TCS London Marathon

A ballot place is one that you have secured yourself directly with London Marathon Events through the ballot. If you have one of these places, we simply ask that you fundraise what you can.

A charity place is one which Guide Dogs has purchased and decides to allocate to you. If you have one of these places, we ask that you raise £2,000 excluding Gift Aid to support our life-changing services.

To secure a place with us, complete our online application including as much information as possible regarding your fundraising plans and how you will reach the £2,000 fundraising target. 

Our Events Team will review your application and send our decision within one week of receipt. If you are successful, you will receive an email asking you to contact us to pay your £100 registration fee (non-refundable).

Applying for one of our charity places is easy, and we’ll be with you every step of the way. All successful applicants will receive:

• Regular emails and advice from our Events Team
• A Guide Dogs technical running top
• Pre and post-race day support
• A paw-some post-race party 
• Fundraising resources and training advice

It is a common misconception that charities receive free places in the London Marathon. Charities pay for each of its marathon places, which is why we work so hard to support our fundraisers to ensure targets are met. 

All #TeamGuideDogs London Marathon runners are given lots of support and advice to help reach the £2,000 fundraising target, including a welcome pack containing inspiration and ideas and access to fundraising materials, such as collection buckets, banners, online resources, and social assets.

You will also have access to our #TeamGuideDogs Facebook community, which is a great place to ask for advice and share fundraising tips.

Not reaching your sponsorship pledge impacts the amazing work Guide Dogs undertakes, so please ensure you are confident in reaching the £2,000 target before applying for a place in this event. 

Runners who have failed to raise the amount you have pledged may be placed on a low performance list held by Guide Dogs AND London Marathon. Being placed on this list may affect your chances when applying to future London Marathons and Guide Dogs events. Don’t be overwhelmed, think about cutting the £2,000 sponsorship down into smaller amounts and aim to raise a set amount at a time. 

No, Gift Aid is not included in your fundraising total. 

We find that the earlier our runners start fundraising, the more they can raise. It also gives you more time to focus on training in the final months before the big day.

You have up to three months after the event date to raise the £2,000 target.

If you have an injury, please let us know as soon as possible, depending on your circumstances we may be able to offer you a deferral. 

If you are offered a London Marathon place with #TeamGuideDogs, we will provide you with vital information on how to complete your registration via the London Marathon console. Please action as per our instructions to secure your place in the event. Failure to complete the console will risk your place in this event.