Never miss another ballot window.
Each Major opens its ballot once a year. Miss the window and you wait for the next one. Below is a real year of Radar, in order.
Your inbox, one year
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Marathon BallotTue, Apr 21
London Marathon ballot opens in 3 days
Heads up, the entry window opens Fri, Apr 24, 2026. Get your details ready: name, address, recent marathon time.
Heads up · London
London Marathon ballot opens in 3 days.
Hi Arthur, the entry window opens Fri, Apr 24, 2026. Get your details ready: name, address, recent marathon time if you have one.
01 / Alert · Ballot opens · T minus 3d
Marathon BallotFri, Apr 24
The London Marathon ballot is open
London Marathon ballot just opened. Closes Fri, May 1, 2026. Odds are ~1.3% on a field of 56,000.
Now open · London
The London Marathon ballot is open.
Closes Fri, May 1, 2026. Odds are ~1.3% on a field of 56,000. It's still the best route in.
Enter the ballot02 / Alert · Ballot open
Marathon BallotTue, Apr 28
3 days left to enter London Marathon
3 days left. Closes Fri, May 1, 2026. After Friday the only ways in are charity, qualifying time or tour operator.
Closing soon · London
3 days left to enter London.
After Friday the only ways in are charity, qualifying time, or tour operator: all more expensive, all harder.
Enter before Fri, May 103 / Alert · Closing soon · 3d left
Six weeks quiet
Marathon BallotWed, Jun 10
Cape Town is the eighth Major, and the ballot is open
Confirmed today. Applications cost R5 and close Wed, Jun 24, 2026 for a field of 27,000.
Now open · Cape Town
Cape Town is the eighth Major, and the ballot is open.
Confirmed today. Applications cost R5 to enter, with the race fee charged only if you're drawn. Closes Wed, Jun 24, 2026 for a field of 27,000. First running as a Major: Sun, May 23, 2027.
02 / Alert · Ballot open
Marathon BallotThu, Jul 9
London ballot results land today
Winners and losers are notified on the same day. If it is a no, here are the routes still open to you.
Results today · London
London ballot results land today.
The organizer emails winners and losers on the same day. If it's a no, the charity and good-for-age routes are both still open, and Tokyo opens in five weeks.
04 / Alert · Draw result
Marathon BallotFri, Aug 14
The Tokyo Marathon lottery is open
Closes Fri, Aug 28, 2026. Odds are ~10%, better than London or New York, and you only pay if drawn.
Now open · Tokyo
The Tokyo Marathon lottery is open.
Closes Fri, Aug 28, 2026. Odds are ~10%, better than London or New York, and you're only charged if you're drawn.
02 / Alert · Ballot open
Then Boston, Berlin, Sydney and Chicago, all inside seven weeks
Marathon BallotWed, Feb 4
The New York City lottery is open
Closes Wed, Feb 25. Odds are ~1%, the longest shot on the calendar. The 9+1 route is the alternative.
Now open · New York
The New York City lottery is open.
Closes Wed, Feb 25. Odds are ~1%, the longest shot on the calendar. The 9+1 route through NYRR is the reliable alternative and takes a year to complete.
02 / Alert · Ballot open
Marathon BallotWed, Apr 21
London Marathon: race week (3 days out)
3 days to London Marathon. Bib pickup at the ExCeL expo, bring photo ID. Confirm your start zone.
Race week · London
London Marathon. 3 days out.
Bib pickup at the ExCeL expo, bring photo ID. Confirm your start zone. Taper hard, nothing new on race day.
Alert · Race week · T minus 3d
Questions
Why annual only?
Chasing the Majors is a multi-year project: windows for the 2027 races are opening now. One price covers the whole cycle, nothing to remember each month.
Can I follow just one race?
Yes. Untick the rest and you'll only hear about that one. The price doesn't change, and you can add races whenever a plan changes.
How many emails is that really?
Four per race you follow, per cycle: a heads-up, the open, a last call and the result. Follow all nine and it's still under forty emails a year, each one tied to a date that moved.
Can I cancel?
Anytime, in one click. Your plan keeps running to the end of the year you paid for. No partial-year fees, no retention flow.
Where do the dates come from?
Every date is verified against the official race source and dated. When an organizer moves a window, we update it and the alert follows the new date.
Are you affiliated with Abbott or the race organizers?
No. Marathon Ballot is independent and has no affiliation with Abbott World Marathon Majors or any race organizer.