2026 TCS London Marathon expected to break its own world record for one-day fundraising event
Howard Lake | 5 May 2026 | News
The 2026 London Marathon has already raised £87.5 million for charities, breaking the world record it has already set for the most money raised for charity by a one-day event.
Of this £42.2 million has so far been raised on Enthuse, the official online fundraising partner of the TCS London Marathon.
The fundraising total has been collated from a range of fundraising platforms:
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- JustGiving
- Enthuse
- Cancer Research UK
- Crowdfunder
- GoFundMe
- GiveGain
The amount raised to date has already surpassed the existing world record of £87.3 million, set at the 2025 TCS London Marathon. The final total for this year will be announced in September and is expected to be more than £90 million.
Eddie Allenby, General Manager at Enthuse, said:
“A record-breaking amount raised for charities yet again: an incredible achievement! We’re delighted to see that £42.2 million has been raised for good causes through Enthuse so far, a 22% increase on this time last year, and we’re excited to see what we can achieve together as the official fundraising partner until 2034. At a time where finances are tight for many, the TCS London Marathon continues to bring out the best in humanity and inspire charitable giving like no other event.”
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, organisers of the TCS London Marathon, commented:
“The 2026 TCS London Marathon 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. It is fantastic to know we have already surpassed our £87.3 million world record from 2025. Huge thanks to everyone who fundraised, and to everyone who donated to such a wide range of charities.”
More records broken
The 2026 TCS London Marathon also broke the Guinness World Records title for the most finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 people completing the event.
The day delivered sporting history too, as Sabastian Sawe became the first man to run a sub‑two‑hour marathon in a competitive race, while Tigst Assefa defended her title and shattered her own women‑only world record in 2:15:41.
After the event it was announced that a record 1.8% of the UK adult population (more than a million people) had applied to run in the 2027 race.
In addition it set a world record of 1,338,544 global applications for next year’s event, up from 1.13 million for this year’s race, and over double the amount they received in 2024.
About the London Marathon
The London Marathon was first held on 29 March 1981 and the event has since raised over £1.3 billion for charity. The millionth finisher in the history of the event crossed the line in 2016.
London Marathon Events passes its surplus each year through corporate Gift Aid its parent charity, the London Marathon Foundation (the operating name of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, a registered charity (283813) and a company limited by guarantee.
Since 1981, the London Marathon Foundation has awarded £110 million to more than 1,700 projects that inspire activity in London, Essex and across the UK.
2027 London Marathon
The ballot to run in the 2027 London Marathon has already closed but places are available from charities.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.