Whether you grew up on a farm, work in the agricultural industry, advise farmers or simply care about the future of British food production, this is your chance to take on one of the world's greatest sporting challenges while making a lasting difference to farming.
Over 1.3 million people entered the ballot for the 2027 London Marathon, with a 7.5% success rate. Now, a charity place offers one of the few remaining routes into this iconic event.
Innovation for Agriculture invites you to apply for one of our small number of charity places to run the London Marathon on Sunday 25th April, 2027.
What you’ll be running for
From changing weather patterns and emerging livestock diseases to declining soil health and rising production costs, every farm is facing pressures today. Innovation for Agriculture helps ensure that the latest research reaches the people making decisions on farms, turning scientific knowledge into practical action.
Our work is varied, but all supports the development and resilience of farming systems in the face of the challenges being faced today. Examples of our current activities include:
- Working with demonstration farms across England where farmers test new approaches to improving soil health, reducing emissions and adapting to climate change before sharing what works with other farmers.
- Helping livestock farmers strengthen on-farm biosecurity to reduce disease risks while protecting animal welfare and business resilience.
- Bringing together farmers, researchers, policy makers and land managers to find practical solutions for balancing food production, nature recovery and net zero ambitions.
- Supporting four farmer-led Communities of Practice where producers learn directly from each other about adapting their businesses to a changing climate.
Supporting farmers through Innovation for Agriculture means supporting everyone’s future. By running for Innovation for Agriculture, you will be supporting the continuation of our work, enabling the sharing of information and equipping farmers to make decisions that will accelerate the adaptation of food production and agriculture to a changing climate and geopolitical pressures.
Who we’re looking for
Because charity places are limited, we are looking for runners who are enthusiastic ambassadors for Innovation for Agriculture and committed to achieving a minimum fundraising target of £1,500. Successful applicants will also be required to pay a £100 registration fee within 2 weeks of being allocated a place.
Innovation for Agriculture will provide running vests, fundraising tips to support you throughout the fundraising campaign, encouragement through-out training and race day support.
We're looking for people who:
- Have a genuine connection to farming, food production or the wider agricultural industry.
- Can commit to training for the event.
- Are confident raising funds from friends, family, colleagues and professional networks.
- Are excited to represent Innovation for Agriculture.
- Want to help shape the future of British agriculture.
With just a small number of charity places available, we'll be looking for runners who share our passion for accelerating innovation in farming and are committed to making the most of this opportunity.
Applications are now open for our charity places. If you're ready to challenge yourself, champion British farming and help bring practical innovation to more farms across the UK, we'd love to hear from you.
Every pound you raise will help Innovation for Agriculture bring farmers, researchers and industry together, ensuring new ideas are tested, demonstrated and shared so that more farms can benefit from practical solutions and the innovations.
Photo credit: sportograf.com
