London Marathon 2022: How to enter the ballot

This year’s London Marathon saw a record-breaking 80,000 runners take part in-person and virtually.

The 26.2-mile race returned to London’s streets on Sunday October 3, after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For those who missed out this year or were inspired by the immense efforts of those taking part, why not have a go at entering next year’s race?

From ballot to charity entries here’s everything you need to know about entering the London Marathon 2022 ballot.

When is the London Marathon 2022?

Next year’s London Marathon will take place on Sunday October 2 2022, and will be sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

This will be the third year in a row the race has taken place in autumn, as traditionally the event occurs in spring.

How to enter the ballot?

If you live in the UK, you can enter the UK Ballot.

Ballot entries close at 9pm this Friday October 8, so you need to get your entry in quickly.

Ballot entrants should expect to hear if their entry is successful next February.

The cost of a place for successful UK participants is £49 (with a £2 discount for members of UKA-affiliated running clubs).

How to enter the international ballot?

Runners living outside the UK need to enter the international ballot which costs £99, plus a £26 carbon offset levy.

This also closes at 9pm BST on Friday October 8.

How do the ballots work?

The London Marathon Ballot is drawn at random, just like the National Lottery, so everyone is in with the same chance.

If you’d like to increase your chances of gaining a 2022 TCS London Marathon place, you can opt to donate your entry fee when you enter the UK Ballot.

Applicants who do this are entered into a second draw for another chance to secure a place.

How to apply for a charity entry?

Everyone who misses out on the ballot can apply for a charity entry.

Each year most major charities have a set number of entry places in the event through the Golden and Silver Bond schemes.

They allocate these places to runners who, in return, agree to raise a minimum amount of money for the charity.

There are usually more people interested in running for each charity than there are charity places available, so often charities will select runners based on their connection with the cause and how much money they are realistically able to raise.

The charity may also ask runners to pay a registration fee when they apply for their charity place.

Championship Entry

Those who wish to qualify for the Championship Entry must complete a marathon or half marathon at an event on a certified course in a set time.

Men must complete their qualifying marathon in under two hours and 40 minutes, while women must finish theirs in under three hours and 14 minutes.

The half-marathon qualifying times are one hour and 12 minutes for men and one hour and 28 minutes for women.

The Championship qualification period for the 2022 London Marathon opened on January 1 2021 and will close on December 31 2021.

Entries for the 2022 Championship will open later in the year.