The Double: two race days
The organiser calls the 2027 race the Double: about 45,000 runners on Saturday and 55,000 on Sunday, on the same course. You do not choose your day. Ballot places were drawn at random across both days, deferred 2026 entries go to Sunday, and nobody can run both days. The elite and Good for Age fields are split by sex: men race on Saturday, women on Sunday. The mass field is not split.
Details are in the Double FAQs on the official site.
Ballot and entry fees
The 2027 public ballot drew a world record 1,338,544 applications, including 330,450 from outside the UK. Results went out on July 9, 2026, and places had to be confirmed by July 31.
| Place | Fee |
|---|---|
| UK ballot place | £79.99 |
| UK ballot place with the double-your-chances option | £49.99 |
| International ballot place | £275, including a carbon offset fee |
Other ways in for 2027
| Route | Terms |
|---|---|
| Charity place | Apply to a charity with places; each sets its own fundraising pledge. Open to UK and international runners |
| Tour operator | Guaranteed entry in a travel package from an official operator in your region. Sports Tours International is the official overseas operator |
| Good for Age | UK residents only, 6,000 places, fastest first by age. Qualifying window October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026; apply by 4 p.m. on October 29, 2026. Ages 18 to 39: under 2:52 for men, under 3:38 for women |
The course: Greenwich to The Mall
The race starts in Greenwich, crosses Tower Bridge around halfway and finishes on The Mall by Buckingham Palace. In 2026 a record 59,830 runners finished. The course is flat and fast, and the crowds are thick along most of it, which makes it easy to go out too fast in the first kilometers.
When to start training
Hal Higdon's 18-week plan for a first marathon starts onMonday, December 21, 2026. It assumes you already run four times a week. You can start earlier too: Pacero builds a plan from your current fitness to April 25, 2027.
Show the week-by-week plan
| Week | Starts | Weekday runs, km | Long run | Total, km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 21 | 4.8, 4.8, 4.8 | 9.7 km | 24.1 |
| 2 | December 28 | 4.8, 4.8, 4.8 | 11.3 km | 25.7 |
| 3cutback | January 4 | 4.8, 6.4, 4.8 | 8.1 km | 24.1 |
| 4 | January 11 | 4.8, 6.4, 4.8 | 14.5 km | 30.5 |
| 5 | January 18 | 4.8, 8.1, 4.8 | 16.1 km | 33.8 |
| 6cutback | January 25 | 4.8, 8.1, 4.8 | 11.3 km | 29 |
| 7 | February 1 | 4.8, 9.7, 4.8 | 19.3 km | 38.6 |
| 8 | February 8 | 4.8, 9.7, 4.8 | race: half marathon | 19.3 + race |
| 9 | February 15 | 4.8, 11.3, 6.4 | 16.1 km | 38.6 |
| 10 | February 22 | 4.8, 11.3, 6.4 | 24.1 km | 46.6 |
| 11 | March 1 | 6.4, 12.9, 6.4 | 25.7 km | 51.4 |
| 12cutback | March 8 | 6.4, 12.9, 8.1 | 19.3 km | 46.7 |
| 13 | March 15 | 6.4, 14.5, 8.1 | 29 km | 58 |
| 14cutback | March 22 | 8.1, 14.5, 8.1 | 22.5 km | 53.2 |
| 15longest | March 29 | 8.1, 16.1, 8.1 | 32.2 km | 64.5 |
| 16taper | April 5 | 8.1, 12.9, 6.4 | 19.3 km | 46.7 |
| 17taper | April 12 | 6.4, 9.7, 4.8 | 12.9 km | 33.8 |
| 18 | April 19 | 4.8, 6.4, 3.2 | race: marathon | 14.4 + race |
Train for the London Marathon on your own plan
The table above is a generic plan for a first marathon: it knows nothing about your fitness or your goal. Pacero builds your training from where you are today to race day, spreads the load across the weeks and updates the plan after your runs. Workouts from Apple Watch, Garmin and other watches come in through Apple Health; without a watch, record runs with GPS in the app, log them by hand or upload a screenshot.
The London Marathon is already in the app's race list: pick it in the questionnaire.
Train with Pacero →First 7 days free, no card needed.Quick answers
When is the London Marathon 2027?
Over two days, Saturday April 24 and Sunday April 25, 2027, on the same course. The organiser assigns your day.
Can I still enter the London Marathon 2027?
The public ballot is drawn. Charity places and official tour operator packages remain, and UK residents with a qualifying time can apply for Good for Age by October 29, 2026.
How much does a ballot place cost?
£79.99 for UK runners, or £49.99 with the double-your-chances option, and £275 for international runners.
How many people applied for the 2027 ballot?
1,338,544, a world record, including 330,450 from outside the UK.
Other races in 2027
Tokyo Marathon 2027
Lottery results, the ways in that remain, the course and March weather.
Boston Marathon 2027
Qualifying times, the 2027 cutoff and the new random draw, charity places.
Cape Town Marathon 2027
The first African Major: ballot, charity and tour operator places.
Sydney Marathon 2027
Ballot, entry fees, travel partner places and the Harbour Bridge course.
Berlin Marathon 2027
Lottery until November 12, 2026, fast runner standards, the record course.
Chicago Marathon 2027
Drawing until October 29, 2026, time qualifier standards and fees.
New York City Marathon 2027
Expected date, the drawing, guaranteed entry and the five-borough course.
Sources
- TCS London Marathon: dates, 100,000 runners, entry routes.
- 2027 TCS London Marathon Double FAQs: day allocation, field split.
- Record 1.33 million people apply: ballot numbers.
- Ballot: results date, confirmation deadline, fees.
- Good for Age entry: eligibility, window, deadline, standards.
- International participants: tour operators.
- Hal Higdon: Marathon Novice 1: the 18-week plan.