The 2027 TCS London Marathon ballot opens with a warm Sunday forecast, plus fresh ideas for a two-day weekend and a major push for blood donations.
The ballot for next year’s TCS London Marathon is now open, with runners preparing for a warm Sunday as organisers map out what could change for 2027.
People have until 4pm on Friday May 1 to enter the random draw for the event taking place on Sunday April 25.. Results are set to be announced by early July. and the countdown is already being felt by thousands who applied in hopes of securing a place.. For this year’s marathon. a record 1. 133. 813 people applied for a ballot spot—numbers that underline how quickly interest has grown and why the ballot remains a high-pressure moment for many.
A key theme entering 2027 is whether the marathon could expand into a two-day weekend.. Plans are being explored for an extra London Marathon on Saturday April 24. and if permission is granted. entrants would automatically be included in the ballot for both days while still being able to run only one event.. For charity fundraisers. the shift could be meaningful: more days can translate into more places. and for the groups that rely on marathon weekend momentum. that extra capacity can make a difference.
That charity focus is already visible across this year’s build-up.. JustGiving reported that £41 million has been raised on its platform by 2025 participants. and more than £32 million has been donated so far this year by thousands of fundraisers.. Marie Curie is set to be the event’s charity of the year for 2026. with hopes of raising £2 million to help fund end-of-life care and support for loved ones.
With the weather forecast pointing to a sunnier Sunday—central London expected to reach temperatures up to 19C—organisers are leaning into practical guidance.. Runners have been advised to stay hydrated in the days before the marathon and to choose lightweight clothing.. Waiting for the start can be unpredictable. even on a warm day. so extra layers are being encouraged to be donated to the Salvation Army instead of thrown away.
The weekend’s atmosphere is also expected to be more varied than usual.. For the first time. the London Marathon weekend begins on Friday evening with a 5k run in Battersea Park. partnered with Friday Night Lights. which programmes social runs featuring lights and music.. It’s a reminder that beyond the main 26.2 miles. the event has become a wider social platform—something that brings spectators. first-timers. and supporters into the story earlier.
A warmer forecast meets a bigger weekend
On race day itself, runners are bringing creativity to the streets.. Some are stepping out in elaborate costumes—like George Strong and Nick Marshall. who will be dressed as giant screws as part of ForgeFix’s Screw Prostate Cancer campaign.. Their marathon calendar spans four events. with the campaign designed to encourage men to use a prostate cancer risk checker online and raise funds throughout the year.
There’s also a different kind of participation being promoted: blood donation.. Number collection at Excel London runs until 5.30pm on Saturday. and for the first time. the marathon is coupling logistics with a recruitment drive through the Blood. Sweat and Cheers campaign.. With an estimated 800. 000 spectators expected on the day. the message is clear: people watching from the route can help keep the country’s blood supply running by signing up to donate.
Misryoum understands why this matters now: blood demand is steady, while active donors are not infinite.. Every minute in England. the NHS uses three life-saving blood donations to treat accident victims. cancer patients. mothers in childbirth. and people living with chronic conditions like thalassemia and sickle cell disease.. At present. only around 800. 000 active donors are keeping the supply going. and every year. 200. 000 new donors are needed to match ongoing demand.
The campaign also spotlights specific needs—especially blood types like B negative and O negative. and donors of Black heritage. because sickle cell disease disproportionately affects people of black heritage and is described as the UK’s fastest growing inherited condition.. These details turn the marathon into more than a sports weekend: it becomes a public health moment. with race culture used as a gateway to recruitment.
Blood donations and marathon momentum
The push is supported by NHS Blood and Transplant. working alongside the London Marathon and Abbott. with the programme framed around donor convenience and the scale of impact.. The appeal is also practical: donors can be directed to find out their blood type and sign up during marathon weekend activities. including at Trinity Square Gardens in central London on Sunday.
Organisers have also acknowledged a structural truth about major events: the spectacle is temporary, but the need doesn’t pause.. Marathon weekends generate intense footfall and community attention—precisely the kind of window that can help address appointment shortages.. NHS messaging points to appointment gaps in the coming weeks. including thousands of vacancies in London donor centres. and positions donation as a low-friction action for people who are already in the city.
An especially human note sits underneath the public campaign: several runners and campaign figures are using the marathon platform to connect personal stakes to shared action.. The blood donation narrative becomes more than a statistic—because for some people. regular transfusions aren’t an occasional treatment. but a lifeline that must be maintained.
Looking ahead. the possible two-day format for 2027 would not just change the schedule; it could reshape how much time and space the marathon weekend can offer to charities. community programmes. and recruitment drives.. If more participants and more days are approved. it may give organisers more room to balance performance. fundraising. and wider health initiatives—something that increasingly defines what major events are expected to deliver.
For now, the 2027 ballot is the first step for those chasing a place in next year’s story.. But on Sunday. the focus remains immediate: warm weather preparations. a large-scale charity presence. and a push for spectators and runners to consider donating blood—because for Misryoum’s readers. the marathon isn’t only about crossing a finish line.. It’s also about what the weekend can move people to do afterward.