Largest Marathon in the World: New York, London and 59,830 Finishers

01New York, November 2, 2025

A year ago, New York won the numbers race. According to its organizer, New York Road Runners (NYRR), 59,662 runners start and 59,226 cross the line, a record for a marathon. They come from 132 countries: 18,660 finishers are from abroad, 27,156 are women. NYRR notes that these figures may still change after final verification.

For New York, it's the second record in two years: in November 2024, the race already had 55,646 finishers according to Guinness (55,643 in NYRR's figures).

02London takes the crown back

Between those two editions, London had overtaken New York: 56,640 finishers in April 2025, certified by Guinness World Records. New York moves back ahead in November. Then London answers on April 26, 2026: 59,830 finishers, from 60,512 starters according to Guinness, about 600 more than New York. Guinness records it as the largest number of finishers in a marathon.

Two cities, four records in less than eighteen months.

03Finishers, starters, applicants: comparing honestly

Guinness counts finishers, not starters. It changes the ranking very little: 60,512 starters in London, 59,662 in New York. But a race figure is never entirely fixed: the New York 2025 number was given as provisional by the organizer itself.

Then there is the third number, the applicants. For the 2026 edition, London received 1,133,813 ballot entries, a record. For 2027, the organizer announces 1,338,544. New York logged more than 240,000 applications for 2026, with about 1% getting in through the draw. Careful: an application is not a runner, and the draw rules differ from one city to the other.

04Why the Majors keep growing

Demand is exploding. In New York, the 2025 draw had already attracted more than 200,000 applications. “More than ever, people want to experience the magic of the TCS New York City Marathon.” That was NYRR chief executive Rob Simmelkjaer at the time. In London, Hugh Brasher, head of London Marathon Events, sums up the 2027 total in one line: “Nothing else comes close.”

Marathon Handbook offers explanations: social running clubs, parkrun, a growing share of women among British applicants. Those are the outlet's hypotheses, not measurements.

London has chosen to open the floodgates: in 2027, for one edition only, the race will be held over two days, April 24 and 25, with about 100,000 runners expected. New York, for its part, celebrates in 2026 the 50th anniversary of its five-borough course, opened in 1976. See you on Sunday, November 1.