The London Marathon is in advanced talks about hosting a two-day event in 2027, giving tens of thousands more runners the chance to take part in the historic race.
Although the ‘Double London Marathon’, as it has been called in secret internal discussions, has not yet been given formal approval, The Guardian report that it has the backing of mayor Sir Sadiq Khan for it to be staged on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 next year. While it would be considered as a one-off event, it would allow a world-record 100,000 amateur runners to get involved across the weekend, with 50,000 running each day. The elite men’s and women’s races, meanwhile, would be staged on separate days.
In 2025, 56,540 runners finished the course, raising more than £85million for charity, making it the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event. There is hope that 2027’s London Marathon would deliver a huge boost to the capital’s economy – and raise £130m for charity.
A series of meetings have taken place between shareholders, with part of the proposal showing that the two-day event would be a unique opportunity to show unity and community across England at a time of growing social and economic division.
The idea would be welcomed by runners who have failed to be accepted into this year’s London Marathon due to its increasing popularity, with more than 1.1million entering the public ballot run for 2026 – a figure that has risen by 35 per cent in three years.
Former London Marathon chief executive Hugh Brasher told The Guardian: “The TCS London Marathon is the world’s most popular marathon, and we are always exploring innovative ways to enable more people to take part and to deliver positive benefits for London.
“This work is carried out in close collaboration with our partners and stakeholders, whose support is essential in staging this incredible event in the heart of the capital each year,” he added.
“We are currently four weeks away from the 2026 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 26 April, and we are looking forward to amplifying one of the original aims of the London Marathon, which was ‘to show happiness and sense of achievement in a somewhat troubled world’.
“Poignantly, those words resonate even more now than they did almost 45 years ago to the day, when the first London Marathon took place.”
A Mayor of London spokesperson told The Guardian: “London is the sporting capital of the world and the Mayor looks forward to working with London Marathon and partners to consider if it might be possible to host an event that will run across two days next year.”
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