More than 750 charitable organisations have won additional places for next year’s one-off, two-day London Marathon, though some concerns have been raised about the terms and conditions accompanying these allocations. Around a third of organisations that entered the Saturday Charity Ballot were successful, a ballot that was launched after the two-day event was announced last month.
All applicants, including some community interest companies which were eligible for the first time, were due to be notified by the end of today. London Marathon Events (LME) stated that most successful organisations were obtaining places for the first time. The organisers also noted that the vast majority of applicants bid for between one and eight running spots.
New Terms Mandate Enthuse Promotion
Some charities have raised concerns about changes to LME’s terms and conditions, specifically requiring them to promote the marathon’s official fundraising partner, Enthuse, to their runners. Enthuse has been LME’s official fundraising partner since 2022 and signed a 10-year extension in 2024.
Under these new terms, charities with places for the run on Saturday 24 April next year are required to register with Enthuse and maintain an account. Organisers hope that a total of £150m will be raised overall across the two days of the event. Charities are compelled to “use all reasonable endeavours” to promote Enthuse to all the runners to whom they award places.
This obligation also extends to those runners who secured their own spots independently but have registered to raise money for the charity. This means charities are required to encourage all their runners to use Enthuse instead of other fundraising platforms.
Charities Voice ‘Heavy Handed’ Concerns
Despite Enthuse’s official partnership, many runners still raise money through other platforms. Runners for this year’s one-day London Marathon raised more than £90m for charities, a record amount, with both Enthuse and rival platform JustGiving facilitating more than £40m in sponsorship pledges each.
Some charities have described the new requirements as “heavy handed”. One organisation told Civil Society that it was a “frustrating situation to be put in with no warning”. A representative of another organisation highlighted concerns about having to buy a separate subscription with Enthuse, given they already had a paid subscription with an alternative fundraising platform to ensure their customer needs are met.
Another charity expressed fears that their runners might raise less on Enthuse than on other platforms. Organisations with concerns wished to remain anonymous, with one stating that smaller charities in particular were “desperate for places” and were therefore cautious about speaking out against the new terms.
Impact on Charity Resources
Nikki Bell, co-founder of Fundraising Everywhere, commented on the potential negative effects of these requirements. Bell stated it had been “disappointing to hear from our community the negative impact these requirements will have on their time, resources, and ability to maximise their fundraising.”
Bell also noted that preparation for the two-day event next year was already stretching some charities’ resources. She called on the organisers to relax the requirement to promote Enthuse to participants.
Organisers Confirm Promotion Requirement
An LME spokesperson confirmed the policy for successful organisations. They stated that charities with approved places for Saturday 24 April 2027 must promote Enthuse to all of their participants.