The London Marathon will return to its traditional spring slot for the first time since 2019 when it takes place next year on Sunday, April 23. The ballot for next year’s run will open on Saturday, October 1, the day before 2022’s runners face 26 miles around the capital.
This means it will be the shortest gap between London Marathons in history, with just over five months between them. Competition for London Marathon places is consistently fierce, with the renowned event attracting runners from all over the country and world.
A new record number of people apply to compete each year, leaving hundreds of thousands disappointed. For the first time, the public ballot for next year’s London Marathon will include a non-binary gender option, organisers confirmed on Wednesday.
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How and when to apply for the 2023 London Marathon?
The 2023 London Marathon ballot will open on Saturday October 1 2022. The ballot usually stays open for around a week, meaning it may close on Friday October 7.
Once it opens, you sign up on the event website, where more details about next year’s marathon will be announced closer to this year’s event. The cost of a place for successful UK participants is £49.99.
While ballot entrants don’t need to pay anything upon entering, they can choose to donate their entry fee to The London Marathon Charitable Trust, no matter the outcome of the ballot. The ballot is drawn at random, so everyone has the same chance to compete, although people who donate their entry fee do get entered into a second draw - the Lucky Bequest draw, which allocates another 2,000 places.
You will receive a confirmation email when you enter. If you miss out, a host of charities have guaranteed spots for the event, which can be applied for via each charity’s own website.
Other ways of getting into the London Marathon can be found here.
What are the chances of getting a London Marathon place?
More and more people apply for a London Marathon place each year, reducing each individual's chances of being successful. Only 17,000 spaces are up for grabs via the ballot.
In 2020, over 457,000 people applied for that year’s ballot. That meant just 3.71% were lucky enough to secure a place.
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