Missed out on the 2016 London marathon ballot? Here's how to get on the starting line

This week, the lucky ones will be told they have a place in the race. But what if you missed out? Don’t despair – there are still charities looking for runners

Have you checked the post this morning? If you were one of the record 247,069 people who registered for the 2016 London Marathon ballot, over the next few days you will either receive a letter telling you the good news, or a magazine or email that means you haven’t been so lucky. Because of the way the ballot worked this year – open for a set amount of time, rather than until all of the lottery places were filled – there is even less chance than the usual one-in-seven of getting a place.

But don’t despair if you miss out and aren’t super human enough to get in through good for age or championship entry either. There are thousands of charity places still up for grabs that mean you too could be on the start line on 26 April and take part in an event that keeps on breaking the records for the most amount of money raised in a single day.