Charities are being invited to apply to become the official charity partner for the 2027 TCS London Marathon.

Organisers London Marathon Events said applicants would need to be able to show they could raise at least £1m from the partnership and show they had successfully managed at least 100 participants in a previous mass participation event.

Any UK-registered charity can apply and the winning bid will receive 250 running places in the 2027 race, plus 50 in 2028, 25 in 2029 and 10 in 2030, in addition to any other spots the organisation might have.

Samaritans, which was the charity of the year for 2024, said in September that it expected the partnership would raise £2.8m for the charity over three years.

Pancreatic Cancer UK is the official charity partner for the 2025 event, which will be staged on 27 April.

The next charity partner for the 2026 race is expected to be announced in the days after this year’s event.

Sarah Ball, head of charities at the TCS London Marathon, said: “We want to hear from charities that are looking to fund an innovative project or projects that will create a lasting impact. This is a unique chance for a charity to reach new audiences and raise millions for its cause.”

The deadline for applications is 5pm on 12 May.

Last year’s TCS London Marathon raised a record £73.5m for good causes. 

More than 53,700 people finished the race this year, up from 49,225 in the previous year. 

Organisers London Marathon Events have already said that this year’s race is expected to break the world record for the most participants in a marathon, with more than 56,000 finishers anticipated this year. 

The existing record is 55,646 finishers set by the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2024.

The London race is the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event, with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since it was first staged in 1981.

For more information and to apply, click here.