The 2027 London Marathon moves to a two-day format for the first time and opens space for 100,000 runners
The 2027 London Marathon will be held over two days for the first time in history, on April 24 and 25, taking one of the world’s best-known city marathons into its most ambitious organizational change since its founding. According to information confirmed by the organizers on June 19, 2026, the special edition called The Double is intended as a one-off format that would allow a record 100,000 participants to take part. Such a number represents a huge step forward compared with the race’s previous capacities and places London at the center of the debate on how major marathons can respond to the ever-growing global demand for starting places. The organizers expect that the expansion of the event will also have an exceptional charitable impact, with estimates that more than £150 million could be raised through the race for charitable causes. For runners, fans, volunteers, charities and visitors planning to come to London, the change also means a broader marathon weekend, so timely planning of travel and accommodation in London during the marathon weekend will be more important than in regular editions.
Record demand prompted the change of format
The main reason for the change of format is the exceptional interest in participation. London Marathon Events announced in May 2026 that 1,338,544 applications from the United Kingdom and the rest of the world had been received for the public ballot for the 2027 race. According to the organizers’ data, this is a new world record for entries to a marathon race and an 18 percent increase compared with the previous record of 1,133,813 applications for the 2026 edition. The organizers state that more than one million applications came from the United Kingdom, while an additional 330,450 applications came from more than 200 other countries. Among international applications, the United States, France, Ireland and Germany stood out in particular, confirming that the London race has long since gone beyond the local sporting calendar and functions as a global event for recreational and elite runners.
Although the two-day format will significantly increase the number of available places, demand will still exceed capacity many times over. According to The Guardian’s report, even with the planned 100,000 participants, the chances of individual applicants getting a place on the start line will remain below ten percent. This shows the scale of the challenge faced by the world’s biggest marathons: the popularity of running is growing, but the safety, traffic and logistical limits of city races cannot be expanded without restriction. In London, the solution has been found in a format that the organizers describe as a one-off expansion, not as a permanent change to the calendar. The results of the public ballot for 2027 should, according to an earlier announcement by London Marathon Events, be known at the beginning of July 2026.
What The Double will look like
According to confirmed information published by The Guardian, the two-day edition will include mass races on both Saturday and Sunday, with elite categories distributed across different days. The organizers announced that the elite women, elite wheelchair women, women from championship and age-group qualifying categories and a mixed mass race with approximately 50,000 participants will be held on one day. The elite men are expected to lead a similar programme on the other day, also alongside another mass race. Participants will not be able to take part in the physical race on both days, which should preserve the basic idea that this is one marathon challenge, but expanded across two separate starting days. Such a distribution should also allow greater visibility for certain elite categories, especially women’s and wheelchair races, which in the traditional one-day format share media and organizational space with a large number of other starts.
The organizational undertaking will be considerable because the London Marathon is not only a 42.195-kilometre race, but also a hours-long closure of large parts of the transport network, the activation of thousands of volunteers, security services, medical teams and charity stations. According to The Guardian, the realization of the two-day plan required the alignment of the positions of several stakeholders, including city authorities and Transport for London, because the two-day closure of parts of the city brings greater operational requirements than the usual Sunday event. Support was also expressed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who described the expansion as a unique, one-year format with the potential to create the greatest charitable moment in British sporting history. The organizers emphasize, however, that the 2027 edition is intended as an exception, after which the race should return to its traditional one-day form.
Charitable and economic impact at the center of the decision
The charitable dimension has been one of the main features of the London Marathon since its beginning, and the two-day format further increases expectations. According to a statement by Hugh Brasher, Chief Executive of London Marathon Events, the aim of the expansion is to open the door to more people, charities and communities, with an estimate that more than £150 million could be raised for good causes. The Guardian also cites the organizers’ estimate that the broader social and economic impact on the United Kingdom economy could reach £400 million. Such estimates include spending by participants and visitors, the hotel and hospitality sector, transport, sales connected with the event, as well as the wider social impact of mass involvement in physical activity and charitable fundraising.
According to London Marathon Events data on the history of the race, more than 1.3 million people have so far completed the London marathon course, and more than £1.3 billion has been raised through the event for charities. These data explain why every change of format is viewed not only through the sporting result or the number of starting places, but also through the possibility of expanding the circle of organizations that benefit directly from the race. Many charities rely on marathon places as a key channel for fundraising, and a larger number of participants could provide access to more runners who connect their appearance with a personal story, a charitable goal or support for the community. Still, the final amount of funds raised will depend on the actual number of participants, their campaigns and the capacity of charities to make use of the expanded format.
London as part of the global marathon scene
The TCS London Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, a group of the best-known and most prestigious marathons in the world. According to official information from London Marathon Events, that series includes Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York and Sydney, and the organizers of those events work together to promote marathons, elite sport and mass participation. Status within that group further increases international interest, because many runners seek to finish several races from the series and thereby achieve special recognition. The London race has a particular position in this regard because it combines elite competition, a great charitable tradition and a route that passes through recognizable urban spaces.
The growth in applications for London fits into a broader trend of increasing interest in major city marathons, especially those with a strong international reputation. According to the organizers’ data, the number of applications for the 2027 edition is more than twice the number of applications for the 2024 race, when there were 578,304. This shows how quickly the market for major recreational sporting events has changed. For many participants, a marathon is a sporting goal, a tourist reason for travel, a personal project and a charitable platform at the same time. For host cities, such interest creates an opportunity for greater international visibility and revenue, but also an obligation to organize the event without compromising the safety of participants, residents and the regular functioning of the city.
The route from Greenwich to The Mall remains one of the main assets
The official course description by London Marathon Events emphasizes that the route leads from Greenwich toward The Mall and passes through some of the most famous areas of the British capital. Participants from different start zones merge before the third mile in Woolwich, then pass through Charlton, Greenwich and Deptford, and between the sixth and seventh miles go around the historic Cutty Sark. After that, the route leads toward Rotherhithe and Bermondsey before crossing Tower Bridge, one of the most recognizable points of the race. North of the Thames, runners continue toward The Highway, Westferry, Docklands and Canary Wharf, while the final section leads via Tower Hill, Victoria Embankment, Parliament Square and Birdcage Walk to the finish on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace.
It is precisely this combination of sporting challenge, urban landscape and strong support along the course that makes London one of the most sought-after marathons. The two-day edition could further change the experience of the city during the marathon weekend because the atmosphere that was previously concentrated on one day is spreading across the entire weekend. For fans and those accompanying participants, this means more opportunities to follow the race, but also a greater need to plan movement around the city due to possible road closures and crowds. Visitors coming for the race will probably book transport and accommodation near the London marathon route earlier, especially in parts of the city with good connections to the start, fan zones and finish.
A historic step forward for the race founded in 1981
The London Marathon was first held on March 29, 1981, and according to the historical overview by London Marathon Events, it was created after Chris Brasher and John Disley, Olympic steeplechase medallists, were inspired by the New York City Marathon. The organizers at the time wanted an event that would show the best of London and at the same time provide a sense of togetherness, joy and achievement. More than 22,000 people applied for the first race, but for safety reasons far fewer participants were accepted, and 6,255 runners crossed the finish line. Since then, the marathon has grown into one of the most recognizable annual sporting events in the world, with a combination of elite performances, recreational stories and major charitable fundraising.
The announcement of the two-day format therefore also carries symbolic weight. A race that began as a mass, but still limited, city event now plans to receive 100,000 participants in one special edition. The organizers are trying to preserve the fundamental idea of accessibility and togetherness, but adapt it to a level of interest that is many times greater than the physical capacity of a traditional one-day marathon. At the same time, 2027 will be viewed as a test of how far a major urban sporting event can grow without losing its recognizable identity and without putting excessive pressure on city infrastructure. If the execution is successful, the London example could serve as an important reference for other major marathons facing a similar problem: millions want to participate, but streets, safety systems and logistics have clear limits.
What participants and visitors should follow
For registered runners, the most important immediate information remains the publication of the ballot results at the beginning of July 2026. London Marathon Events previously stated that the ballot is completely random, and in the announcement of the possible two-day format it emphasized that all registered applicants, in the event of approval, would automatically be included in both days, with the right to take part in only one physical race. After confirmation of the two-day edition, additional practical instructions are expected on which participants will be allocated to Saturday and which to Sunday, what the starting waves will look like, race number collection, rules for accompanying supporters and special information for charity teams. Since this is a one-off format, details will be especially important for international participants who must plan travel, stay and return before receiving the final schedule.
For London residents and visitors, the most important information will be about road closures, public transport and fan zones, which are usually published closer to the race date. The two-day format could bring a longer period of traffic restrictions than in a regular edition, so official instructions from city and transport authorities will be crucial for moving around the city on April 24 and 25, 2027. For the sporting world, however, it is already clear that The Double will be one of the most closely watched marathon editions in the coming season. The race will simultaneously test the limits of mass participation, charitable fundraising and the organization of a major event in one of Europe’s busiest metropolises.
Sources:
- London Marathon Events – data on the record 1,338,544 applications for the 2027 TCS London Marathon, international applications and the publication of ballot results (link)
- London Marathon Events – earlier announcement about the opening of the 2027 ballot and the exploration of a one-off two-day format (link)
- The Guardian – confirmation of the two-day format for April 24 and 25, 2027, statements by the organizers and the Mayor of London and details of the race distribution (link)
- Runner’s World – additional confirmation of The Double format, the capacity of 100,000 participants and estimates of the charitable impact (link)
- London Marathon Events – official description of the marathon course from Greenwich to The Mall and key parts of the route (link)
- London Marathon Events – history of the London Marathon, its founding in 1981 and the charitable impact of the race (link)
- London Marathon Events – official information about the Abbott World Marathon Majors and the status of the London Marathon in the series (link)