Organisers of the London Marathon have told hopeful participants not to worry if they still haven't received an email letting them know whether or not they have a place in next year's race.
Next year's London Marathon takes place on Sunday, April 21 with nearly 50,000 people expected to take to the streets of central London to take on the 26.2-mile course. A record number of people applied to be in with a chance of getting a place in the race, which is one of the largest marathon events in the world.
For the first time, more than half a million people applied through the random draw, breaking the previous world record of 457,861.
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Today, hundreds of thousands of people were expecting to be told whether their ballot entry for the London Marathon 2024 was successful or not. This morning, organisers posted a message on Twitter telling those who had applied that emails would be sent throughout the day and into this evening.
Organisers have now issued another update to anyone still waiting to hear their result. Shortly before 5.30pm this afternoon, another tweet went out warning people that it could still be a few hours before they get any news.
"We still have plenty of emails to successful and unsuccessful ballot entrants being delivered over the next few hours," the tweet said. "If you haven't received your email just yet then thanks for your patience and please don't worry. Best of luck!"
Lots of people took to Twitter as the wait for their results lasted into the evening. "how many times can I refresh my emails in one day?" @therunningmanc asked. "London Marathon Ballot Day: 2948573920374 Still waiting."
@SamSammani posted: "Good luck everyone in the London marathon, I am still waiting to see if I have got in", while @LauraGo29585555 said: "I still haven’t received an email from London marathon.. I think they’ve forgotten about me."
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People who miss out on a ballot place can still take part if they secure a place by agreeing to fundraise for a charity. The 2024 TCS London Marathon #MyWay also gives participants the chance to earn a medal by completing 26.2 miles on a course of their choice, anywhere in the world, on the same date.
Event director Hugh Brasher said: “If you did not get the result you wanted, there are still plenty of ways you can have an unforgettable marathon experience in 2024 including taking on the TCS London Marathon for charity, taking part in the TCS London Marathon #MyWay, which allows you to run the event anywhere in the world on April 21, or by taking part in the Brighton Marathon on Sunday April 7, which London Marathon Events started organising this year.”
