The organizers of the iconic annual London Marathon have announced that the 2027 edition will take place over two days, rather than one, as a single-year special event.
In all, London Marathon Events (LME) says that the expanded 2027 edition would welcome 100,000 participants, with the elite male and male-para events taking place on one day, and the elite female and female-para events on the other, each in advance of that day’s mass-participation race.
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For the 2026 edition, 1.1 million people entered the ballot to participate, and that number has already grown to 1.33 million for the 2027 edition. The expanded concept may be seen as a means of somewhat ameliorating the ever-growing number of prospective participants.
Speaking on the announcement, LME chief executive Hugh Brasher said: “The 2027 TCS London Marathon Double is our most ambitious evolution to date – a once-in-a-generation one-time-only reimagining of what a marathon and city-wide celebration of activity can be.
“By expanding to 100,000 runners across two days, we’re opening the door for more people, more charities, and more communities to take part in the world’s greatest marathon. We believe that more than £150m can be raised for good causes and the UK economy will have a £400m social and economic benefit.
“We are grateful for the vision and support of the Mayor of London, the councils on the route, the emergency services, and all the stakeholders involved who have given their support to enable this world-first event to be held for London and the UK.”
The addition of a second day to the 2027 edition of the London Marathon could be a major opportunity for expanded visibility for commercial sponsors, especially for those that had signed up on multi-year deals on the basis of single-day annual events.
The London Marathon has been title sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the prominent India-based IT company, since 2022, in a deal that initially ran until the 2027 edition, before an extension through 2029 was struck earlier this year.
TCS is part of LME’s growing sponsorship slate, which includes luxury Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer, shower brand Radox, and US carmaker Ford.
Most recently, technology giant Apple joined as the event’s official performance technology product partner, while UK-based margarine brand Flora signed up as an official partner for the upcoming 2026 edition.
Domestic media rights to the event are held by public service broadcaster the BBC as part of an agreement running through 2030, which also includes airing other LME events such as The Big Half, the Vitality London 10,000, and the Vitality Westminster Mile.
