The 2026 London Marathon has raised a record £87.5 million for charity, becoming the largest single-day fundraising event of its kind so far this year. Organizers said the total had exceeded last year’s £87.3 million, with the final figure expected to be over £90 million confirmed later this year, the BBC reported. Last Sunday’s race in London also saw a strong performance on the track. Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe made history when he became the first athlete to complete an official marathon in under two hours, clocking 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds. In the women’s race, Ethiopian athlete Tigste Assefa set a new women’s world record with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 41 seconds. The event also set a milestone for participation, with 59,830 runners crossing the finish line, the highest number ever recorded for a marathon. London Marathon chief executive Hugh Brasher described the day as extraordinary. He said: “It’s been an extraordinary day for world records, from the elite men and women running such extraordinary times, to the turnout and now the fundraising.” He added that the scale of support from runners and donors has taken the event to new heights. “It’s great to know we’ve surpassed the world record of £87.3m in 2025,” he said. “A huge thank you to everyone who raised money and to everyone who donated to such a wide range of charities.” The final fundraising total will be officially confirmed in September.
