London Marathon raises record £73.5 million for charity
Fundraising passed £67 million the day after more than 53,700 people crossed the finish line on April 21.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.This year’s TCS London Marathon raised a new record of £73.5 million for charity, final figures show.
Fundraising had already passed £67 million the day after the event on April 21 – which saw more than 53,700 people cross the finish line.
That figure broke the previous world record for an annual one-day fundraising event, which was £66.4 million set by the London Marathon in 2019.
Final data has now confirmed charity fundraising from the 2024 event reached £73.5 million, bringing the cumulative total raised since the first London Marathon in 1981 to more than £1.3 billion.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said: “The TCS London Marathon is an extraordinary day and a wonderful celebration of humanity, where tens of thousands of people take on an incredible challenge and do good for others.
“We salute every single participant who has contributed to this world record-breaking total of £73.5 million for the thousands of charities which provide essential services to so many.”
Enthuse, the official online fundraising partner for the TCS London Marathon, saw a record £30 million raised on its platform, a 60% increase on 2023.
Chester Mojay-Sinclare, Enthuse founder and chief executive, said: “Charities play a crucial role in the UK and this outstanding fundraising total is a reflection of people’s gratitude towards them.”
Samaritans was the charity of the year in 2024.
Sonya Trivedy, executive director of external engagement at Samaritans, said it was “a landmark moment” for the charity.
She added: “Partnering with the world’s most iconic marathon provided a unique opportunity for us to reach millions of people with a message of hope – Believe in Tomorrow.
“We are so grateful to all our 2024 London Marathon runners and partners who have so far helped us raise more than £1.1 million, four times the amount we would normally raise annually via the London Marathon.
“We estimate that over the next three years, the charity of the year partnership will generate a total of £2.8 million.”
Emma Pound, challenge events programme manager for Macmillan, said the London Marathon makes up a huge part of its fundraising income to support people living with cancer and the charity raised more than £2.1 million from the 2024 event.
More than 840,000 people applied in the ballot for a place in the 2025 TCS London Marathon which will take place on April 27, a new record on the 578,304 who applied for 2024.
– Final fundraising data for 2024 was collated by collaborate+ and The Information Lab, with information provided by Enthuse, Cancer Research UK, Crowdfunder, Facebook, GoFundMe, givestar, GiveWheel, GivenGain, Give as you Live, Givey, Funraisin, Instagram, JustGiving, Social Sync and Wonderful.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.