If you thought getting a table at a trendy London restaurant was tough, spare a thought for anyone hoping to run the 2027 London Marathon. Organizers have just announced that applications hit a record high, with over half a million people throwing their hats—and their aching knees—into the ring. That’s more applicants than people living in entire cities like Manchester, and it’s making the ballot system look less like a lottery and more like a gladiatorial contest for brunch.
For context, only around 50,000 people actually get to run. That means your odds of success are roughly the same as successfully finding a seat on the Tube during rush hour, without someone’s backpack in your face. Or, as one statistician put it, “You’re more likely to be bitten by a shark while taking a selfie with a startled pigeon.” Still, the dream of wobbling down the Mall in a sweaty tutu is clearly too powerful to resist.
The Great British Bucket List
Why the sudden surge? It’s not just that people are desperate for a medal they can hang next to their Air Fryer. The London Marathon has become the ultimate bucket-list brag, edging out “I’ve seen the Northern Lights” and “I finished a sourdough starter.” Social media is partly to blame: everyone wants the split-screen Reel of them sobbing across the finish line, arms raised, while a charity they supported plays a blaring Ed Sheeran song.
But here’s a surprising fact: the marathon’s popularity isn’t just driven by elite athletes or even weekend joggers. A record number of applicants this year are rank amateurs who, according to a joke circulating in running clubs, “can’t run to the fridge without stopping for a breather.” That’s right—the surge includes people who signed up on a dare after three pints, then had to google “what even is a marathon.” I’m not judging; I once tried to run a 5K and ended up in an Uber halfway through.
