The London Marathon is hosted by London Marathon Events (LME), it will be split into two days as 100,000 participants are expected to register for the event. The events will be held on 24th April and 25th April, 2027.
According to the chief executive of London Marathon Events, Hugh Brasher, this move is expected to raise more than £150 million for charities and give a boost of £400 million to the UK economy. According to Mr Brasher, this two-day event is supposed to be a one-off.
The two-day event has been nine years in the making, after the original idea was formed back in 2017 and the intention was to conduct it in 2020. The plan didn’t progress further as they failed to gain permission.
Since the event will be held across two days, people who had applied in the ballot will see their chances doubled. However, the entries closed on May 1st and no new applicants have been accepted. The ballot results will be announced in early July.
A total of 1,338,544 people applied for the 2027 marathon, breaking the record of 1,133,813 applicants for the 2026 marathon. History was made in this year’s marathon as Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe became the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race.
Hugh Brasher had this to say about the 2027 event, “The 2027 London Marathon double is our most ambitious evolution to date – a once-in-a-generation one-time-only reimagining of what a marathon and city-wide celebration of activity can be.
“By expanding to 100,000 runners across two days, we’re opening the door for more people, more charities and more communities to take part in the world’s greatest marathon. We believe that more than £150m can be raised for good causes and the UK economy will have a £400m social and economic benefit.”
“We are grateful for the vision and support of the Mayor of London, the councils on the route, the emergency services, and all the stakeholders involved who have given their support to enable this world first event to be held for London and the UK.”
The Mayor of London, Saqid Khan, said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and I am delighted that, for one year only in 2027, the world famous London Marathon will expand into a two-day event.”
