Championship entry

Championship applications are now live!

Please note, applications close at 16:00 on 6 January 2025.

If successful, you will receive a confirmation email by the end of January 2025. To secure your place, you must make payment by 16:00 on 27 February 2025.

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The application process for a Championship place is unchanged for 2025, though the qualification times have been slightly reduced.

There will be changes to the process for 2026. Please head to the bottom for more information.

Qualification details

If you are looking to secure a Championship place in the 2025 TCS London Marathon, you must have achieved a qualifying performance on a course certified by UKA, the Association for International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), or a national governing body for distance running for the country in which the race is held.

You must also be registered with your national governing body (England Athletics, Scotland Athletics, Welsh Athletics or Athletics Northern Ireland), otherwise we will not be able to accept your application. If you are unsure whether you’re registered, please check with your national governing body.

Championship qualifying times

The table below details the Championship qualifying times for the 2025 TCS London Marathon. Qualifying times must have been run at an event with a certified course between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.

Distance	Men	Women
Full marathon	sub 2:38:00	sub 3:10:00
Half marathon	sub 1:11:30	sub 1:26:00

Application process for 2026

For the 2026 TCS London Marathon, we will be aligning the qualification period and application process for Championship places and Good For Age places. This means that:

The total number of Championship places for 2026 will be capped at 1,000 places – 500 men and 500 women
The qualifying period for both Championship and Good For Age places for 2026 will be 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025
Meeting the qualifying time will not guarantee a Championship place but simply the opportunity to submit an application
If there are more than 1,000 applicants for Championship places, these will be allocated on a ‘fastest first’ basis and the slower runners under the qualification time will be moved to the Good For Age start
Good For Age runners will still be on a fastest first system with 6,000 places (3,000 men and 3,000 women)

Championship FAQs

Yes – providing you can confirm the information required, meeting the qualification time will guarantee you entry into the TCS London Marathon. You will need to ensure you have paid and secured your entry within the designated time frame after your application has been accepted.
No – so long as you meet the qualifying criteria and have proof of a UKA membership, there is no need to enter the ballot.
Qualifying times must have been run at an event with a course certified by the Association for International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).
Yes – providing you are a member of a UKA membership body, you can apply for a Championship place if you don’t live in the UK.
You will need to provide the following:
• Proof of performance – this will be a link to the results webpage or a file (jpg, PDF) which clearly displays the name, date and qualifying time of the event.
• Proof of UKA membership – this will be your UKA membership number which will be verified on the membership portal.
There will be no upgrade process for the 2025 TCS London Marathon.