The London Marathon has officially confirmed that the 2027 race will be held over two days, enabling a record 100,000 participants to take part and raise tens of millions more for charity. The event is scheduled for Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April 2027, with organisers dubbing it "the Double."
Expansion Details
Different categories of race will be held on each day under the new schedule, with mass participation races on both Saturday and Sunday. The elite women, elite female para-athletes, championship, and "good for age" women will run on one day alongside a mixed mass event with nearly 50,000 runners. The elite men will headline a similar programme on the other day, which will also include a second mass participation event.
Runners will not be allowed to take part in the in-person event on both days. Those who applied through the ballot will be notified of their entry status in early July. However, their chances of securing a place remain below 10% due to the high demand from 1.3 million applicants.
Support and Impact
The expansion was welcomed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who said: "London is the sporting capital of the world and I am delighted that, for one year only in 2027, the world famous TCS London Marathon will expand into a two-day event."
London Marathon chief executive Hugh Brasher described the move as "our most ambitious evolution to date – a once-in-a-generation one-time-only reimagining of what a marathon and city-wide celebration of activity can be." He added: "By expanding to 100,000 runners across two days, we’re opening the door for more people, more charities and more communities to take part in the world’s greatest marathon. We believe that more than £150m can be raised for good causes and the UK economy will have a £400m social and economic benefit."
Background
The Guardian exclusively revealed in March that advanced talks were underway for the two-day event, which required early backing from the London mayor's office. It took longer than expected to secure support from all stakeholders, including Transport for London, which had reservations about shutting down the capital for two consecutive days. However, the potential to create the biggest marathon in history and raise a record £150m for charity proved compelling.
