TCS London Marathon | Your guide to running for charity
This iconic event is always oversubscribed at the ballot but there are plenty of charities to run for and plenty more reasons to do so.
One of the most popular mass-participation events in the world, the TCS London Marathon offers an incredible and unforgettable experience for runners lucky enough to take part, from iconic moments like running down The Mall to the pre-race excitement of lining up along tens of thousands of fellow runners.
Around 50,000 people will get their entry through the ballot and tens of thousands more will apply and be unlucky - some of our team have entered the ballot on multiple occasions and not managed to get in. Fortunately, this is just one way of getting into the TCS London Marathon!
Charities are allocated a set number of entries depending on how big they are and how much fundraising they can generate through the event, which means that there are a large number of charities with varying amounts of entries available for the race. In return for a commitment to raise money for that cause, they will give you an entry to the race. By choosing to run on behalf of a charity, you can guarantee a spot in one of the most oversubscribed events in the UK - but there are many other benefits to doing so as well.
Running for charity is one way to secure your place in a major marathon event.
Why run for charity?
Some people want to run for a specific charity whose cause is close to their heart. For others, just helping people is their primary motivation and they're not too bothered whether that's for a children's charity, a health-focused research group or a homelessness foundation. Either way, entering the TCS London Marathon on behalf of a charity will ensure that your efforts have a positive effect on other people, which in turn will be great motivation to keep running when you hit the wall!
On a practical note, running for charity will provide you with extra resources to ensure that you reach the finish line in style. The usual support from a charity includes:
A branded t-shirt or vest to run in
A personalised training programme to help you prepare
Fundraising support
Access to expert coaches while training
Extra loud cheers from the charity's stand on race day!
There may be additional benefits to running for a specific charity as well and these will vary depending on who you sign up with. Completing the TCS London Marathon is not easy and is considered a lifetime achievement by many runners, so the more support you can muster in your corner the better!
As mentioned above, committing to raising money for a charity can help you to secure a place in the event when entering through the randomised ballot is unsuccessful. If this is your main motivation for running for charity - and it definitely is for many people, so don't feel bad - then we've made it easy to discover the charities with the lowest fundraising commitments and entry fees.
Sign me up for the London Marathon
The TCS London Marathon is famous for its route, which passes many iconic landmarks.
How to apply for a place
London Marathon operates a 'ballot' to allocate places as there are far more people wanting to run than there are places available. Basically this means that you put your name in a 'hat' and if you're lucky, you get a place. There are a few other ways to secure a place - the most common is to run for charity (in return for fundraising) or you could try and get a place through your local running club. Particularly good runners might also be able to secure a 'good for age' entry.
Ballot entry
The number of ballot places available varies each year but given that a staggering 578,374 people entered the ballot for the 2024 London Marathon, the chances of securing a place in the ballot are not great.
Our advice is to enter the ballot as Plan A on the basis that 'you have to be in it to win it' and then start work on Plan B.
Charity place
Plan B for most people will involve securing a charity place. This means you will need to apply to a charity for one of their guaranteed places which they may allocate to you in return for you agreeing to fundraise a minimum amount - usually in the region of £1500-£2500. Your application may be accepted straight away or the charity may take some time to respond as it selects runners with the highest fundraising potential. If your application is accepted, you will usually be asked to pay a registration fee of around £50-£100 by the charity.
London Marathon charity places are listed on the main event listing - just select your preferred charity and complete the simple form to start the application process.
Club entry
Plan B for members of running clubs could be to secure a place through their club. Clubs associated with British Athletics may be allocated one or more guaranteed entries based on the number of first-claim members at the club. Find out more about club entry on the official website.
Good for age entry
There are up to 6,000 places available each year for faster runners that meet certain qualifying criteria. In 2024 this meant that an 18-39 year old male had to have a qualifying marathon time of sub 2:55. Full details about good for age entries are on the London Marathon website.