London Marathon 2020 - Cancelled

07 Aug 2020
London Marathon 2020 - Cancelled

Firstly, we would like to thank all of our amazing London Marathon runners, who have been patient and supportive throughout this tumultuous year. It has not been the London Marathon experience anyone expected but we are proud to have such a fantastic team of runners behind us. 

London Marathon Events announced the cancellation of the 2020 London Marathon yesterday (6th August 2020) which we know will be a mixture of disappointment and relief for our runners. We understand that you will have lots of questions which will hopefully be answered below.

If you are still unsure or have more questions please do get in contact with Jenny on jennyr@meningitis.org and she will be happy to help.
Key dates
  • 12th August - Entries for ‘The 40th Race from Home’ will open to 2020 runners - please RSVP

  • 17th August - Registration for ‘The 40th Race from Home’ will close (17:00)

  • 1st September - You will be emailed your options for deferring​

What will happen to my place?

Our 2020 charity places will be rolled over to future London Marathons. We will still be able to offer our 2020 runners a place in a future London Marathon. 

On the 1st September, London Marathon Events will email you directly to ask which year you would prefer to run the marathon; either 3rd October 2021, 24th April 2022 or 23rd April 2023. This also applies to runners who deferred their place to before the announcement. 

They will pass this information over to Meningitis Research Foundation and we will do our absolute best to allocate your place in your chosen year. We hope to be able to give you an update about your allocated place in October. If this changes, we will notify you.

Please note that until we receive more information from London Marathon Events and have access to the dates our runners have chosen, we cannot guarantee your preference.

Why is the 2021 London Marathon not in April? 

The 2021 London Marathon is scheduled for Sunday 3rd October 2021. It has been moved from its usual April date to maximise the chance of the mass participation event being able to take place.


 

The 40th Race from Home - Virtual Event

London Marathon Events will announce the full details of the virtual event on the 12th August when the entry system opens. If your questions aren't answered here please wait until next week for more details.
What is it?
It is a virtual marathon that will be held on Sunday 4th October, to allow runners to take part in The 40th Race and mark the occasion.  To take part you will need to complete 26.2 miles on the 4th October, in under 24 hours, wherever you are. Upload evidence and you will receive a medal and exclusive New Balance finisher T-shirt. If you already deferred your place before the announcement and you do not receive an email on the 12th August, but would like to take part, please email Jenny at jennyr@meningitis.org.
If I run in the virtual race can I still defer my place?
Yes, taking part in The 40th Race from Home event will not affect your deferral. It is meant to be an extra race to mark the day and help to raise vital funds for charities. It will also not affect your deferral if you chose not to take part in the virtual race.
How much is it to take part?
It will be free for you to take part in the virtual event on the 4th October. However, please note that Meningitis Research Foundation will be charged £20 (plus £5 for international participants) per runner. We are considering our options in how we support you to do this event with this added cost. We will have a better idea early next week and will update you before the entries open.


If you have any other questions, please contact Jenny on jennyr@meningitis.org

We look forward to helping you cross that all important finish line.

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Media contact
Elaine Devine - Director of Advocacy, Communications & Support
Tel: 0333 405 6248