Want to run 26.2 miles in London? You’re not the only one.
The London Marathon made history on Sunday with an unprecedented surge in applications. A whopping 840,000 hopefuls have applied to participate in the 2025 edition, surpassing the previous record of 578,304 set in 2024. That’s 261,696 more runners!
“This is an absolutely phenomenal total. Furthermore, the increase in applications from women, up from around 43 percent last year to 49 percent this year, is exceptional and takes us close to parity for applications from men and women for the first time,” said Hugh Brasher, the race’s event director, As for which major marathon is the toughest.
Most applicants hail from the U.K., making up 672,631 runners, while 167,687 are international. By comparison, the 2024 New York City Marathon received a total 165,000 applications, and Tokyo typically gets around 300,000 applications from hopeful runners.
So, how many runners will actually get to embark on a multi-mile tour of the Big Smoke? If this year’s race is any indicator, just under 53,700—but that includes runners who secured spots by raising money for charity or qualified via a time standard, among other ways. The results of the 2025 ballot (i.e. lottery) will be emailed to applicants in July.
The 43rd running of the iconic race, which took place on April 21, took runners on a tour of London’s top landmarks, starting in Greenwich and crossing the finish line on The Mall, before taking in Tower Bridge, the London Eye, and Big Ben. The event, which was won by Alexander Munyao of Kenya and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, raised a record-breaking $83 million for charities, solidifying its title as the world’s single-biggest fundraising event as well.
“We work to inspire activity in people of all ages and abilities and these astonishing record-breaking numbers show how the TCS London Marathon does that and how many people want to be part of it,” said Brasher.
Want to run 26.2 miles in London? Youre not the only one? That’s up for debate.
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and A Record-Smashing 840,000 Runners Applied to Run the 2025 London Marathon and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
