London Marathon charity places for 2026

Here's how to enter the TCS London Marathon:

Ballot entry

The ballot for the 2026 TCS London Marathon opened on Friday 25 April 2025 and closes on Friday 2 May 2025.

The results of the 2026 ballot will be emailed to all entrants by early July.

The London Marathon operates a 'ballot' to allocate places as there are far more people wanting to run than there are places available. Basically this means that you put your name in a 'hat' and if you're lucky, you get a place.

The number of ballot places available varies each year but given that a staggering 840,318 people entered the ballot for the 2025 London Marathon, the chances of securing a place in the ballot are not great. Our advice is to enter the ballot as Plan A on the basis that 'you have to be in it to win it' and then start work on Plan B which is to apply for a charity place.

Each year you have the opportunity to try your luck in the ballot.

Runners who have entered the ballot may also apply for a charity place. If you find you are successful in the ballot your charity place will be passed to someone else. If you would like to avoid the stress of the ballot you can apply for a charity place instead.

Charity place

Securing a charity place involves applying to one of the charities which has purchased places in the event.

Your application may be accepted straight away or the charity may select runners with the highest fundraising potential based on your connection with the cause. If your application is accepted, you will pay a registration fee (usually in the region of £50-£150). You will be required to fundraise for that charity or make a donation (usually in the region of £1750 to £3000).

Club entry

An option for members of running clubs could be to secure a place through their club. Clubs associated with British Athletics may be allocated one or more guaranteed entries based on the number of first-claim members at the club.

Please contact your club to check eligibility.

Good For Age entry

Applications will open by the end of July and to apply for a Good For Age place, you need to achieve the relevant qualifying time during the qualifying period.

There are up to 6,000 places available each year for faster runners that meet certain qualifying criteria. In 2024 this meant that an 18-39 year old male had to have a qualifying marathon time of sub 2:55. Further details are on the London Marathon website.

International ballot

A carbon offset levy is applied to international ballot entries, which is the reason the entry fee is more expensive than for UK runners.

Other types of entry

• Championship entry
• Participants with disabilities
• Guinness World Records
  
  

Running Show

The TCS London Marathon Running Show takes place in the days leading up to Marathon Day, commencing Wednesday and ending Saturday.

The Running Show is where participants must go prior to Marathon Day to collect their all-important event pack, which includes their running number.

The event also gives people the chance to find out all the key information for Marathon Day, learn more about the TCS London Marathon and listen to guest speakers including some of the athletes competing for victory at this year’s event. There are also opportunities to shop and book a massage ahead of the big day.

You'll be able to pick up a wealth of information and advice to help you prepare for your 26.2-mile adventure.

You'll also be able to browse and buy running accessories and souvenirs from more than 100 exhibitors from the health and fitness industry – everything from retro headbands and the latest GPS devices to an exclusive range of TCS London Marathon products.

Expert speakers

You can pick up a wealth of marathon-related information and advice from a packed line-up of speakers including elite runners, celebrity guests and industry experts.

Event HQ

Excel London
London
Greater London
E16 1XL
UK

The closest station to the TCS London Marathon Running Show is Custom House DLR.

GPX route

The route is displayed on the map above.

The classic point-to-point London Marathon route has remained largely unchanged since the inaugural race in 1981 and encompasses many of the capital’s most mesmerising landmarks, old and new, from Blackheath past Buckingham Palace to The Mall.

Map

Route history

Your 26.2-mile challenge begins at one of the three Start Lines – Blue, Green or Red – near Blackheath in Greenwich.

Greenwich became the centre of world time in 1884, when the Meridian Line in Greenwich Park was chosen as the world clock’s neutral point from which all time zones are measured from.

More than a century later, the world watches every year as thousands of runners begin their race against the clock from the centre of the Earth.

The start: Blackheath

A klaxon sound rings out to start the journey!

Mile 6: Cutty Sark

Soak up the roar of the crowd!

Now synonymous with the London Marathon, Cutty Sark had a previous life as a clipper ship transporting alcohol and tea between the UK and China.

The ship was moved to a dry dock in Greenwich in 1954 and despite a devastating fire in May 2007, it was restored to its former glory. The atmosphere around Cutty Sark is electric on Marathon Day, as it is one of the most popular sections of the course for spectators.

Mile 12: The Shard

Standing at 309.6 metres (1,016 feet) high, the Shard is the tallest building in the UK, the fifth-tallest building in Europe and the newest landmark on the London Marathon route.

Officially opened in February 2013, runners in the London Marathon have been able to see the Shard from Tower Bridge since the glass-clad pyramidal tower started appearing on the skyline in 2010.

Mile 12: Tower Bridge

Perhaps the most famous landmark on the route, Tower Bridge provides an unbeatable backdrop, showcasing the capital in all its splendour.

Built between 1886 and 1894, the bridge offers millions of viewers from around the world an amazing view of you and thousands of other runners crossing the River Thames from south to north just before the halfway point in the marathon.

Mile 20: The Wall

Overcome the 'Wall' like a hero!

Mile 25.2: The final mile

Embrace the final mile then experience the glory as you head down The Mall to the finish line!

London Marathons Events inspires and delivers innovation in mass participation event sustainability. The Green Line below show some of the key initiatives put in place for the London Marathon:

Official app

Participants can use the Official London Marathon app to gain access to event day and race week information. Spectators can use it to find and track runners during the race, keep track of split times, view results and more - all via the mobile app.

Extras for charity runners

Charity runners receive a wealth of extra training and fundraising support from their charities. See the fundraising section for more details.

The TCS London Marathon is the largest annual fundraising event in the world! Since 1981 when it began, participants have raised more than £1.3 billion for good causes.

Every year thousands of runners take part in this event and fundraise for charity. While this is hugely beneficial to the charities it gives the runner advantages too, from supporting a cause that is close to your heart to securing a place in this highly sought-after event.

Benefits of running for charity

Committing to raising money for charity gives you motivation to get outside and run, plus all of these extras which will elevate your event experience:

• Fundraising support

  Charities know that raising money is all part of the challenge, which is why they provide advice, branded materials and a personalised online fundraising page to help the donations roll in, particularly when the minimum requirement is high. Think videos for social media, branded imagery and testimonials from previous runners.

• Training support

  Whether this is your first run or your fifth, you'll need to train for it! You'll receive an in-depth training plan with guidance, plus many charities have access to expert coaches and elite runners too, who can provide exclusive tips for your race preparation. Experts include Runningwithus, Full Potential and five-time Olympian Jo Pavey!

• Branded running kit

  When you show up on the day, people need to be able to see clearly that you're supporting a charity. Most charities will give you a branded and personalised t-shirt or vest to run in on the big day, and often a training top too.

• Support on the day

  When you're partway through your run and your energy is flagging, what you need is a boost from cheering spectators to keep you moving. Many charities set up a cheer station along the route, keeping an eye out for you to send up a huge cheer as you run past!

• Post-race recovery

  Many charities will provide refreshments and a post-race sports massage for their runners, particularly at larger events. This is the perfect way to recover alongside other people who have run for that cause.

• Exclusive social groups

  You won't be the only person running for that charity, so it's well worth meeting other runners through the charity's invite-only social media pages! You can organise to meet up for training runs, chat with the charity's expert coaches and share tips and stories with each other to keep the motivation levels running high.

charity places

Securing a charity place involves applying to one of the charities which have purchased places in the event. Your application may be accepted straight away or the charity may select runners with the highest fundraising potential based on your connection with the cause. If your application is accepted, you will pay a registration fee (usually in the region of £50-£150). You will be required to fundraise for that charity (usually in the region of £1750 to £3000).

Runners who have entered the ballot may also apply for a charity place. If you find you are successful in the ballot your charity place will be passed to someone else. If you would like to avoid the stress of the ballot and guarantee yourself a place in the event you can secure a charity place instead.

Running the London Marathon and charity fundraising go hand-in-hand - which charity will you run for?

The most amazing race I've ever done, just because it's the LONDON MARATHON!!! Atmosphere is amazing, support is amazing. Adele V

What can you say?! Such an iconic event! The atmosphere was electric, like goosebumps territory! So well supported and the event organisation was fantastic. For some, the atmosphere is perhaps too busy, you may find it overwhelming but I loved it! David B

Wow oh wow. 2nd time in ten years. Smashed my marathon pb by 24 mins. Despite the the rain. The crowds are amazing. I can't fault this event. My only minor dislike is the lorry bag. The strings can dig into if your carrying the bag with a bit of weight. But that's me being fuss... Rob G

The best race I have ever done!!! Running past the iconic landmarks of London that I have watched in the television so many times was absolutely amazing!!! If you ever have the chance then you absolutely have to do this race!!! Emma D

Reviews thanks to RaceCheck