Overcast, cold and damp, a dull and chilly April Sunday with no rain heavy enough to stop the race but conditions the women's winner called very difficult
2015 Ballot results
The datasheet
TCS London Marathon 2015 ballot: 172,888 applications
Eliud Kipchoge held off defending champion Wilson Kipsang by five seconds to win his first London Marathon in 2:04:42, in a year the ballot drew a then record 172,888 applications.
Applications
172,888
Field size
37,581
Total finishers
Race day
Apr 26
2015
Ballot open
Apr 22
2014
Good-for-age
M2:52 W3:38
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2015 notable
The 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon belonged to Eliud Kipchoge, who won the first of his London titles in 2:04:42. In a field stacked with the world record holder Dennis Kimetto, defending champion Wilson Kipsang and Kenenisa Bekele, Kipchoge surged late and held off Kipsang by just five seconds, with Kimetto third in 2:05:50. A couple of tactical slower miles put Kipsang's 2014 course record of 2:04:29 out of reach. Tigist Tufa took the women's race in 2:23:22 on a dull, cold and damp morning she called very difficult, edging Mary Keitany by eighteen seconds. The ballot drew a then record 172,888 applications, the online portal hitting its 125,000 cap in record time. A field of 37,581 finished.
Year over year
Applications over time
Applications · 2014 → 2026
170K173K247K254K386K414K578K840K1.13M
'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 2015 ballot
How many people applied to the 2015 London Marathon ballot?
172,888 in total, a then record for the event and up from 169,682 a year earlier. The online ballot portal filled its 125,000 cap in record time. London Marathon Events does not publish a clean public-ballot acceptance rate, so the application count is the reliable headline figure.
Who won the 2015 London Marathon?
Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the men's race in 2:04:42, his first London title, beating defending champion Wilson Kipsang by five seconds. Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia won the women's race in 2:23:22, edging two-time winner Mary Keitany by eighteen seconds.
Was a course record set at the 2015 London Marathon?
No. A couple of tactical slower miles left the winning time of 2:04:42 short of Wilson Kipsang's 2014 course record of 2:04:29. Kipsang was second in 2:04:47 and world record holder Dennis Kimetto third in 2:05:50.
When did the 2015 ballot run and what was race-day weather like?
The public ballot opened on Tuesday 22 April 2014 and filled its 125,000 online cap in record time. Race day on Sunday 26 April 2015 was dull, cold and damp, conditions the women's winner described as very difficult. A field of 37,581 runners finished, from 38,020 starters.
Free alerts · TCS London Marathon
Want the next TCS London Marathon ballot window?
Set alert