Nearly half a million runners have entered the ballot for the Virgin Money London Marathon, it has been revealed today. The most popular marathon on the planet, setting a new world record for a third successive year, an incredible 457,861 applicants registered for a ballot place in the 2020 event.

This new world record represents an increase of 10.5 per cent on last year’s previous world record of 414,168 applicants for the 2019 race.

373,736 of the applicants for 2020 were from the UK. This is 25,860 more than the previous UK applicant record. More than 56% of the UK applications for 2020 were from people who have never run a marathon, and just under 48% of the total UK applicants were women.

Here’s the reaction on social media so far:

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“This world record reflects the extraordinary inspirational effect of the 39th London Marathon on 28 April and our social media campaign, #ThanksaBillion, which celebrated the many runners who have raised over £1 billion for charitable causes since the event started in 1981," said Hugh Brasher, Event Director for London Marathon Events. "One of our goals is to inspire people to take up sport and it's fantastic that more than 210,000 people from the UK have been inspired to apply to run a marathon for the first time in 2020.

"At the first London Marathon back in 1981, fewer than 300 of the 6,300 finishers were women. More than 179,000 women from the UK have applied to run in 2020 and, for the third successive year, there are more female than male first-time marathon runners from the UK (54.4 per cent v 45.6 per cent).

“The London Marathon continues to have an extraordinary impact that has inspired profound social change. It is an iconic event, recognised as the world's greatest marathon, and compels people to take up running and to raise millions for charity. In addition, The London Marathon Charitable Trust has enabled thousands more to get active through its funding of a huge range of recreational projects."

Entrants will find out whether they have been successful in the ballot in October.