London marathon fundraising breaks world record

A world record-breaking 73.5 million pounds ($98.5 million) was raised for charities through the 2024 TCS London Marathon, cementing its status as the planet's largest annual one-day fundraising event.

By the day after the marathon in April, fundraising had already surpassed 67 million pounds, exceeding the previous record of 66.4 million pounds set in 2019.

Now, five months after the event, the total has been confirmed, bringing the cumulative amount raised since the first London Marathon in 1981 to more than 1.3 billion pounds.

Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said: "The TCS London Marathon is an extraordinary celebration of humanity, where tens of thousands of people take on an incredible challenge and do good for others. We salute every participant who contributed to this world record-breaking total for the thousands of charities providing essential services."

Enthuse, the official online fundraising partner for the TCS London Marathon, recorded a record-breaking 30 million pounds raised on its platform.

Chester Mojay-Sinclare, Enthuse's founder and CEO, said: "The 30 million pounds raised is a 60 percent increase on 2023, and we're proud to support good causes with their vital work. This outstanding total reflects people's gratitude toward UK charities."

One of the many beneficiaries of the 2024 marathon was Samaritans, which served as the event's Charity of the Year.

Sonya Trivedy, executive director of external engagement at Samaritans, said: "Partnering with the marathon provided a unique opportunity to reach millions with our message of hope — Believe in Tomorrow. We are grateful to our runners and partners who helped us raise more than 1.1 million pounds, four times our usual amount from the marathon."

Emma Pound, challenge events program manager for Macmillan, also emphasized the importance of the marathon, stating: "The TCS London Marathon makes up a huge part of our fundraising income, and the money raised helps us do whatever it takes for people living with cancer. We raised more than 2.1 million pounds, an incredible amount for a single-day event."

Nick Rusling, CEO of Collaborate+, underscored the event's societal impact, stating: "No other global marathon reflects society in such a powerful and positive way as the TCS London Marathon. In the UK, we have so many organizations offering fundraising solutions, and this work has helped bring them together, highlighting the importance of collaboration."