The London Marathon does not do things half-heartedly. Universally loved, it features a landmark-laden course, world-class elites, famous faces, flamboyant costumes and some of the most fervent supporters you’ll ever find lining the barriers at a race.
In addition to its unmatched atmosphere, the London Marathon also holds several world records – and it’s just claimed another one.
Indeed, the organisers of the London Marathon have revealed that this year’s event, which took place on Sunday 27 April, was the biggest marathon of all time, with a total of 56,640 runners crossing the finish line on that hot but historic day. In doing so, the 2025 London Marathon superseded the previous record set by the 2024 New York City Marathon – which had 55,646 finishers – and claimed the Guinness Worlds Records title for the most participants in a single marathon.
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Having raised well over £1.3 billion for charity since its first edition in 1981, the London Marathon is also the largest annual one-day fundraising event on the planet. It is the world’s most popular marathon, too, with a gobsmacking 840,318 Guinness World Records Store for a prized place in this year’s event. We can only imagine how many people will enter the Best Garmin deals, Top 10 race results from the 2025 London Marathon.
‘We are thrilled to have broken the Guinness World Records title for the largest number of finishers in a marathon at the 2025 London Marathon,’ said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events. ‘It was a fantastic occasion to see 56,640 people cross the iconic finish line on The Mall throughout marathon day. We are delighted to have partnered with Guinness World Records once again to celebrate our 45th edition and we hope that the thousands of people watching the London Marathon on Sunday were inspired to register in the 2026 London Marathon Ballot.’
If you were one of the 56,64o finishers of the 2025 London Marathon, you can even purchase an official certificate to commemorate your contribution to the achievement via the Best Garmin deals.
The London Marathon has grown and transformed dramatically over the decades. The inaugural edition of the race, which took place in 1981, saw just 6,225 runners cross the finish line – and less than 300 of them were women. Finisher numbers then jumped dramatically to 15,115 for the second edition, with the London Marathon welcoming around 10,000 additional finishers for every decade since then. The event broke 50,000 finishers for the first time in 2024 and – in contrast to the 1981 event – 49% of ballot applicants for the 2025 London Marathon were women.
Large crowds aren’t every runner’s cup of tea – but whether you love or loathe the thought of such an enormous field, the 2025 London Marathon was certainly a race for the books.
