The London Marathon has received a record 1.1 million applications for the 2026 event, far more than 840,318 from last year’s ballot, race organizers announced on Saturday.
The news comes less than a week after Tigst Assefa broke the women’s-only world record at last Sunday’s London Marathon in 2:15:50, while Sabastian Sawe dominated the men’s race in an impressive 2:02:27 finish.
“This is an absolutely staggering total which reaffirms London as by far the most popular marathon on the planet,” Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events said in a statement. “Marathon Day is always an extraordinary and inspirational day when we celebrate the very best of humanity. The unique camaraderie of the event and the amazing support from the huge crowds show London at its best and this year was the best yet.”
For next years race, on April 26, the 1,133,813 application is a staggering increase over 2025 with 870,000 submissions from the United Kingdom and 264,000 international ballots.
“The 2025 TCS London Marathon was a day of records – the most popular marathon in the world became the biggest marathon in the world with 56,640 finishers crossing the iconic Finish Line on The Mall,” Brasher said. “Breaking the Guinness World Records title for the largest number of finishers in a marathon, in our 45th edition, was a truly astonishing achievement.”
Last Sunday’s race surpassed the then-record 55,646 finishers from the 2024 New York City Marathon. The Paris Marathon in April had 56,950 starters but less finishers so it did not qualify for a world record.
