“Not this time.” Like many aspiring runners hoping to take on the lengthy race in the capital, this was the response I received opening my 2026 TCS London Marathon ballot result email yesterday (June 19) – numerous years of trying to get a place, still no success. A recent study found that your chances of getting into the London Marathon are even less likely than getting tickets to Glastonbury – and you could probably run a marathon by the time you’re out of that online ticket queue. However, the odds are more in your favour if you apply for the UK’s second largest 26.2mile race, the adidas Manchester Marathon, and luckily entry for 2026 is now open for runners to sign-up to.
With hundreds of thousands of London hopefuls being unsuccessful in their applications, the marathon named one of the best in the UK, have announced entries are now open for you to claim your spot on the start line. Manchester Marathon, which will take place on April 19, 2026 (a week before 2026 London Marathon), opened limited allocations on June 19 following the London Marathon ballot result announcement.
The running event was been named the best marathon to enter by KUDOS Run if you missed out on a London Marathon space with a score of 9.39 out of 10. The race, which began in 1908, kicks off near Old Trafford, taking runners through the heart of Manchester city centre before finishing on Oxford Road, offering a scenic route for runners.
But you need to be quick! Last year, when Manchester Marathon announced entry was now open, organisers saw one person entering the 2025 race every seven seconds!
How to enter the adidas Manchester Marathon 2026
With the first allocations having sold out, limited entries into Allocation 5 are now available. Participants who enter this allocation will pay a total of £95.84 (including booking fee), which includes a guaranteed place on the 2026 start line, a personalised bib sent out in the post in advance, plus your finish rewards. For £129.92, you can receive everything included in the individual entry plus event day photos and a personalised engraved medal insert (iTab).
There are also options to run the race for a charity and also apply for a two-person entry at a discounted rate – so if you wanted to drag a friend, family member or partner along with you, you can.
You can sign-up to the Manchester Marathon here. Run, don’t walk, shall we say.
