London Marathon breaks world record for most finishers

The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.

A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.

The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.

Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.

"The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race," he said.

"It is also the world's largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981."

The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year's race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.

Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women's race in a world record for a women's only field, while Kenya's Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men's event.

It was a Swiss double in the wheelchair races for the second year running as Catherine Debrunner broke her own course record in the women's race and Marcel Hug stormed to his seventh victory in the men's.

On Saturday, more than 15,000 young people competed in the Mini London Marathon, making it the biggest since the event started in 1986.