london marathon 2027 is shaping up as more than a ballot race: organisers are weighing a one-off two-day format that could change who gets to run, how the event is staged, and how much value it delivers beyond the finish line. The idea is bold, but the scale is carefully framed. Organisers say the plan could raise more than £130m for good causes and generate £400m in social and economic benefits, while also giving around 100, 000 people a place on the start line.
London marathon 2027 ballot opens as demand stays intense
The ballot for london marathon 2027 opened at 9am on Friday, April 24 and closes next Friday, May 1, at 4pm. Entry is free, but successful applicants will have to pay an entry fee. The results are due by early July. The race is scheduled for Sunday 25 April, 2027, although permission has been sought for a one-off two-day format across Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April.
That ballot sits inside a larger reality: interest remains exceptionally high, with more than a million people applying for a place at this year’s race. The 2026 marathon is expected to have more than 59, 000 people on the start line, but the proposed expansion would push participation far beyond that level. In practical terms, london marathon 2027 is not just another annual edition; it is being treated as a test of how far the event can stretch without losing what organisers describe as its identity.
Why organisers see a two-day format as a one-off solution
Hugh Brasher, the event director, said one of the two days would focus on faster women, with the women’s elite race, women’s championship runners, good-for-age runners and a mixed mass participation race all taking place. The other day would focus more on the men’s races while also including a second mass participation race for men and women.
That structure is designed to do two things at once: widen access and preserve elite competition. Organisers believe around 100, 000 people could take part, nearly double the number running on Sunday. But they have also stressed that the 2027 version would be a one-off “double, ” not a permanent redesign. Brasher warned that the marathon has spent 45 years building a place of affection in both sport and the city, and that any expansion has to avoid eroding that relationship.
The tension is clear. On one side is scale: more entrants, more visibility and a much larger charitable return. On the other is restraint: the fear that turning a single iconic day into a larger machine could weaken the emotional pull that has defined the event for decades. That is why the proposal is being presented not as a new normal, but as an exception.
Economic and charitable impact could redefine the event’s value
Organisers say the proposed format could raise more than £130m for good causes. They also believe it could deliver £400m in social and economic benefit to the country, based on research done at Sheffield Hallam University. Those figures matter because they shift the conversation beyond sport. london marathon 2027 is being discussed as a public-value event, not only a race.
This matters now because the scale of the ballot and the possible two-day setup point to a demand problem that is also an opportunity. The marathon’s appeal is so large that even a major expansion would still leave many applicants without a place. Yet the social case for widening participation appears to be driving the current thinking. The question is not simply how to manage more runners, but how to do so in a way that preserves trust, generosity and public support.
Consultation, coverage and the broader risk of losing momentum
Brasher said talks had already taken place with the to ensure both days would receive significant coverage, and further consultations were due this week and next. Any sign-off depends on a wide range of bodies, including the police, the fire service, ambulances, the boroughs, Transport for London, the mayor and private landowners.
That list shows how complex a two-day race would be in a city that already treats the marathon as a major operational undertaking. It also underlines the stakes for london marathon 2027: the plan could create a larger national moment, but only if the logistics, safety and civic coordination hold. The organisers themselves have framed the project as something “absolutely amazing, ” yet they have also been explicit that they do not want to “lose the love” attached to the event.
For runners, charities and London itself, the next few consultations will decide whether the ballot opens the door to a historic experiment or remains tied to a single Sunday. If the answer is yes, will london marathon 2027 be remembered as the year the race grew bigger without shrinking its appeal?
