After a world record 840,318 people entered the public ballot seeking a place on the start line in the 45th TCS London Marathon, organisers are confident of setting another Guinness World Record as this year’s event is set to become the world's biggest marathon.

The world’s most popular marathon is on track for more than 56,000 finishers on Sunday 27 April 2025, eclipsing the world's best figure of 55,646 finishers set by the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2024. The London Marathon is already the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event, with more than £1.3 billion raised for charity since 1981.

Hugh Brasher, the CEO of London Marathon Events, said: “The 45th edition is a landmark year for us, and it would be wonderful to mark that by becoming the biggest marathon ever staged anywhere in the world. Marathon Day is an extraordinary day when communities come together to celebrate the very best of humanity as tens of thousands of participants take on the legendary 26.2-mile challenge from Greenwich to The Mall and raise tens of millions for charity on the way.”

The predicted size of the 2025 TCS London Marathon is in sharp contrast to the first edition of the event in 1981 – organised by Hugh Brasher’s father, Chris, and John Disley – when there were 6,255 finishers, of which fewer than 300 were women. In this year’s record-breaking ballot, 49% of the UK applicants were female.

During the past 44 editions, more than 1.3 million people have finished the London Marathon. In addition to the rise in women taking part, the latest statistics show the biggest surge in interest is from those aged 20 to 29, with a 105% increase in applications from this demographic in 2025 compared to 2024.

London Marathon finisher numbers have increased steadily over the years, aligning with the increased popularity of fitness and mass participation events over the decades. Landmark figures include breaking the 20,000 barrier in 1988; 30,000 in 1999, and 40,000 in 2018. The 2024 edition saw over 50,000 finishers for the first time, when 53,890 people crossed the Finish Line on The Mall.

Celebrities taking part include former professional footballer Jack Wilshere; England cricket heroes Sir Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook; Olympic gold medal cyclist Jason Kenny; comedian Romesh Ranganathan; singer Alexandra Burke and model Kelly Brook.

Moving fundraising stories include Lindsey Burrow, running for Leeds Hospitals Charity and Leeds Rugby Foundation in memory of her husband and Rugby League legend, Rob; boxing coach Shane McGuigan, raising funds for Young Lives vs Cancer to honour the memory of his sister, Danika; and Flora Turnbull, daughter of former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill, raising money for Prostate Cancer UK.

London Marathon details, results and reports at runABC race listing here.

Image courtesy TCS London Marathon