London Marathon to become a two-day one-off event in 2027

It follows a record-breaking 2026 London Marathon

The 2026 London Marathon saw the world record for the fastest 42.4km run under official conditions broken not once, but twice. Stars like Cynthia Erivo, Tilly Ramsay, and even Daddy Pig took part (the Wicked actor had an especially impressive finish time).So perhaps it’s no wonder that more people than ever wanted to join the next one. The event’s organisers shared that 1.33 million people applied for the 2027 London Marathon (woah). Previously, The Guardian reported that organisers were in talks about “The Double”, a two-day event, to add capacity. Now, the TCS London Marathon has confirmed that this will go ahead next year. Why will the London Marathon become a two-day event? “By extending the event across two days, the Double creates more opportunities than ever” to be a part of the event, the announcement reads.“The Double will also create the largest fundraising moment in UK sport. Already the world’s largest one-day annual fundraising event, with more than £90 million raised to date for charity by 2026 participants, this two-day marathon will give more charities more opportunities to raise vital funds. ” They added that the change will “further elevate the global impact” of the event.When will the London Marathon 2027 take place? It’ll run on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April 2027. When will the elite men’s, women’s, para-athletes, and ‘good for age’ runners run in the 2027 London Marathon?Usually, the elite men’s, women’s, para-athletes, and ‘good for age’ runners have different start times to the rest of us. (Fun fact: that mean women’s elite runner Tigst Assefa, who beat her own previous world record this year, finished an entire marathon before the last wave of non-elite runners had even started the race). So will they run on different days to one another in the 2027 event? Basically, yes, the London Marathon has said.“The elite women,  elite female para-athletes, championship and ‘good for age’ women will lead the mass event one day, with the elite men, elite male para-athletes, championship and ‘good for age’ men leading the mass event the other.  All format details will be confirmed in the coming months,” their site reads.Will all London Marathons last two days going forward? TCS London Marathon described 2027′s plans as a “one-off format change”.Where will the 2027 London Marathon take place? On both days, runners can expect to follow the “same iconic route, from Greenwich to Westminster.” Do I need to reapply to the 2027 London Marathon now it’s changed?No. Everyone who’s already applied willl be “entered into a ballot for both the Saturday and Sunday” races, though you can only run the TCS London Marathon on one day.Related...From Cynthia Erivo To Daddy Pig: All London Marathon's 2026 Celeb Finish TimesMarathon Motivated? Here's How To Choose The Best Running ShoesGP Reveals What Happens To Your Body After Running A Marathon

More than 1.3million running-hopefuls registered for next years marathons will be entered into a ballot for the Saturday and Sunday races - with the results announced in July.

The London Marathon will take place over two days as a one-off occurrence in 2027 with men’s, women’s and elite events spread across the weekend. The 2026 edition was the site of multiple milestones, including Sabastian Sawe’s world record one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds in a race where both the Kenyan and Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia broke the two-hour barrier for the first time in history.

The London Marathon will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April next year

The London Marathon will be held across two days in a special one-off edition of the event in 2027, organisers have confirmed.