The 2024 race has received a record 578,374 applications for the lottery, the most ever. Previous most was 2019 with only 457,861. That's an increase of over 120,000! And, of course, the race size will not expand so the chances of getting a lottery entry are going to be less than 5%.
It is bad enough that they have "Good for Age" times that are slow but only apply to UK residents. Women's times are ridiculous; they range from 45 minutes slower than men's in some age groups to over an hour slower in others.
Their system needs to be fixed. The only chances to run if you are not from the UK are: (1) be world class, (2) somehow raise upwards of $5,000 for a charity, or (3) have extraordinary luck in the lottery. The race is fast becoming a race for UK residents and wealthy foreigners who can just put up $5,000 and buy a race entry.
My suggestion to improve the lottery is: the first time you apply, you get one entry in the lottery. If you don't get accepted, then the next time you apply you receive two entries for the lottery. Each year a person applies and is rejected, they receive an additional entry for the lottery. This continues indefinitely until you get lucky and get accepted. However, once you get the chance to run, the extra entries stop. Every year afterward the applicant gets only one entry regardless of how many years they apply.