Liverpool's first marathon, supporting four official charities, has attracted upwards of 9,000 runners ahead of the event on 9 October.
Opening for entries in January, the event has drawn interest from around the world, and with entries from charity places still being accepted, the tally is rising.
The target was originally set at 12,000 runners, but a spokesman for RunLiverpool, the organisers of the run, said: "The figure is rising. We're confident that this figure will continue to rise as the Charity entry deadline approaches."
Scope and Marie Curie Cancer Care are the official national charities while Liverpool-based charities 23 Foundation and the Roy Castle Lung Foundation will also benefit.
While Scope will use the funds raised for its national services for disabled people, Marie Curie will use the money to fund its Liverpool Hospice and help Marie Curie nurses provide free care to people with terminal cancer.
Pat Darling, event manager for running and special projects at Marie Curie, said: "We are so excited to be chosen as an official charity partner of the Liverpool Marathon. This is going to be a great run in a fantastic city, and we're calling on all runners to sign up and help those facing the toughest challenge of their lives by choosing to run for Marie Curie Cancer Care."
23 Foundation was founded by Liverpool FC's number 23, Jamie Carragher. The funds raised for the Foundation will be distributed as grants to voluntary and charity sector groups working with young people across Merseyside.
Liverpool has some of the highest rates of lung cancer in the country. The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, launched in the memory of the great British entertainer who died from the disease after contracting it passively, is the only charity in the UK wholly dedicated to the defeat of the disease.
There are around 60 marathons held in the UK every year. The Brighton Marathon, which in only its third year is one of the youngest, has increased its entrants from 15,000 in 2011, to 18,000 for 2012. The Virgin London Marathon saw upwards of 51,000 runners in 2010, and the Edinburgh marathon saw 17,500 runners in 2011.
