It’s never too early to think about how to secure a place in the London Marathon. If you have hopes of tackling the 2024 London Marathon, then you can act on them even before this year’s runners start making their way along the London Marathon route because the ballot for 2024 opens the day before the 2023 race.
What Is The Date For The 2024 London Marathon?
The race will take place on Sunday 21st April. After a couple of years being held in the fall—thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic—the race returned to its traditional spring date in 2023, and is set to remain there.
When Can I Enter The London Marathon 2024?
The London Marathon ballot for 2024 opens on Saturday 22nd April, the day before the 2023 race. It will remain open for a week, with the results usually announced a few weeks after it shuts.
You can enter the ballot for the race for free, but if you opt to pay up front for your place (£49.99 in 2023) then you will be entered into a second-chance ballot if you miss out the first time. Miss out again and your entry fee is donated to charity, but you will get a training top as a reward for your generosity.
If you want a London Marathon charity place for 2024 then you don’t need to move as fast as ballot entrants, though it is worth starting to research which charities you’d like to run for, as well as looking into the application process. You can see a list of charities with places on the London Marathon website.
Fast runners who are looking to enter the 2024 race through a Good For Age place, or even a Championship spot, will have to enter later in the year after the relevant qualifying period ends. For Good For Age runners, this period opened on 3rd October 2022 and closes on 30th September 2023, so you will be able to apply for a spot in the 2024 race later in 2023.
The qualifying period for Championship runners has yet to be confirmed but is likely to be until 31st December 2023, because Championship entry usually doesn’t open until nearer the race.
