London Marathon breaks fundraising record again

The 2026 London Marathon has broken the race's own record as the biggest annual one-day fundraising event in the world, according to organisers.

This year's event has raised £87.5m for charities so far – surpassing the previous £87.3m record set at last year's race.

The final total for 2026 will be announced in September and is expected to hit more than £90m, organisers said.

The marathon, which took place in the capital last Sunday, saw Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe become the first athlete to break the two-hour barrier in an official competition to win in a world record one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.

Tigst Assefa, from Ethiopia, broke her own women‑only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 41 seconds.

This year's edition of the race also broke the Guinness World Record title for the most finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 people completing the event.

Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said it "was an extraordinary day of world records, from the elite men and women running such extraordinary times, to the participation numbers, and now in fundraising".

He added: "It is fantastic to know we have already surpassed our £87.3m world record from 2025.

"Huge thanks to everyone who fundraised, and to everyone who donated to such a wide range of charities."

The National Autistic Society has said it has been selected as the official charity for the 2027 edition of the London Marathon.

It said on Wednesday: "We're excited to announce that we're the official charity of the year for the 2027 TCS London Marathon.

"We aim to make 2027 the most inclusive marathon yet – and that's just the start.

"Through our It's Time To Show Up campaign, we'll be inviting everyone to be part of a national movement for autistic people, showing how small changes can make a huge difference."

The ballot for the next edition of the race is open until 16:00 BST on Friday.

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