London Marathon sets record after 1.8% of UK adult population applies for 2027 race

The London Marathon has broken another record after organisers announced that more than one million people in the United Kingdom have applied to run in the 2027 race.

This means that around 1.8 percent of the UK adult population has submitted a registration for next year's marathon.

The total number of global applications reached 1,338,544, which is a new world record for any marathon event.

The participation numbers have grown quickly in recent years.

Last year, around 1.13 million people applied for the race.

That figure has now increased by more than 200,000 applications.

Compared to 2024, the number of registrations has more than doubled.

These numbers show that running has become extremely popular across the world.

Hugh Brasher, the CEO of the London Marathon, welcomed the record figures.

He said that the total of more than 1.33 million applicants makes London the most popular marathon in the world.

He added that nothing else comes close to these numbers.

According to Brasher, the marathon's mission is to inspire people of every age and ability to become active.

The event organisation team reported that 1,008,091 entries came from the UK alone.

This is the first time that UK registrations have passed the one million mark.

An additional 330,450 applications were received from 200 countries around the world.

There was nearly equal participation between men and women, which shows that running appeals to everyone.

Interestingly, the largest group of applicants was women aged 20 to 29.

More than 179,000 young women in that age group applied for the marathon.

This trend reflects the growing popularity of running among younger generations.

Ballot results will be announced by early July, and places will be allocated through a random draw.

However, most applicants are likely to be disappointed because fewer than 20,000 people usually receive a place through the ballot.