According to an announcement by London Marathon Events (LME), Guinness World Records has confirmed that the 2026 TCS London Marathon has broken the record for the largest number of finishers in a marathon.
LME noted that a total of 59,830 participants completed the TCS London Marathon on Sunday, April 26, 2026. This total edged passed the previous record of 59,226 set by the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2025.
The 2026 event in London also saw significant athletic achievements on the course. Sabastian Sawe became the first man to run a sub–two–hour marathon in a competitive race, with a mind-boggling 1:59:30 marathon world record.
In the women’s elite field, Tigst Assefa defended her title and broke her own women–only world record with a time of 2:15:41. This race marked the first time in the history of the sport that three women finished under 2:16 in a single event.
Beyond the professional field, 38 Guinness World Records titles were broken from 71 official attempts by mass–participation runners. These included Archie Hunt, who achieved the fastest marathon dressed as a book character (male) in 02:27:41.
Chelsea Grogan also set a new mark for the fastest marathon with multiple sclerosis (female), finishing in 02:59:32.
Mark McKinley, Director of Central Records Services at Guinness World Records, said “It’s amazing to see the growth of the TCS London Marathon and this record marks the 19th consecutive year of our partnership, a collaboration that continues to offer runners the opportunity to add an extra challenge to their training. Congratulations to all the runners that took part, you are officially amazing!”
Hugh Brasher, Chief Executive Officer at London Marathon Events, said “Sporting and marathon history was set at the 2026 TCS London Marathon, where Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha became the first athletes ever to run a sub-two-hour marathon under official race conditions and for the first time ever three women ran under 2 hours and 16 minutes in one race.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the TCS London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record. Our mission as a company is to inspire activity – and entries for the 2027 TCS London Marathon Ballot are open.”
The TCS London Marathon is one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and is known for its international field and significant fundraising impact. London Marathon Events, the organiser, confirms that applications for the next edition are currently being accepted.
