With only 17,000 ballot spaces up for grabs, and a record breaking 457,000 entries in 2020, securing your place on this infamous start line is no easy feat.
Don't let that put you off, though. There’s more than one way to enter next year’s race.
When is the 2023 London Marathon?
The 2023 London Marathon will take place on Sunday, April 23 2023, returning to its traditional spring slot for the first time since 2019.
When does the ballot open and close?
The ballot will open on Saturday, October 1 and close on Friday, October 7 at 9pm. Results will be announced before the end of October 2022 [date unconfirmed].
How do I enter the ballot?
To enter the ballot, you can visit the London Marathon ballot entry page from October 1. If you’re successful in the ballot, you'll then have to pay a fee of £49.99 for your place.
If you are feeling charitable, during the entry process, you can donate your entry fee to the London Marathon Charitable Trust. If you're successful in the ballot, your entry is pre-paid and confirmed. If not, you'll be entered into a second draw – the Lucky Bequest draw – which allocates a further 2,000 places. If you remain unlucky in the second ballot, your money will go to charitable trust – plus. organisers will gift you a premium winter running top [RRP £70] and a chance to win one of three pairs of entries to another Abbott World Marathon Major. The entry fees for international participants are usually £120, plus a compulsory £36 carbon offset levy.
How do I get a Good For Age entry in the 2023 race?
To apply for a GFA place, you need to achieve the relevant qualifying time for your age group – these are listed in the table below. You will have needed to run this time within the qualifying period: October 4, 2021 to October 2, 2022 until 23:59.
| Age | Men | Women |
| 18-39 | sub 3:00:00 | sub 3:45:00 |
| 40-44 | sub 3:05:00 | sub 3:50:00 |
| 45-49 | sub 3:10:00 | sub 3:53:00 |
| 50-54 | sub 3:15:00 | sub 4:00:00 |
| 55-59 | sub 3:20:00 | sub 4:05:00 |
| 60-64 | sub 3:45:00 | sub 4:30:00 |
| 65-69 | sub 4:00:00 | sub 5:00:00 |
| 70-74 | sub 5:00:00 | sub 6:00:00 |
| 75-79 | sub 5:15:00 | sub 6:20:00 |
| 80-84 | sub 5:30:00 | sub 6:40:00 |
| 85+ | sub 6:10:00 | sub 7:10:00 |
Qualifying times must have been secured at in-person event with a certified marathon course, or during the virtual 2022 TCS London Marathon. This option is only available for UK residents.
Meeting the qualifying time [GFA] does not guarantee a place in the 2023 event but offers another route of entry, with places capped at 6,000 runners [3,000 men and 3,000 women] and allocated on a ‘fastest first’ basis.
You can apply for a Good For Age place now.
Can I roll my GFA entry over?
If you secured a GFA place in the cancelled 2020 London Marathon but haven’t used it, you can rollover your 2020 entry for a place in the 2023 event, providing you met the 2023 GFA qualifying criteria. If not, you can apply for a standard entry at no extra cost. Further details on this option will be released on the event website no later than Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
Can I run in the Championship race?
If you're a fast runner and are a member of a running club, you may be eligible for a Championship place. You will have needed to run a championship qualification
time, at an event with a course certified by UKA, the Association for International Marathons and Distance Races [AIMS], or a national governing body for distance running for the country in which the event was held.
Championship qualification times for the 2023 London Marathon have not yet been released but the 2022 qualification times are as follows:
| Distance | Men | Women |
| Full marathon | sub 2:40:00 | sub 3:14:00 |
| Half marathon | sub 1:12:30 | sub 1:28:00 |
You must also be registered with your national governing body [England Athletics, Scotland Athletics, Welsh Athletics or Athletics Northern Ireland], otherwise your application will not be accepted.
The Championship qualifying period for the 2023 TCS London Marathon is January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. Further details on this option will be revealed after the 2022 event.
In contrast to the options above, meeting the Championship qualifying criteria confers an automatic entry to the 2023 event. Non-UK residents are also invited to qualify if they are members of a UKA membership body.
How can I secure a charity place?
Failing the above, and if you think you can raise £1,000 or more, a charity place is your best bet for running next year’s marathon.
A full list of charities with spots are available on the event’s website. If you spot a cause you’re passionate about, get in touch with the charity directly to see if they can offer you a place. Charity places are also in high demand, so charities will select participants based on their connection with the cause and how much money they are able to raise.