London Marathon Sets 2027 Participation Record With 1.8% UK Adult Applications

The London Marathon has set new participation records for 2027 after organisers announced that 1.8% of the UK adult population—more than one million people—applied to run next year’s race.

Organisers said they received 1,008,091 entries from the UK and another 330,450 entries from 200 countries, with ballot results due to be announced by early July.

BBC

The Guardian reported a world record 1,338,544 global applications for the 2027 London Marathon, up from 1.13m for this year’s race and more than double the amount they received in 2024.

London Marathon CEO Hugh Brasher welcomed the figures, saying: "This astonishing total of more than 1.33 million ballot applicants firmly establishes London as the world’s most sought‑after marathon."

Organisers said they are hoping to get the go-ahead by the end of the month to stage a two-day London Marathon in 2027, which would mean two mass participation races and nearly double the number of people running to about 100,000 people.

Secret London said the last day to enter the London Marathon 2027 lottery is May 1, 2026, and it urged readers to register before registration closes on May 1, 2026.

The local outlet described the 42.195-kilometer race as running through London, with the course starting at Blackheath, passing the Cutty Sark, crossing Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf, and finishing on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.

BBC

Secret London said registrations will be drawn by lottery and results will be announced this summer, with registered entrants receiving an email indicating the result in early July.

It also stated that if the marathon becomes a two-day event, lottery participants will be registered for both the Saturday and Sunday events.

The piece framed the registration window as a limited opportunity, noting that registrations for the 2027 TCS London Marathon are open but "they won't stay open for long."

The Sports Examiner reported that the International Olympic Committee put its esports plans on hold, with IOC President Kirsty Coventry confirming at Thursday’s news conference that the IOC’s Esports Commission is on hold.

Coventry said, "Esports is sitting under my Executive Office," and added: "But for now we are focusing in on our core business and trying to make strong future strategies for the core business first."

The same report said the IOC announced an expanded Olympic qualifier series for multiple sports in 2028, called the "Olympic Q-Series," with four stops scheduled for 04-07 May in Tokyo, 11-14 May in Shanghai, 01-04 June in Montreal, and 08-11 June in Orlando, Florida.

The Sports Examiner also said an "Olympic Esports Games" had been approved by the IOC Session in 2024 in cooperation with the Saudi National Olympic Committee, but the agreement with the Saudis was cancelled by mutual agreement in 2025.

Separately, the report noted that the IOC membership terms of World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and Canadian Olympic Committee President Tricia Smith have been recommended to be extended as allowed by the rules once a member reaches 70 years old.