When Is the London Marathon 2027 Ballot Drawn – And What Happens Next?

It was a Thursday morning in June. I was sat in a greasy spoon, halfway through a bacon roll, when my phone buzzed. London Marathon email. I nearly choked. Reader, I did not get in. Again. The sixth year running (pun absolutely intended). But at least I knew the answer to when is the London Marathon ballot drawn – because I’d been obsessively checking my inbox since late May like a man waiting for exam results he probably failed.

If you’ve entered the ballot – or are thinking about it – this guide breaks down the exact draw dates year by year, the pattern you can rely on, and what on earth to do if your email arrives and it starts with “Unfortunately…”.

When Is the London Marathon Ballot Drawn? The Short Answer

The London Marathon ballot results are typically announced in mid-to-late June, roughly six to eight weeks after the ballot closes. For the 2027 race, the official London Marathon website confirms results will be emailed by early July 2026. The ballot itself opened on Friday 24 April 2026 and closed at 4pm on Friday 1 May 2026.

So if you’ve just entered for 2027, you’re in for a wait. Make peace with that now. Put the phone down. Go for a run.

London Marathon Ballot Draw Dates – Every Year at a Glance

Here’s the historical pattern to set your expectations:

• 2025 race: Ballot open 20-26 April 2024. Results emailed 27 June 2024.
• 2026 race: Ballot open 25 April – 2 May 2025. Results emailed 19 June 2025.
• 2027 race: Ballot open 24 April – 1 May 2026. Results expected early July 2026 (exact date TBC at time of writing).

The pattern is pretty consistent. Ballot opens on or around marathon weekend in April, closes roughly a week later, and results land in your inbox in June or early July. That’s about eight weeks of quietly pretending you’re not thinking about it.

Worth noting: Run 247 reports that over a million people entered the 2026 ballot – a world record. For 2027, organisers are reportedly exploring a two-day event format which could double the field to around 100,000 runners, which would improve your odds significantly. Fingers crossed that gets confirmed.

Why Does It Take Six to Eight Weeks?

A fair question. When you’re entering what is essentially a digital lottery, you’d think results could come back within minutes. But the London Marathon is dealing with over a million entries, managing separate draws for UK residents and international runners, running a secondary draw for those who donated their entry fee for a double chance, and then communicating results to every single entrant. That’s a lot of emails. Even if your inbox doesn’t show for it, logistically it’s a chunky operation.

What the Email Actually Says – And What to Do

There are only two outcomes, and both arrive by email. Successful entrants get a confirmation and a payment link. Unsuccessful entrants get the dreaded “unfortunately” opener.

For the 2027 ballot, the official guidance is to check your email by early July 2026. If nothing has arrived, check your junk folder (seriously, do this first – the marathon gods are not responsible for Gmail’s spam filter). If it’s still not there after a couple of days, contact the London Marathon helpdesk directly.

And if you didn’t get in? You’re not alone. Around one million people received a rejection for the 2026 race. The odds via the ballot are roughly 1 in 50 to 1 in 60 in recent years. It is, to use a technical running term, absolutely brutal.

How to Improve Your Chances in the London Marathon Ballot

Short of entering the lottery five decades in a row and hoping for actuarial justice, here are the legitimate routes:

• Double your chances: UK residents can opt to donate the entry fee (currently £49.99) upfront, which enters you into a second draw automatically. You get double the shot, and if you miss out entirely, you get a free premium running vest. Not a terrible consolation prize.
• Good for Age entry: If you can run a qualifying time for your age group, you can bypass the ballot entirely – though places are allocated fastest-first and it’s become tougher to get one. Our London Marathon Good for Age guide covers whether it’s actually worth chasing.
• Charity place: By far the most reliable route. You guarantee entry by fundraising a minimum amount. It’s more commitment, but at least you’re definitely running.
• Tour operator entry: Pricey, but if you’re international or just done with the uncertainty, some operators offer guaranteed entry with travel packages.

The downside of the charity route is the fundraising minimum, which can be anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand pounds depending on the charity. That’s a lot of awkward WhatsApp messages to distant relatives.

When Does the Ballot Open Each Year?

The London Marathon ballot reliably opens on or just before marathon weekend in late April. For 2027, it opened on Friday 24 April 2026 – the day before the 2026 race. The ballot closes roughly a week later, always on a Friday at 4pm.

If you want to enter, the key is to set a calendar reminder for late April each year. The ballot doesn’t stay open long, and there’s no waiting list if you miss the window. You simply have to wait for next year’s ballot to open.

A quick note on entry fees: the 2027 ballot costs £79.99 for UK runners if you get a place, or £49.99 if you opted to donate your entry fee upfront. International runners pay £225, which includes a carbon offset fee. You only pay if you’re successful – so entering the ballot itself is free.

What to Do While You Wait for the Ballot Results

Eight weeks is a long time. Here’s a constructive use of that gap rather than checking your inbox every hour like a very fit anxious person:

• Build your aerobic base so that when you do get a place, you’re not starting from scratch in January.
• Consider entering a warm-up race – a half marathon or autumn 10K gives you a fitness benchmark and something to train toward regardless of the ballot outcome.
• Look at alternative marathons as a backup plan. Manchester, Brighton, and Edinburgh are all excellent and considerably easier to get into.
• If you’re building toward marathon fitness anyway, our 12-week half marathon plan is a solid bridge block while you wait.

The worst thing to do is put all your running eggs in the London Marathon basket and then find yourself in July with no race on the horizon and a ballot rejection email on your phone.

Real Talk

The London Marathon ballot is drawn in mid-to-late June each year, with the 2027 results expected in early July 2026. The ballot opens in late April, closes a week later, and then you wait. That’s the whole pattern, repeated reliably every single year.

This guide is best for: anyone who has just entered the 2027 ballot or wants to understand the process before committing to an entry next April.

Who should probably skip the ballot stress: if you have a qualifying Good for Age time, or you’re absolutely certain you want to run London, the charity route is more reliable – albeit with a fundraising commitment attached that not everyone can or wants to make.

• Ballot results land in June or early July each year
• The ballot opens in late April and closes within a week
• Odds are roughly 1 in 50 from the general ballot
• UK residents can double their chances by donating the entry fee upfront
• Alternatives exist: Good for Age, charity places, tour operators
• There is no waiting list – miss the ballot window and you wait a year

Whether you get in or not, keep training. If the ballot gods are against you this year, check out our Good for Age guide for a more reliable route in – or start planning that charity place application before they fill up.