Before contacting us about the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon, please read all the frequently asked questions below.
Q: I have a place in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon and want to take part in the rescheduled event on Sunday 4 October. What do I need to do?A: You don’t need to do anything. You have already been entered into the rescheduled event on Sunday 4 October.
Q: I haven’t received any emails about the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon, do I definitely have a place in The 40th Race, which is now scheduled to take place on Sunday 4 October?A: If you have a copy of your confirmation email, you automatically have a place in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon, scheduled to take place on Sunday 4 October. To avoid emails being blocked or going to your junk folder, please add [email protected] to your contact or safe senders list.
Q: I have a place in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon but can’t take part on Sunday 4 October. What are my options?A: If you have a UK or International ballot place, a Club place, an entry from a volunteer/stakeholder group, or a deferred entry from the 2019 event and cannot take part on Sunday 4 October, you have the following options:
1. Defer your entry until the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday 25 April 2021 (this is the standard deferment process and please note you will need to pay the 2021 event entry fee)2. Or to receive a full refund of your 2020 entry fee3. Or to donate your 2020 entry fee to The London Marathon Charitable Trust
The refund and deferment systems will be open in April. We’ll be in touch to let you know when they are open and we’ll also update the website and our social media channels.
Important: if you are unable to run on Sunday 4 October, the system allowing you to choose one of the options below will open in early April – we will let you know the exact date shortly. If you do not want to run, or you are unable to run, on Sunday 4 October, you’ll need to choose one of the options outlined above by midnight on Sunday 26 April 2020. After 26 April, only UK and International ballot entrants from 2020 and club runners for this year’s event will be able to apply to defer their entry to 2021 providing you pay the 2021 event entry fee.
Q: I have a place from a charity or sponsor but can’t take part on Sunday 4 October. What can I do?A: If you have a place from a charity but can’t take part on Sunday 4 October you must speak directly with the charity to discuss your options as the place belongs to them. If you have a place from a sponsor and you paid the entry fee, then your options are the same as a UK ballot runner. If the sponsor paid for the entry, then you must speak directly to the sponsor to determine your options.
Q: I have a Good for Age/British Championship place and I can’t run on Sunday 4 October. Will I be able to defer my entry to 2021?A: You will only be able to defer if your qualification time was achieved after 1 January 2019. Runners who do not have the necessary qualification time and cannot take part on Sunday 4 October may apply for a refund or donate your entry fee to The London Marathon Charitable Trust. The system for this will open in April and we’ll be in touch when it opens.
Q: I have qualified for a place in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Championships. What are my options?A: Your entry will be automatically entered into the rescheduled event on Sunday 4 October. If you cannot take part on that date, you will be offered a full refund or an option to donate your entry fee to The London Marathon Charitable Trust. It is not possible to defer these places to 2021. The system for this will open in April and we’ll be in touch when it opens.
Q: I am an international runner and I have a place from an authorised Travel Agent and I can’t take part on Sunday 4 October. What can I do?A: International Entrants who booked through an authorised Tour Operator should contact them for full details. Your entry will be rolled over to 4 October or you will be able to receive a refund from the tour operator. Alternatively, you will be able to defer to the 2021 event. Details of how you can do this will be explained to you by your Tour Operator.
Q: I am one of the Back of the Pack runners from 2019 who took up my free guaranteed entry for 2020 but I now can’t take part on Sunday 4 October. Can I defer?A: Yes, you can and you do not need to pay the 2021 entry fee. The system for this will open in April and we’ll be in touch when it opens. If you are deferring your place to 2021, you will need to make that choice by midnight on Sunday 26 April.
Q: I deferred my entry from the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon to 2020 but cannot take part on Sunday 4 October. What can I do?A: You can defer your entry until next year’s event on Sunday 25 April 2021, subject to the payment of the 2021 entry fee. If you do not want to defer, you will be offered the option of a refund of your entry fee or to donate your entry fee to The London Marathon Charitable Trust. The system for this will open in April and we’ll be in touch when it opens.
Q: We are a charity or sponsor and have runners who are unable to take part on Sunday 4 October. What can we do? A: You will be able to substitute other runners in their place. The entry system for charities will open in April and close on 10 July.
Q: Will there be more places on offer for the rescheduled 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday 4 October?A: We think it is unlikely that there will be any more places available. If there are, we will decide what to do when we know how many places there are available.
Q: Will the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon Running Show be rescheduled?A: Yes, we are working on rescheduling the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon Running Show and details will be confirmed by the end of April.
Q: Will the 2020 Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon be rescheduled to Sunday 4 October 2020 too?A: We are investigating what is possible as the usual start venue is not available on the new date. We will be in touch with Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon team captains and participants in due course.
Q: When will you open the public ballot for the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon?A: We’re working on this. It will not open before 1 July 2020 and the latest it would open would be Sunday 4 October. When the date is confirmed, we will give plenty of notice through newsletters, on our website and social media channels.
If the question and answers above do not assist you, please complete our ‘contact us’ form and a member of our Customer Services Team will be in touch.