Record 1,338,544 Ballot Entries for 2027 London Marathon

A record 1,338,544 people from around the world have entered the public ballot for the 2027 London Marathon, organizers announced Tuesday, eclipsing the previous high of 1,133,813 applications for last year's race by 18 percent.

The surge reflects the event's growing appeal, with 1,008,091 applications from the United Kingdom, equivalent to 1.8 percent of the country's adult population, and 330,450 from more than 200 other nations, including nearly 100,000 from the United States. Organizers noted near gender parity among entrants, at roughly 50 percent male and 50 percent female, with 0.58 percent identifying as nonbinary. The largest group of UK applicants consisted of women aged 20 to 29, totaling more than 179,000 entries. Places will be allocated through a random draw, with results expected in early July. Typically, fewer than 20,000 spots are available via the ballot for the April 25 event.

Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, hailed the figures in a statement. "This astonishing total of applicants firmly establishes London as the world's most sought-after marathon," he said. "Nothing else comes close. Our mission is to inspire people of every age and...