Have you entered the 2026 London Marathon ballot?

Training for the London Marathon can be tough. You’ve got your long runs, speed sessions, recovery runs and strength and conditioning work – and then you’ve got to keep on top of your hydration, nutrition, stretching and sleep as well.

But do you know what’s even tougher? That’s right – getting a place in the London Marathon in the first place. Arguably the most popular 26.2-mile race on the planet, which, in 2025, is also set to have the most finishers of any marathon, ever, anywhere, the London Marathon is a target race for thousands of runners around the world.

A main point of entry into the London Marathon is the annual ballot – and the next one, for 2026, opened before the 2025 event even took place.

Specifically, the ballot for the 2026 London Marathon opened on Friday 25 April 2025 and will close on Friday 2 May 2025, which means that you have only one more day to put your name in the metaphorical hat.

That said, without meaning to put a downer on things, your chance of securing a ballot place in the London Marathon is slim – as in, extremely slim. A whopping 840,318 people – a world record-breaking figure – entered the ballot for a spot in the 2025 London Marathon and, each year, approximately 17,000 participants are offered a ballot place, which means that hopefuls have a tiny 2% chance of succeeding.

It’s also worth remembering that the winners of the ballot are drawn at random, so everyone who enters has an equal chance of securing a place. Plus, if luck is on your side, your ballot place will only be secured if you pay your entry fee of £69.99 (for UK residents) by a specified deadline – so try not to celebrate your success until you’ve ticked off all the admin. It is likely that the results of the 2026 London Marathon ballot will be announced next June.

To improve your chances in the ballot, you can also choose to donate your entry fee to the London Marathon Foundation – which funds sports-related projects and initiatives across the UK – when you enter. Then, if you get a place, your entry fee will be reduced from £69.99 to £49.99. If you’re unlucky, you’ll be automatically entered into a second ballot, doubling your chance of getting a pre-paid spot. Still unsuccessful? You’ll receive a London Marathon running top and the good karma of having donated to charity.