Determined to be part of the London Marathon party in 2026? Find out how to enter the London Marathon ballot and how fast you need to get to qualify for a Good for Age place.
For road runners, nothing creates FOMO like the build up to the London Marathon. Celebrating it’s 45th anniversary in 2025, with the world’s biggest field of runners expected to toe the start line. And with everyone from the world’s best elite runners and former Olympic champions to TV personalities and football stars set to take part. If you’re not running the London Marathon, it’s hard not to wish you were going to be there. So how can you secure your place on the start line for the 2026 London Marathon? Whether you’re an inspired would-be first timer, or an avid runner seeking Good for Age qualification. Here’s everything you need to know about getting a place in the London Marathon next year.
When does the London Marathon lottery ballot open and how do I enter?
The ballot (or lottery) for the 2026 London Marathon will open on Friday 25 April 2025, and closes one week later on Friday 2 May.
Anyone can enter the London Marathon ballot – you don’t need to have completed a marathon (or any running events) beforehand. Entry will become available via the TCS London Marathon website. However, the London Marathon ballot is vastly oversubscribed. For the 2025 race, a record-breaking 840,318 people entered the ballot. There’s usually only around 17,000 places allocated to the ballot (the rest are spread across charity, good for age and tour operators – more on that later). That means there’s only around a 2% chance of actually getting a place at the London Marathon through entering the ballot.
How UK runners can slightly improve their chances of getting a London Marathon ballot place
Those odds don’t sound great! But UK residents do have an option that could (marginally) increase their chance of getting a ballot place. At the point of entry, you can choose to donate your entry fee to the London Marathon charity. This means that whether you get a place at London or not, you’ve forfeited that money. But if you’re unsuccessful in the general ballot, you’re automatically entered into a second ballot. So you’ve got a second shot. If you still don’t get a place, you’re not left entirely empty handed – you’ll be sent a training shirt as a consolation prize. If you choose to donate your entry fee, you only pay £49.99 instead of the full £69.99.
When will I find out if I’ve got a place or not?
The ballot is drawn entirely at random, and results will usually be communicated in June or July. If you chose to donate your entry fee, your entry will already be prepaid. If you didn’t, you’ll need to pay the full entry fee (£69.99) to secure your spot.
Can I defer my entry if I get a place and then decide not to run?
Runners who get a London Marathon bib through the ballot can request to defer their entry into the following year’s event (in this case, it would be 2027) right up until 23:59 the night before the race. You’ll be contacted later in the year (usually June) to arrange your entry for the following year’s London Marathon.
The deferral of charity places are solely at the discretion of the charity, and the same goes for Tour Operator places. You can’t defer Good for Age and Championship places. The only exception is for runners who are pregnant or will be postpartum, who can defer their Good for Age or Championship place for up to 3 years without needing to run another qualifying time.
Are there other ways to enter the London Marathon? Good for Age qualification
Fast runners who can achieve a specific time aligned with their age group are eligible to apply for Good for Age bibs. This increases your chances of getting a place significantly compared to the ballot. But still isn’t a guaranteed spot on the start line.
Good for Age is only open to UK residents, with a total of 6,000 places available. These places are split 50/50 between men and women and they are allocated on a fastest first basis. That means that hitting the required time for your age group isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get a place. You can find the current qualifying times by age group below.
| London Marathon Good For Age times | ||
| Age Group | Men | Women |
| 18-39 | sub-2hrs 55 mins | sub-3hrs 40 mins |
| 40-44 | sub-3hrs | sub-3hrs 45 mins |
| 45-49 | sub-3hrs 5 mins | sub-3hrs 48 mins |
| 50-54 | sub-3hrs 10 mins | sub-3hrs 55 mins |
| 55-59 | sub-3hrs 15 mins | sub-4hrs |
| 60-64 | sub-3hrs 37 mins | sub-4hrs 25mins |
| 65-69 | sub-3hrs 55 mins | sub-4hrs 55 mins |
| 70-74 | sub-4hrs 55 mins | sub-5hrs 55 mins |
| 75-79 | sub-5hrs 10 mins | sub-6hrs 15 mins |
| 80-84 | sub-5hrs 30 mins | sub-6hrs 40 mins |
| 85-89 | sub-6hrs 10 mins | sub-7hrs 10 mins |
| 90 and over | sub-7hrs 20 mins | sub-7hrs 45 mins |
The window to run a qualifying Good for Age time for the 2026 London Marathon started on 1 October 2024 and will remain open until 30 September 2025. You have to run your qualifying time at an in-person marathon held on a certified course. You’ll need to upload proof of performance and proof of UK-residency at the point of application. It’s still worth applying via the general ballot even if you have achieved/intend to achieve a good for age time because hitting the time isn’t a guarantee of getting a place. The portal to submit your Good for Age application will open on the London Marathon website early in October 2025.
Charity places and tour operators
If a Good for Age time isn’t feasible, you can improve your chances of getting into the London Marathon by applying for a charity place. London is currently the world’s largest one-day charity fundraising event. Since its inception in 1981 the race has raised over £1.3 billion for charitable causes.
That means there are a vast number of charities you can apply to. But unsurprisingly, places are heavily oversubscribed. It’s important to choose a charity that genuinely means something to you, so you can show this passionate, personal interest on your application form. You must commit to a minimum fundraising amount, so get creative with your fundraising efforts—and get comfortable asking all your friends, family, and co-workers to donate!
Tour operators
International runners can get a guaranteed place at the London Marathon by booking with an official tour operator. These packages typically include your entry, plus a hotel and race hospitality package. That guaranteed place and VIP experience all comes at a premium though – expect to spend several thousands dollars/euros.
Stay up to date the with latest London Marathon news and stay tuned for our 2025 in-depth race preview!
