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London Marathon FAQs

The marathon event 

 

When is the London Marathon 2024? 

The London Marathon will take place on 21st April 2024. 

How long is a marathon? 

The standard length of a marathon is 26.2 miles. The legendary race was inspired by the story of an ancient Greek messenger who ran approximately 25 miles to announce the Greek victory over the Persians at the battle of Marathon. However, the modern marathon length is based on the 1908 race which was extended to 26.2 miles so the course could start at the Windsor Castle and the length became standardised in 1921. 

How many km in a marathon? 

The length of a marathon race in kilometres is 42.195km. 

Will there be a virtual London Marathon in 2024? 

Yes, no matter where you live, you can compete in the Virtual Marathon in 2024. 

 

Entering the marathon race 

 

When can I apply for London marathon 2024? 

The final day for the London Marathon Ballot was Thursday 6th July 2023. If you missed the deadline, you may be able to get a place through a charity or participate in our competition for a chance to win a spot on the BUXTON® team! Fill out our marathon form and you could win one of our fifteen marathon places. 

How to enter the London Marathon 2024? 

This year, BUXTON® is excited to welcome you on its team! Get a place in the London Marathon 2024 by joining our competition. All you have to do is fill out our marathon form for a chance to win one of the fifteen places reserved on the BUXTON® team. It’s that simple!

You can also join the global family of marathon enthusiasts, in person or virtually. You can apply for a London Marathon charity entry in return for raising a minimum amount of money for the chosen organisation. This is a handy list of amazing charities that offer marathon places and need your support. You can also join the Virtual, or My Way, London Marathon which gives you 24 hours to complete the 26.2-mile race wherever you live in the world.

How much does it cost to enter the London marathon? 

You don’t have to pay anything to enter the ballot for the London Marathon. However, if you are successful, and assuming you did not get a place through BUXTON®, there is an entry fee which participants will have to pay. The fee for UK entries is £69.99 in the London Marathon Ballot for 2024. For international participants in the 2024 race the fee is £146, including a £20 carbon offset levy to balance CO2 emissions from participant travel.  

How old do you have to be to enter the London Marathon? 

You have to be 18 years old or over on the day of the marathon. However, there is a separate mini-marathon for young athletes looking for a challenge. This is open to school children of all ages. 

Win a place to the TCS London Marathon 2024 with BUXTON®

 

How can I win one of the marathon places on the BUXTON® team?

Our marathon competition is now open. All you have to do is fill out the marathon competition form for a chance to win one of the fifteen spots reserved on our team. Competition closes at 23:59 on 16.10.2023. Good luck!

What is the prize for the winners of the BUXTON® marathon competition?

15 winners will have the opportunity to participate in the famous 26.2-mile TCS London Marathon 2024 taking place on Sunday, 21st April 2024. They will also get to know the BUXTON team, get training insights and pick up tips for the day. As part of the prize, winners will be encouraged to participate in our pre-race PR events and shout out about what motivates and inspires them to be part of the world-famous London marathon.

Who can enter the BUXTON® marathon competition?

Our competition is open to all UK residents aged 18 years old and over.

Where can I find the terms and conditions for the BUXTON® marathon competition?

You can find the full terms and conditions for our marathon competition here.

Can the winners of the marathon competition participate in the virtual race?

The winners of the competition will be able to participate in person, in the London marathon race. The competition doesn’t include places for the virtual marathon.

What details will I need to enter the BUXTON® marathon competition?

You will need to enter your name, country, email address, what running level you are, and tell us why you want to run the London Marathon and how your story relates to Buxton's purpose of physical and mental wellbeing (max. 300 characters). If you have an Instagram account, follow @buxtonwater and provide your Instagram account handle on the entry form to double your chances of being selected for the judging part of the promotion.
This is an online-only competition which means you can only register via the online form. No postal or telephone applications will be taken into consideration.

How many times can I enter your marathon competition?

You can only enter the competition once. Multiple entries will not be taken into consideration. However, if you add your personal Instagram details to the official entry form and follow the official Buxton Water Instagram page at @buxtonwater you will receive a second entry in the random selection for a chance to be selected for the final competition judging.

How are winners notified?

Winners of the competition will be notified no later than the 07.11.2023 via the email address entered when they registered for a chance to win a place on the BUXTON® marathon team.
They will be required to follow next steps via a secure claim form requesting further details, within two days of being notified that they are a winner to confirm verification against the Terms & Conditions and to meet the necessary deadlines.

How are the marathon competition winners selected?

All genuine valid entries for the Competition will be entered into a random draw selection process to determine up to 6,000 entries that will be taken forward to the judging process. All valid Competition entries of the acceptable standard, from the 6,000, will be judged by an independent agency against the stated criteria:
A. Character & Personality
B. Originality
C. Relevance to Buxton's "Sweat & Tears" values
D. Impact.
Each of these four categories counts for a quarter of the final score for the entry.

Will the BUXTON® prize draw for a marathon place cover travel or accommodation expenses?

The prize is the place in the physical event in London and the successful candidate will need to organise their travel, expenses and accommodation.

BUXTON® and the London Marathon partnership 

Why do BUXTON® sponsor the marathon?  

We are proud to sponsor the London Marathon which promote exercise & healthy hydration, and celebrate resilience. BUXTON® encourages the nation to hydrate and exercise to take care of its physical and mental health! We feel our partnership with the London Marathon reflects this perfectly. Discover our Sweat & Tears campaign and be inspired. 

How much water will BUXTON® be giving out?  

With a much smaller event taking place this year, we have a partnership with London Marathon Events Ltd supplying 70k bottles of BUXTON® to keep the runners hydrated throughout the race. 

What happens to the unused water?  

Nothing gets wasted. The London Marathon events team will keep hold of any unused water and circulate at other events. Our BUXTON® natural mineral water will be consumed where possible and the packaging recycled. All BUXTON® water bottles are 100% recyclable. Find out more about our commitment to recycling and the environment, here. 

Preparing for the London Marathon 

 

How to prepare for a marathon? 

Prepare for the marathon by getting your body used to long distance running. Set weekly mileage targets, add interval training to your schedule to boost your cardio fitness and don’t forget to let your body recover in between training sessions. If you need help with your marathon training plan, check out our handy guide. 

How much water to drink during marathon? 

Although the amount of hydration you need during the marathon depends on the temperature and humidity on the day of the event, runners usually need to drink between 400-800ml water every hour. Find out more with our race day hydration guide.