On Sunday 27th April 2025*, join Team L’Arche and take on this globally recognised challenge. 

Running 26.2 miles along the River Thames, you will enjoy some of London’s most iconic sights – the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye… to name just a few! 

Places are limited so apply now to secure yours. To apply you need to be a UK resident aged 18+ and feel you’re ready, willing and able to run 26.2 miles! If this sounds like you, you can apply here.

Why run for L’Arche UK? 

L’Arche is an international movement of people with and without learning disabilities.  

In each Community, we offer high quality, person-centred support for adults with learning disabilities. We go beyond supporting a person’s basic needs to attend to their emotional and spiritual lives, too. It is this focus on building relationships and cultivating a sense of belonging that makes us different from other service providers. 

Find out more about the work of L’Arche UK here.

What is a charity place and how do I apply? 

Having a London Marathon charity place means that you pledge to run in support of L’Arche UK, and raise a minimum of £2000 in donations. You can apply for a place on our website. Please complete the application as fully as possible, and our dedicated fundraising team will be in touch to talk to you in more detail about your application. 

What is the deadline for a charity place? 

Please apply as soon as you can to allow us to process your application as the application window may close before this date if we have filled all of our places. 

What support will I receive? 

You will receive regular emails from our dedicated fundraising team, with helpful tips for fundraising and training suggestions.  We will also send you a fundraising pack and an online donation page of your own to share with friends, family and other supporters.  

There may also be the opportunity for you to meet with or attend an event at your local L’Arche Community, so you can see for yourself how the money you raise will be used. 

Fundraising 

You will be set up with your own Enthuse fundraising page and you will be expected to raise a minimum of £2000 for L’Arche UK.  

L’Arche has to pay for each charity place for a runner to take part in the London Marathon.  This iconic event represents an important and valuable source of fundraising income for us, so we would encourage you to aim high in your fundraising.  

The £2000 minimum you have been asked to raise will cover the cost to L’Arche of your marathon place. The more you raise, the more will be directed to supporting L’Arche Communities in the UK. 

How much will I need to raise for L’Arche UK? 

You will need to raise a minimum of £2000. You have up to two months after the marathon to get all of your donations paid in.  

Where will my donations go? 

Every donation to receive helps to support L'Arche communities across the UK 

• £10 could fund an hour of one of our local initiatives like a community café or creative workshop 
• £25 could fund a community party, celebrating the gifts of someone with a learning disability 
• £100 could mean a person with a learning disability has the support to go out and enjoy hobbies or sporting activities of their own 

What is gift aid? 

If your supporters add Gift Aid to their donations, L’Arche UK can claim an extra 25p for each £1 they donate, which soon adds up! For example, in 2022 the total raised by all nine runners was £21,700 of which £5,425 came from Gift Aid.  In order to do this, each supporter will need to fill in an online declaration, including their full name, house number and postcode, which takes just a few moments. For more information regarding Gift Aid, you can visit the Gift Aid website. 

 
Do I get a running vest? 

Yes! Once you’re signed up and you’ve started raising sponsorship money, we will arrange for a running vest in your size to be sent to you.  

Any other questions? 

If you have any other questions, please contact the fundraising team at [email protected].  

*Please note, any dates may be subject to change at any time by L’Arche UK or TCS London Marathon.