Organizers of the London Marathon are working on a two-day format that would allow up to 100,000 runners to participate in the 2027 edition, The Guardian reported on Wednesday, March 25.
Each year, the prestigious British race receives far more applications than the number of race bibs available. For instance, over 840,300 people entered the lottery for the 2025 event, but only 57,500 were able to start due to limited capacity.
More than a million people had already expressed interest in the 2026 edition, scheduled for Sunday, April 26.
According to The Guardian, the project is internally referred to as the “Double London Marathon” and would boost participation to 100,000 over the course of the weekend. The men’s and women’s races would be held on separate days.
“London is the world capital of sport, and the mayor is delighted to work with the London Marathon and its sponsors to organize a two-day event next year,” a spokesperson for Mayor Sadiq Khan told AFP.
The London Marathon is one of the seven “World Marathon Majors”—the most prestigious 42.195-kilometer road races—alongside those in Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Sydney, Chicago, and New York.