London Marathon 2026: Over a Million Apply, Ballot Results Now Live

It’s that time again. The London Marathon 2026 ballot results dropped today, and with over 1.13 million hopefuls throwing their name in the hat, chances were always going to be slim.

Just 15,000 to 20,000 runners secured a place through the ballot, meaning more than a million received the dreaded "sorry" email this morning. That’s less than a 2% success rate, so if you got in, take a moment and celebrate. Seriously. You beat the odds.

If you entered, check your inbox (and spam folder). Still nothing? Give it until Monday 23 June before contacting the London Marathon help desk.

Missed out? You’re not alone, and it’s not the end of the road. Here are your next best options:

• Charity place – still the most common route in
• Good For Age – if you’ve got the qualifying time
• Virtual marathon – same day, your route, official medal
• Volunteer – get involved and soak up the atmosphere
• Other spring races – think Brighton, Newport, Manchester…

If you donated your entry fee and didn’t get a spot, you’ll be sent a premium winter running top as a thank you, and your money will go to the London Marathon Foundation’s charity work.

For those who did make it through: confirm and pay (£79.99 for UK runners, £225 for international) by Thursday 10 July. Then it’s on. Ten months to go until one of the biggest, loudest, and most iconic days on the global running calendar.

As London Marathon Events CEO Hugh Brasher put it:

“This is an absolutely staggering total which reaffirms London as by far the most popular marathon on the planet.”

And he’s not wrong.