22°
Warm and summer-like, the temperature reaching 22.2 degrees Celsius, tied as the hottest London Marathon day on record at the time
1996 Ballot results
The datasheet
TCS London Marathon 1996 ballot: 16th edition, 26,806 finishers
The 1996 Flora London Marathon is the day Dionicio Ceron of Mexico won in 2:10:00 to become the first man to take the London title three years in a row, on the hottest race day on record at the time.
Edition
16th edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
26,806
Total finishers
Race day
Apr 21
1996
Good-for-age
M2:52 W3:38
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 1996 notable
The 1996 race opened Flora's long run as title sponsor and was staged on the hottest London Marathon day on record at the time, the temperature reaching 22.2 degrees Celsius. Dionicio Ceron of Mexico pulled clear to win in 2:10:00, his third London title in a row after 1994 and 1995, making him the first man to take the race three years running. Vincent Rousseau of Belgium was second in 2:10:26 and Paul Evans of Great Britain third in 2:10:40. Liz McColgan delivered the home result, winning the women's race in 2:27:54 to become the third British woman to win in London. Joyce Chepchumba of Kenya was second in 2:30:09 and Malgorzata Sobanska of Poland third in 2:30:17.
Year over year
Applications over time
Applications · 2011 → 2026
164K170K167K170K173K247K254K386K414K578K840K1.13M
'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'24'25'26
Qualifying
Good-for-age standards
View full age-group standards
| Age group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:52:00 | 3:38:00 |
| 35-39 | 2:52:00 | 3:38:00 |
| 40-44 | 2:57:00 | 3:43:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:02:00 | 3:46:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:07:00 | 3:53:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:12:00 | 3:58:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:34:00 | 4:23:00 |
| 65-69 | 3:52:00 | 4:53:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:52:00 | 5:53:00 |
| 75-79 | 5:07:00 | 6:13:00 |
| 80-84 | 5:27:00 | 6:38:00 |
| 85-89 | 6:10:00 | 7:10:00 |
| 90+ | 7:20:00 | 7:45:00 |
FAQ
Questions about the 1996 ballot
Why is the 1996 London Marathon remembered?
Dionicio Ceron of Mexico won in 2:10:00 to become the first man to win the London Marathon three years in a row, after his 1994 and 1995 titles, on the hottest race day on record at the time.
Who won the 1996 London Marathon?
Dionicio Ceron of Mexico won the men's race in 2:10:00, ahead of Vincent Rousseau in 2:10:26. Liz McColgan of Great Britain won the women's race in 2:27:54 to become the third British woman to win in London.
How big was the 1996 London Marathon?
Around 68,000 people applied, 39,173 had their applications accepted, 27,134 started and 26,806 finished. The application total was reported only as a round figure, so no exact applications count is recorded here.
When was the 1996 London Marathon held?
Sunday 21 April 1996. It was the 16th running of the race and the first held under Flora sponsorship.
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