London Marathon 2025

marathon2022

Ballot now opened for the eager among us.

Sun, 27 Apr 2025

London, UK

https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/enter/how-to-enter/the-ballot-explained

https://ldt.is/MV2gfl

chabsey

Entered already, didn't appear to ask for proof of UK address for some reason.

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122047329#Comment_122047329

I clicked on the international entry, I think you only need proof of residency if your applying for good for age.

Trampas

I’ll look forward to my pfo email

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122049022#Comment_122049022

Fully expecting this :-)

niallo27

About 3% chance they reckon

Trampas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122051965#Comment_122051965

And every year they give out numbers to “celebrities” I use that word lightly. How many numbers go to ballot, gfa or championship entries. I call them the normal Joe soap

Murph_D

London Marathon race director has indicated that they will accept 70,000 entries next year, as part of an attempt to break the Guinness record for largest marathon ever (currently held by Paris). Apparently they were only about 25 runners short of the record this year. So ballot entries will have slightly higher chance, but bear in mind they attracted over half a million applications this year). So still only around a 15% chance at ballot success. Good for age is definitely the way to go if you can qualify.

It's a terrific experience, really enjoyed it this year.

niallo27

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122052305#Comment_122052305

They should really make you enter your card details when entering the ballot so you will be automatically be charged, how many enter just for the sake of it.

TheRef

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122052459#Comment_122052459

Agreed and dare I say it, there should be a non refundable nominal charge (£5) that goes to charity if unsuccessful.

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122052459#Comment_122052459

Why though? If you don't accept the ballot place it goes to someone else. I don't think London has an unusually high percentage of wasted entries or no-shows.

Glencarraig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122052205#Comment_122052205

3,000 male and female GFA entries only and must show proof of UK residence.

Jacinta1960

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058348218/london-marathon-2025

Had a ball did you?

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122053062#Comment_122053062

Will let you next year if I dont get a PFO

PaulieC

How did you get in this year D? Was it ballot or gfa with UK address?

niallo27

2K one of the package operators are looking for for next year, 3 nights accommodation and entry. Crazy money but how else do you get a chance to run it. Is it that crazy though, would you get much change out of a grand for 3 nights in london that weekend.

Murph_D

Yes, @PaulieC, GFA with my UK address. 😉

CuriousCucumber

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122060984#Comment_122060984

Just took the hit and booked it

The way I look at it, Chicago cost me something similar via the lottery, and I want to do all of the big 6 in the next 10 years, so going to have to pay every 2 or 3 years.

Here's the current plan

London (25)

Berlin (28)

Tokyo (30)

Boston (32)

New York (34)

niallo27

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122076304#Comment_122076304

Your dead right, i think i will pull the trigger and book it too. I'm running Berlin this year myself through Focus Ireland. Everyone says London is incredible. Was it sport tours international you went with.

CuriousCucumber

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122076808#Comment_122076808

Yeah, Sports Tours International

I dont think you have another option without fundraising.

I've no issue with fundraising in general, but I want to run this marathon, and I have run many previously. So personally, I dont believe in asking others to pay for something that I want to do, that's "easily" achievable for me

sk8board

840,000 applications for next years lottery - strikes me as they’ve a tonne of duplicates, if myself and my friends are anything to go by - using every address we have available.

PaulieC

what's the tour company cost vs a charity entry? How much do you have to raise for the charity?

Dublinlad1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122078813#Comment_122078813

Charity places you need to raise between £1500 and £2500 but it all depends on what charity you go with as they all have a different pledge amount. The tour prices as above are about 2000 but also depends on how many days you're going for etc could be cheaper if you go for less days but i've never used before so i'm unsure.

CuriousCucumber

At the moment, Sports Tours International only offer 3 night deals. Friday to Monday

Rossi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122079131#Comment_122079131

Your not guaranteed a spot with a charity after being accepted. You go into a screening process and basically have to give and X Factor style sob story as to why you want to run for said charity. Friend ran for a charity a few years ago and said the process was mad. Might of changed in recent years

PaulieC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122079966#Comment_122079966

will swerve that route so.

event

840,000 applications. Mental.

I'm sure the likes of Matt Choi and his buddies will still get their entries though

brick tamland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122089112#Comment_122089112

The moaning on here about the Dublin Marathon Ballot was bad, Can only imagine what the English running forums are like :-)

event

A ballot I have no issue with. So long as its fair for everyone

sk8board

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122090078#Comment_122090078

anyone who wants a bib for Dublin can get one, the moaning is just the people who didn’t get a lottery place in the November draw and they can get one during the year very easily. There’s always LOADS around.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122090174#Comment_122090174

every marathon lives off its marketability. All those YouTube runners either get a sponsor bib, or a travel agent bib - and most will have some media credentials. I know it grates on some people, but they are there legitimately- sponsors get lots of entries in every sporting event (look at the all Ireland final!).

For the cost of a foreign marathon, it’s about a 10% premium to just stump up the €€ and ‘buy the lottery’ by getting a bib from a Travel Agent

Dublinlad1989

Anyone know when the PFO emails are coming out?

Trampas

I thought they said July

event

You will receive a confirmation email when you apply. You’ll also receive a payment receipt, if you have donated your entry fee. Please check your junk folder if this doesn’t arrive in your inbox. The results of the 2025 TCS London Marathon Ballot will be emailed to all entrants in July.

py

The ballot is a completely random draw (just like the National Lottery) and we'll let you know if you've secured a place by the end of June 2024.

PFO coming any day now…

Trampas

I’ve lost count how many times they’ve told me to pfo. I always expected I’d get in the year I wouldn’t be able to do it but even at that I was a pfo.

All going well I might get a gfa for 2026 unless a bank a good half this year

Sandwell

For those who have done the GFA in the past, how legit does the UK address need to be? Is it enough to use a relatives address or are you looking at producing a household bill or similar?

Rossi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122292062#Comment_122292062

You need your name on a bill, fairly easy to doctor 😉

sk8board

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122297430#Comment_122297430

and for clarity, you only need the proof of address for a GFA time. Otherwise you can fill as many addresses as you want, but be aware that they auto remove duplicates, so you’ll need to use different email addresses or whatever

Unthought Known

That explains the 840,000 applications then 🙄. They should take card details on application and make it clear they'll be charged immediately for each successfully application.

sk8board

yeh they say it pretty clearly on the websites that they auto remove obvious duplicates and then further review suspected duplicates.

Also, a non GFA UK address is in the same lottery as an international entry - so you can just use a bunch of Irish addresses and email addresses

V hard to auto remove duplicates based on name alone obviously, a name like Michael has about 4 variations that could never be caught.
it’s all a bit messy either way of course.

event

Ballot results out tomorrow

Stillnotworking

July is all they say on the website! It will land in your inbox when you least expect it.

event

Its on their socials that its tomorrow, thats where I got it from. Emails will come throughout the day

Stillnotworking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122302015#Comment_122302015

Apologies, thanks for that.

sk8board

Happy rejection Wednesday

Trampas

PFO email arrived

chabsey

Yup….same here.

Stillnotworking

In the same club, PFO'ed.

The Black Oil

PFO here too.

R.F.

has anyone here ever purchased an entry through their recommended tour operators?

sk8board

yep. The Sports Tour international package is very well done throughout the weekend, events, bus transfers to the start line etc.

If you want to buy the lottery, it’s a simple option tbh. I’ve done it for Berlin too - again, an easy way to ‘buy the lottery’ for a few hundred €€ premium