The new entry standards for championship spots are a bit more difficult to achieve than in previous years
The qualifying times for the 2025 TCS London Marathon Championship places have been lowered.
For the past few years, men and women have had to run sub-2:40/3:14 or sub-1:12:30/1:28 to secure a championship berth in the event.
Next year’s times are a bit harder to come by as the qualifying standards are sub-marathon sub-2:38/3:10 or sub-marathon 1:11.30/1:26.
To qualify for next year’s London Marathon, you must have secured a standard course certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Runners (AIMS), be registered with a national governing body and set a deadline of 1 January to 1 January. on December 31
If someone doesn’t qualify for the championship, they can also apply for a Good For Age place to run 26.2 miles in the British capital.
The London Marathon will also see changes for the 2026 edition of the championship.
Organizers have announced that the total number of places for the 2026 championships will be limited to 1,000 – 500 men and 500 women – and meeting the qualifying time will not automatically secure a place.
If there are more than 1,000 applicants for championship places, they will be allocated on a “first-in-first-out” basis, with runners with lower qualifying times moving to a “Good For Age” start.
Good For Age runners will still be in the fastest first system, with 6,000 places – 3,000 men and 3,000 women – available in total.
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