Short answer: a marathon charity entry is a guaranteed race place that the organiser gives or sells to a nonprofit. The charity offers it to a runner who agrees to raise a set amount for the cause. You apply to the charity, not to the race, and the charity decides who gets its places.
That is the whole idea. The details, though, change a lot from race to race, and they decide how much you raise, when you pay it and what happens if you fall short. This guide walks through how it works at the big races, using each organiser's own published rules for 2027.
What a charity entry is
Most big city marathons get far more applicants than they have places, so they hand out entries by lottery (London calls it a ballot, New York a drawing). Alongside the lottery, the organiser sets aside a block of entries for charities. The charity uses them to recruit runners who will fundraise.
A few examples, all from the organisers' own pages:
- New York: New York Road Runners offers blocks of guaranteed, non-complimentary entries to selected nonprofits through its Official Charity Partner Program. Non-complimentary means the charity pays NYRR for them.
- Boston: the B.A.A. gives invitational entries to nonprofits in its Official Charity Program. A record 215 organizations are in the 2027 program, almost 10% of the field.
- Chicago: more than 200 charities take part, and the race says runners who fundraise for an official charity get a guaranteed entry.
- Tokyo: the Tokyo Marathon Foundation set aside 5,000 Charity Runner places for 2027 across 40 charity programs.
The entry is real and official. It is not a transfer from another runner, and it is not a resale. That matters, because many races ban transfers and can turn you away on race day if you run on someone else's bib.
Who sets the rules: the race or the charity?
Both, in layers. The race decides how many places each charity gets and sometimes a floor for fundraising. The charity then writes its own application, sets its own minimum above that floor, and signs its own agreement with you.
- In New York, NYRR requires Bronze Level partners to ask for at least $3,000 per runner and Silver Level partners at least $3,500, according to its partner program rules.
- In Chicago, every charity runner must raise at least $2,500 for 2027, and each charity can ask for more (Chicago Marathon charity program).
- In Tokyo, the minimum donation is 100,000 yen, and many charities set a higher amount (Tokyo Marathon Charity).
- In London and Boston, the organisers publish no single figure. Each charity sets its own.
How applying usually works
The steps are similar almost everywhere:
- Find the official charity list. Every race below publishes one: London's Run for Charity page, Chicago's Charity Index, Berlin's partner portal run by realbuzz, Tokyo's RUN with HEART site, and so on. Only charities on that list hold real places.
- Apply on the charity's own site. Usually a short form, sometimes a phone call. Some charities ask why the cause matters to you.
- Get accepted, then sign up. You agree to the charity's terms and pay any registration fee it charges. In London that fee is set by the charity: £75 at OCD-UK and £100 at Coram and Concern Worldwide for 2027 (Run for Charity).
- Register with the race. The charity gives you a code or link. In New York and Chicago you also pay the race's own entry fee on top of your fundraising.
- Fundraise. Most charities give you a fundraising page. London charity runners get one on Enthuse; Sydney uses Grassrootz (TCS Sydney Marathon).
Tokyo is the main exception. There you pledge a donation when you apply, the charity picks its runners, and selected runners pay the donation and the entry fee in a fixed payment window. The foundation's rules say an application is invalid if the amount paid is less than the amount pledged.
What you commit to
When you accept a charity place you are signing a contract, so read it. The points that matter most:
- The minimum. This is what you promise to raise, not a target you can miss quietly.
- Deadlines. Some charities want a first slice early. Concern Worldwide asks London runners for £1,000 by 31 December 2026 and the full £2,500 before race day.
- Shortfalls. Coram's 2027 London terms say that if the £2,300 minimum has not come in two months after the event, you pay the rest yourself. In New York, Fred's Team's 2026 fundraising agreement made runners personally responsible for the minimum and charged any unpaid balance to their card after the race.
- Fees on top. Chicago's 2027 charity entry fee is $325 for US residents and $335 for non-US residents, against $250 and $260 for everyone else, with the difference going to the charity program (Chicago Marathon).
- Registration rules. Sydney's participant agreement says registering before you meet your fundraising commitment can get the entry cancelled.
Questions to ask a charity before you apply
- What is the minimum, and is it in the race's currency or yours?
- When is each slice due, and is there a deposit or registration fee?
- What happens if I raise less than the minimum? Will you charge my card?
- What happens if I am injured or cannot travel? Can I defer?
- Which day or wave is the place for? (London 2027 runs on both Saturday and Sunday.)
- What support do I get: training plans, a fundraising page, a team meet-up?
Find an open spot
OpenBibs lists open charity places by race, with each charity's minimum and deadline, and you apply with the charity directly. Browse open charity spots by race, read how fundraising minimums compare, or get an email when a charity lists new spots for your race.