London Marathon confirms world record field for 2025

The London Marathon is set to break the world record for the most participants in a single marathon, organisers announced Thursday.

In a statement, Marathon organizers verified that 56,000 runners are expected to take part in the race which will take place on April 27.

The current record of 55,646 finishers was set by the New York City Marathon last November.

Reuters reports that London organizers stated they had received a record 840,318 applications for the ballot to enter this year's race, with just under half of the applications coming from women.

"The 45th edition is a landmark year for us, and it would be wonderful to mark that by becoming the biggest marathon ever staged anywhere in the world," London Marathon CEO Hugh Brasher said in a statement on Thursday.

The London Marathon is considered amongst the world's most prestigious marathons besides the Berlin, Chicago, and Boston Marathons.

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, the Olympic champion from Rio and Tokyo, returns to the race for the first time since 2020, while women's world record holder Ruth and Olympic champion Sifan Hassan have also been confirmed for the event.