June 19 (Reuters) - The London Marathon will be staged over two days for the first time in its history in 2027, with elite women racing on Saturday and elite men on Sunday, organisers said on Friday.
The one-off change is set to allow a record 100,000 participants to take part across the weekend, with the event scheduled for April 24-25, marking its 47th edition.
“By expanding to 100,000 runners across two days, we’re opening the door for more people, more charities and more communities to take part in the world’s greatest marathon,” said London Marathon chief executive Hugh Brasher.
He added that the expanded format could raise more than 150 million pounds ($200 million) for charity while generating a 400 million pounds boost to the UK economy.
The 2026 London Marathon raised a record 90 million pounds for charity, cementing its status as the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event.
In April, Brasher said discussions were ongoing over a proposal to stage a one-off two-day marathon in 2027, adding that the capital’s crowded sporting calendar would be a key factor, with major events already scheduled for the same weekend.
A record 1.33 million people have entered the public ballot for the 2027 race, an 18% increase on the previous high set for this year’s event.
($1 = 0.7559 pounds)
(Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra)
