If the London Marathon loves anything, it’s a world record – and you bet that it’s just got another one.

That’s right: the event has just shattered the world record for the highest number of ballot applications for a single marathon, with a staggering 1,338,544 people from around the world entering the ballot for the 2027 race. Of them, 1,008,091 applicants were from the UK, marking the first time in history that UK applications have exceeded the 1 million mark.

The previous world record belonged to the 2026 London Marathon ballot, which received 1,133,813 applications. Before that, the world record was property of the 2025 London Marathon ballot, which received 840,318 applications. There is, quite clearly, a trend here – and it has perhaps even got to the point where we are no longer surprised that so many people want to be part of this immensely popular occasion.

‘This astonishing total of more than 1.33 million ballot applicants firmly establishes London as the world’s most sought‑after marathon,’ said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, which organises the race. ‘Nothing else comes close.’

But who exactly put their name in the hat for an illusive ballot place in next year’s London Marathon? It’s time to turn to the statistics.

Who entered the ballot for the 2027 London Marathon?1.8%

The percentage of the UK population that entered the ballot for the 2027 race.

Women aged 20-29

The demographic that submitted the highest number of applications among all UK hopefuls – that equates to more than 179,000 women aged 20-29. More than 35% of UK applications also came from people (of all genders) aged 18-29, showing that increasingly more younger runners want to take on the marathon distance.

49.92%

The percentage of applications from men – that’s 503,284, to be precise.

49.50%

The percentage of applications from women, which is 498,985 total. This shows that there was near parity between female and male applicants for the 2027 ballot.

0.58%

The percentage of non-binary applicants.

330,450

The number applications from non-UK residents, from more than 200 countries around the world. This included more than 92,000 from the US, more than 34,000 from France, more than 21,000 from Ireland and more than 14,000 from Germany.

What are your odds of getting a ballot place?

You don’t need to be a mathematician to know that more ballot applications = less chance of getting a ballot place. But you also need to bear in mind that next year’s race could be a two-day event, spanning Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April, where about 50,000 runners would take part on each day. If this rumour becomes reality, your odds in the ballot would, of course, improve.

Although the London Marathon doesn’t publish the exact breakdown of how places are allocated, The Guardian reports that about 20,000 spots are secured via the ballot each year. This means that about 40,000 runners secure their places via charities, sports tours, time qualification and so on.

Using 20,000 ballot places as the ballpark, we can now estimate your odds:

If the 2027 London Marathon stays as a one-day event, you have a 1.49% – or one in 67 – chance of winning a ballot place.

If the 2027 London Marathon is a two-day event, you have a 7.47% – or one in 13 – chance of getting in through the ballot.

Either way, the results of the 2027 London Marathon ballot won’t be announced until early July next year, so, if you entered, don’t keep refreshing your inbox just yet.