The 2026 London Marathon set the Guinness World Record for most finishers at any marathon in the world. (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesA lot of people want to run the TCS London Marathon, myself included. When I say a lot, I mean a lot, as in 1,338,544 the record number of would-be marathoners who entered the online ballot for next year’s race (from over 200 countries). To put that in perspective, that’s more people than live in Dallas, (2025 US Census) and if they moved here, the applicants would comprise the 9th largest U.S. city. For one race. Well actually two, because amidst fast growing demand and several consecutive record years, race organizers just broke new ground by doubling down into a full weekend of two races, accommodating twice as many entrants, over 100,000 runners. That’s more than any big marathon in the world, yet still accommodates less than 7% of those who want in. This burgeoning demand and big changes at London Marathon speak to a worldwide phenomenon, the exploding popularity of Destination Marathons, which more recently many in the travel industry have coined “runcations” or “race vacations.”Why Marathon Vacations Are So PopularExperience A City Through a 26-Mile ImmersionAfter all, at the end of the day, for most people a race that takes months to train for lasts around four hours, or half of a typical workday. That leaves a lot of time for not running, and traditionally racers spend the night before “carbo-loading” on pasta or pizza, and post-race celebrations are well-earned, common and can last for days. A spa treatment afterwards also makes indulgent sense, and all of these things are more special, enjoyable and memorable in Paris, Tokyo, Rome or London than in your hometown. Plus, when it comes to running, distraction makes that four-odd hours go much faster, and pounding 26 miles of pavement is far more distracting and entertaining if you pass ancient ruins, the Eiffel Tower historic grand monuments or run down a rare Las Vegas Strip closed to traffic than your usual neighborhood loop.The finishing stretch of the TCS London Marathon on The Mall is pretty dramatic and special. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)WireImageTwenty to thirty years ago, when I was running marathons, a lot of friends and runners I knew started with a race near home, driving over, running and coming home. But when I got trained enough for the distance, I decided my first marathon would be Honolulu, because a lot of time, effort and training goes into it, and I thought I deserved a reward for my accomplishment. So, after the race I enjoyed lunch and a beer on Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki, gazing at palm trees, the sand and Pacific surf, and spent the next few days playing golf in paradise. It was an early example of the Runcation or Destination Marathon, and I wouldn’t change a thing. MORE FOR YOUBut while I may have been a little ahead of my time, since the pandemic, the concept has caught fire. “Racing Tourism: Runners Who Choose Their Vacations Around Races” was the headline of a recent article by journalist Dorian Vuillet for enthusiast website Marathons.com. Vuillet noted that, “This isn’t a passing trend—it’s a movement. The phenomenon appeals because it blends purpose, escape, and memorable experiences. After the Covid years, the desire to move, explore, and dare has surged. Many people have reprioritized, choosing to invest in experiences rather than possessions.” I recently wrote here at Forbes about why Active Travel is so hot right now, and it has been well documented that “experiential travel” is one of the leading travel industry trends right now, with people wanting to “make memories” on vacation, and marathons (or half marathons) are a perfect fit. Vuillet further notes that signing up for a destination race “becomes a motivation: running a local marathon is one thing but doing it in Tokyo promises discovery and serves as a galvanizing goal for the entire year.”A marathon lasts roughly four hours, and that leaves a lot of time for post-race celebrations—something London is pretty good at.gettyI know exactly what he is talking about when he says, “In an era of fast, homogenized travel, marathons offer an engaged form of exploration: you don’t just fly over a city, you traverse it. You don’t stay in your hotel room—you live the atmosphere, hear the cheers, feel the locals’ energy.” Why The London Marathon Is A Bucket List RaceMany years ago, I happened to be in London on assignment for an unrelated story and was staying near the finish line on marathon weekend. I heard all the music and applause and commotion and wandered over to the Mall near Buckingham Palace, where flags lined the homestretch, one for every country with a racer represented as bands played and spectators cheered. The pomp and circumstance and energy and emotion struck me, and I decided then and there that London would be my next marathon (since Honolulu I had traveled to Chicago and Philadelphia and some longer ultra-marathons). To add to the history, it was at the 1908 London Olympics that the marathon, a previously flexible and changing distance, was fixed at the current 26 miles and 385-yards most people assume it has always been. But then I ended up having knee surgery and stopped running to focus more on skiing, cycling, golf, hiking and other pursuits. Now, after a 20-year absence, I’ve returned to distance running, and have my white whale, the 2027 London Marathon, in my sights. As Vuillet concludes, “Each marathon offers a window into a city’s soul, and many participants say, ‘I travel to run.’ That really sums it up: a new way to discover a city. Every step becomes a memory, and every stretch of road a moment to soak in a different culture.”It's not just London, many big city marathons distract and wow participants with monuments, history and sights along the way, such as Rome. AFP PHOTO / Patrick HERTZOG (Photo credit should read PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesHow popular has this become? The application pool for London jumped by about 200,000 people from last year. That’s big. Even with just one day, London surpassed New York in 2026 and took the Guinness World Record title for largest number of marathon finishers with just under 60,000, eking past the Big Apple’s 59,226. New York has been infamously difficult to get into for years, and many other of the largest and most popular marathons such as Berlin, Chicago and others have had multiple recent record years. The 2026 Asics Los Angeles marathon is smaller, with just 26,000 spots, but it just broke its record for how quickly those sold out. Demand for the world’s oldest race, the Boston Marathon, has also been through the roof and getting a spot is notoriously difficult, but it’s a different story as the only major race you have to qualify for—with a very challenging fast time in another marathon, a requirement that in theory eliminates demand from “average” runners. In theory, but not in practice, as I’ll explain.Yesterday was the big day when the results of the London marathon lottery were released, and sadly it was mostly disappointment, with less than one in twelve lucky applicants opening a congratulatory email from race organizers. But what about everyone else?Runners at the London 2012 Olympic Games got to experience the city's many iconic landmarks. AFP PHOTO / DANIEL GARCIA (Photo by DANIEL GARCIA / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL GARCIA/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesLondon Marathon And Other Races Through Charity For many runners, London is a rarefied Bucket List event, and many just enter the lottery year after year awaiting the chance. But you might not have to. For almost all of these races there is a charitable angle, a way to buy a spot outside the normal lottery, application or qualification process. Raising money is big business for big marathons, and according to BBC, London is the biggest annual one-day fundraising event in the world. BBC predicted the new 2-day format could top $200 million in charity. The one day 2026 TCS New York Marathon this fall has a lofty $100 million goal. New York is fairly typical, with its Official Charity Partner Program, in which spots are given to many different organizations, each of which then sets its own fundraising requirements, thought the race sets a minimum of $3000 (more demanding charities ask for at least five to eight grand). Historically people went out and actually fund raised by pooling small donations, but increasingly rich racers are simply paying the charity fee instead of the regular race fee, and like flying, or going through airport security or attending concerts or sporting events, there is a growing gap between the haves and have nots, and a runner with deep enough pockets can simply pay to race, though even charity spots are getting more competitive and hard to come by. The Boston Marathon is another hard-to-enter Bucket List race that draws the fittest runners, but some people are still there to have fun. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesThis is especially true for Boston where it is not uncommon for charity spots to run $10-$15,000. In this sense, despite the crazy demand and over-application, London is a bargain, and if you can snag a charity spot, to get into London 2027 you need to raise around £2500 ($3300), and there are more than 200 official charities, though even this process is highly competitive. Most races have the links to their charity info on their main websites.London Marathon And Other Races Through Travel PackagesAlternatively, there are specialty running tour operators who sell travel packages with guaranteed entries, such as Marathon Tours, an Approved International Tour Operator for the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) Series, eight ultra-popular races including London, New York, Berlin, Chicago, Sydney, Tokyo, Boston and Cape Town. This is a simple and turnkey way to bypass the lottery that can be less costly than fundraising, and most people will need a hotel anyway. Right now, for U.S. residents, 4-day London Marathon signature packages with race entry, hotels, daily breakfast, pre-race pasta dinner, post-race celebration, a half-day city tour and transportation to and from the race, staying in the Interconnectable London Park Lane start at $3675 per person double occupancy, with discount for a non-racing companion (or $4765 single). I have no experience with the company and this is just one example, there are many other specialty race travel agencies.