Entering the London Marathon ballot is like playing the lottery, but instead of winning cash, you win the right to spend £100 on the privilege of hurting your own legs for four hours. In 2026, around 840,000 people applied for just 17,000 ballot places. That’s roughly a 2% chance—about the same odds as being struck by a meteor while eating a prawn sandwich.
But don’t let those terrifying numbers stop you. People win this thing every year. And you, my friend, are a special snowflake of endurance. The key is to enter the ballot for London Marathon 2027 right now, because procrastination is the enemy of dreams—and of your physiotherapist’s future yacht fund.
How to Enter (Without Screaming into a Pillow)
Step one: Go to the official London Marathon website. Step two: Find the ballot page. Step three: Fill in your name, address, and a blood sample—okay, I’m joking about the blood, but they do ask for your date of birth. Pro tip: Use the same email you check daily, not the one from 2005 that still says “sparkleunicorn94.” The confirmation email will arrive months later, and you don’t want to miss it because your inbox is full of Nigerian prince scams.
The ballot opens in April 2026 and closes a few weeks later. Mark it on your calendar. Set seventeen alarms. Write it on your forehead with a Sharpie. Whatever it takes. Missing the deadline is like prepping for a birthday party and forgetting to buy the cake—except the cake is your lung capacity, and the party is destroying your knees across Tower Bridge.
