taken part since then. The millionth finisher crossed the line in 2016, and the race has raised more than £1.3 billion for charity. Organisers also say the 2025 event was recognised as the No. 1 marathon brand in the world, while the 2026 race set records as the biggest and fastest edition, with 59,830 finishers and world records in both the men’s and women’s elite races.
That history has created a problem familiar to many mega-events: demand keeps rising faster than the traditional format can comfortably absorb. London Marathon Events said it is exploring the two-day plan with partners and stakeholders, and chief executive Hugh Brasher said the aim is to expand the event’s impact. The likely beneficiaries are clear enough. More amateur runners could get a place, charities could use the extra ballot slots, and sponsors would gain an extended platform. The tradeoff is equally clear: a race built around a single Sunday would become a more complex, more commercial, and more heavily managed citywide operation.
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