More than 410,000 people who entered the ballot for a place in next year’s London Marathon will find out on Monday October 24 if they have been successful.

The event will take place on April 23 as the marathon returns to its traditional spring slot after taking place in the autumn for the past three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ballot places are allocated at random and the majority of those who have applied will either be disappointed or relieved to receive a rejection.

Those who are still keen to earn a London Marathon medal can apply for a charity place or take part in the virtual event which was launched in 2020 when only elite athletes competed in central London due to coronavirus.

Virtual participants can complete 26.2 miles on a course of their choice, anywhere in the world, within the 24 hours of Sunday April 23 and finishers receive the same medal and New Balance T-shirt as participants in the mass event.

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity is the TCS London Marathon’s charity of the year for 2023. Chef and keen runner Gordon Ramsay is captaining its team of fundraisers.

Hugh Brasher, the marathon’s event director, said: “There will be thousands of people celebrating securing a ballot place in the 2023 TCS London Marathon and looking forward to being part of another incredible day on Sunday April 23.

“We know there will be disappointment too but an unsuccessful ballot result does not have to be the end of the road.

“There are many great charities looking for people to take on next year’s TCS London Marathon and to help raise crucial funds.

“The virtual TCS London Marathon is back and I encourage all those who have received an unsuccessful notification to sign up to the virtual and do the TCS London Marathon their way next April.”

Successful ballot applicants will be able to set up their own bespoke fundraising page through Enthuse, the official fundraising partner of London Marathon Events.

The 2022 TCS London Marathon saw 40,643 finishers in the mass event in central London and a further 8,518 in the virtual event.