London Marathon - under two hours

Stuart_the_Red

Matthias, who is a member of the German Addicks and the International Addicks ran the London Marathon on Sunday. 

It was his 50th marathon!
Amazing!

Dave Rudd

lolwray said:

Is it a triumph for sport or running shoe design 🤔 

The sub-two hour marathon is extraordinary.  When the boom first started back in the 1980s, the World Record stood at around 2:08 and we were assured that a sub-two hour time would not be seen in our lifetime.

But there is something intrinsically inefficient about running.

Here's why:

Imagine that you can run 10 miles, say, in about 70 minutes.

Now run the same distance carrying a bike.  Two hours maybe?

Now bike the same 10 miles.  25 minutes?  The exact times are not important.

So, what does this tell you?

All the power comes from you.  The bike does not provide any power, even allowing for the gears.

The total weight is greater with the bike.

So why is it so much quicker by bike?  More weight ... but no more power, so it should take longer.

I think the answer has to be a combination of friction (less with the bike due to the lower contact surface area), but mainly due to the fact that running is inefficient.  A lot of energy/power is wasted at each stride.

It seems that there must be huge room for improvement both in footwear, but also running style.  It's interesting that the (highly amusing) robot runners in the recent Beijing half-marathon (where the quickest robot beat the quickest human) did so with a curious 'scuttling' running style.

Robots vs humans: Beijing half-marathon delivers stunning result

Evolution may help.  We just need a few million years.

     

RodneyCharltonTrotta

We evolved to outrun prey in terms of endurance. We can outrun prey for longer til they collapse from exhaustion/ heat exhaustion even if the can run mph over shorter distances. Was a good chapter in Born to Run on this.

Amazing feat and feet sunday. 

MarcusH26

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cd6p081y698o

1.3m people enter the ballot for next year! Maybe they really are going to have to go to the 2 day format. 

shine166

And/or stop people being able to be in the hat the year after running it via a ballot. Tbh the last time I ran it in 2023 it was incredibly over crowded, it gets bigger every year so much be a nightmare in some sections and if you're in a later start time.

Huskaris

Incredible achievement, congratulations adidas

AFKABartram

First year I’ve not bothered entering the ballot. Have tried about 13 years in a row and had no luck, so can’t see it now when the ballot is a 1-2% chance 

arthur

I ran this year, I found it too crowded and my spectators did too! The organisers like to break a record every year but it really can't get any bigger on the single day.

Gribbo

MarcusH26 said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cd6p081y698o

1.3m people enter the ballot for next year! Maybe they really are going to have to go to the 2 day format. 

Do it over a week (or month even better), and I might consider it. Make it into a pub crawl

Gribbo

AFKABartram said:

First year I’ve not bothered entering the ballot. Have tried about 13 years in a row and had no luck, so can’t see it now when the ballot is a 1-2% chance 

13 years on the spin, that's terrible. Surely if you've tried 3 or 4 years, they can stick you in a smaller ballot or something? Maybe not workable, but 13 consecutive blanks is taking the pi$$ especially if people are turning up and getting in first attempt

carly burn

AFKABartram said:

First year I’ve not bothered entering the ballot. Have tried about 13 years in a row and had no luck, so can’t see it now when the ballot is a 1-2% chance 

Ever tried the charity route? 

bobmunro

carly burn said:

AFKABartram said:

First year I’ve not bothered entering the ballot. Have tried about 13 years in a row and had no luck, so can’t see it now when the ballot is a 1-2% chance 

Ever tried the charity route? 

That's what my two did and between them they have run the LM three times in the last few years. 

AFKABartram

They won’t reveal how many ballot places get allocated but I think it’s around 10-15,000. I heard of someone this year who was successful, but never normally do. It gets a million plus applications now every year. 

Charity partners get around twice the amount, then the rest go to commercial partners, tour operators, good for age who meet the standard, and clubs). Those given to running clubs have been whittled down to almost nothing in recent years.

To get in now you really have to do a charity place, which normally has something like a minimum £2.7k minimum fundraising commitment attached. The problem is many charities have their ‘good earners’ so you find in a lot of cases it’s the same people who get the places year after year. 

shine166

My 2 were charity runs, does seem to be that the only way to run it now days is to raise 2k + each time. 

AllHailTheHen

They need to move the ballot away from the marathon weekend/week. A huge percentage of people that have entered are doing so on the spur of the moment. I know a few people that have got a ballot spot then not actually bothered accepting it. The organisers seem obsessed with the numbers and being the biggest event but its coming at the detriment of the actual participants as Arthur and Shine mention about overcrowding. 

If I dont get a spot on this ballot i'll be joining AFKA on unlucky 13.

SporadicAddick

Gribbo said:

AFKABartram said:

First year I’ve not bothered entering the ballot. Have tried about 13 years in a row and had no luck, so can’t see it now when the ballot is a 1-2% chance 

13 years on the spin, that's terrible. Surely if you've tried 3 or 4 years, they can stick you in a smaller ballot or something? Maybe not workable, but 13 consecutive blanks is taking the pi$$ especially if people are turning up and getting in first attempt

It used to be the case that you were guaranteed a place after 5 unsuccessful ballot entries (how I got my first place) but with the numbers applying, that eventually became impossible to offer. Since my last run in 2017 (charity place), I have entered the ballot every year unsuccessfully - If I get a place, brilliant, if I don't get a place then at least I get a new running top relatively inexpensively (willing to donate my entry fee), and if I REALLY wanted to run a marathon, there are plenty that would have space (Southampton marathon this weekend by way of example).

Off_it

RodneyCharltonTrotta said:

We evolved to outrun prey in terms of endurance. We can outrun prey for longer til they collapse from exhaustion/ heat exhaustion even if the can run mph over shorter distances. Was a good chapter in Born to Run on this.

Amazing feat and feet sunday. 

You don't have to be able to outrun predators when you are the prey though. You just need to be faster than the bloke next to you.

BalladMan

I have ran the London marathon twice, both times on a charity place via this website: https://www.crunch.org.uk/

It covers the smaller charities, and as such, lower fundraising levels. I had to raise 1500 (2019) and 1800 (2025).

If you company also runs a matched funding scheme, then you only need to raise half of fundraising amount yourself (or just pay it).  

If anyone has any questions, drop me a DM.

iainment

AllHailTheHen said:

I was volunteering on the mile 18 water station and its the first time i have seen the elites running. Insane how quick they're moving. 

Now done the London Marathon as a runner, spectator and volunteer and each one gives a different perspective. It remains one of the best things there is. The atmosphere, crowd support and effort by all those runners is just something else.

The same, run it twice, volunteered several times and spectated many times. 

I find it an uplifting thing to see.

iainment

lolwray said:

Is it a triumph for sport or running shoe design 🤔 

Should he run it barefoot?

ForeverAddickted

One aspect that I've always wondered has worked, is exaggerating your target finishing time on the Application.

The two times I've got in via. the ballot, I've put down that I'll complete the Marathon within about 5-6 hours

Whereas at my pace I'd probably be able to do it within 4-hours

I've often wondered if the ballot is done so its evenly spread to cater for all kinds of runners, if 10,000 people enter the ballot saying they'll do it within 4-hours, whereas 1,000 enter saying they'll do it within 5-6 hours, the chance of getting into the Marathon becomes greater if each "target" time has 500-places available each.... Of course I may be chatting rubbish.

The only downside, is the year I did do it, I was way back down the field as got put into the 5-6 hour pen and so with the slow runners at the back, so by the time I got to Canary Wharf I wasn't just running forwards, but running round people who'd slowed to a walk, and weren't walking to the sides but down the middle of narrower roads... f**king killed me that did, as it was a hot day, and must have ran more than a bloody Marathon in the end!!

shine166

ForeverAddickted said:

.

The only downside, is the year I did do it, I was way back down the field as got put into the 5-6 hour pen and so with the slow runners at the back, so by the time I got to Canary Wharf I wasn't just running forwards, but running round people who'd slowed to a walk, and weren't walking to the sides but down the middle of narrower roads... f**king killed me that did, as it was a hot day, and must have ran more than a bloody Marathon in the end!!

That happened the last time I ran, ended up being late due to trains and started way back. All the walkers seemed pretty happy to walk in a line chatting and completely blocking the road up, ended up using lots of energy just weaving in and out of groups. Seemed like more of a fun run, which is fine, but at least have the decency to only take up half the road !.

bobmunro

shine166 said:

ForeverAddickted said:

.

The only downside, is the year I did do it, I was way back down the field as got put into the 5-6 hour pen and so with the slow runners at the back, so by the time I got to Canary Wharf I wasn't just running forwards, but running round people who'd slowed to a walk, and weren't walking to the sides but down the middle of narrower roads... f**king killed me that did, as it was a hot day, and must have ran more than a bloody Marathon in the end!!

That happened the last time I ran, ended up being late due to trains and started way back. All the walkers seemed pretty happy to walk in a line chatting and completely blocking the road up, ended up using lots of energy just weaving in and out of groups. Seemed like more of a fun run, which is fine, but at least have the decency to only take up half the road !.

I agree they shouldn't be blocking the road but a fun run is ultimately what it is for the vast majority of people taking part - and for example raising an estimated £87m for charity this year alone (over £1.4b since its inception). Far more take 6 hours plus than break 3 hours and the average time is about 4.30.

Gribbo

Now I know it's a 23 year waitng list, I might thgrow my hat in the ring

iainment

I’m guessing if you put down an expected time of 5-6 hours they were probably on pace. If you put down a slower time on your entry than you expect I think it’s not their fault if they go at that pace.

ForeverAddickted

iainment said:

I’m guessing if you put down an expected time of 5-6 hours they were probably on pace. If you put down a slower time on your entry than you expect I think it’s not their fault if they go at that pace.

Yeah that was my own fault, but as shine says... 

If you're going to get to a stage where you're walking, just move out of the way, no need to hog the road

SporadicAddick

ForeverAddickted said:

One aspect that I've always wondered has worked, is exaggerating your target finishing time on the Application.

The two times I've got in via. the ballot, I've put down that I'll complete the Marathon within about 5-6 hours

Whereas at my pace I'd probably be able to do it within 4-hours

I've often wondered if the ballot is done so its evenly spread to cater for all kinds of runners, if 10,000 people enter the ballot saying they'll do it within 4-hours, whereas 1,000 enter saying they'll do it within 5-6 hours, the chance of getting into the Marathon becomes greater if each "target" time has 500-places available each.... Of course I may be chatting rubbish.

The only downside, is the year I did do it, I was way back down the field as got put into the 5-6 hour pen and so with the slow runners at the back, so by the time I got to Canary Wharf I wasn't just running forwards, but running round people who'd slowed to a walk, and weren't walking to the sides but down the middle of narrower roads... f**king killed me that did, as it was a hot day, and must have ran more than a bloody Marathon in the end!!

Unless my short term memory is shit, they no longer ask you for an expected time. They used to and I wondered if you could game the system, but pretty certain for my last few entries to the ballot, that question isn't asked.

ForeverAddickted

SporadicAddick said:

ForeverAddickted said:

One aspect that I've always wondered has worked, is exaggerating your target finishing time on the Application.

The two times I've got in via. the ballot, I've put down that I'll complete the Marathon within about 5-6 hours

Whereas at my pace I'd probably be able to do it within 4-hours

I've often wondered if the ballot is done so its evenly spread to cater for all kinds of runners, if 10,000 people enter the ballot saying they'll do it within 4-hours, whereas 1,000 enter saying they'll do it within 5-6 hours, the chance of getting into the Marathon becomes greater if each "target" time has 500-places available each.... Of course I may be chatting rubbish.

The only downside, is the year I did do it, I was way back down the field as got put into the 5-6 hour pen and so with the slow runners at the back, so by the time I got to Canary Wharf I wasn't just running forwards, but running round people who'd slowed to a walk, and weren't walking to the sides but down the middle of narrower roads... f**king killed me that did, as it was a hot day, and must have ran more than a bloody Marathon in the end!!

Unless my short term memory is shit, they no longer ask you for an expected time. They used to and I wondered if you could game the system, but pretty certain for my last few entries to the ballot, that question isn't asked.

It was 2007 (only 5-years ago I know) when I ran the Marathon, so wont be surprised if the entry form has changed.

Seems a bit silly if they dont ask for it anymore, as its a good way to try and get the slower runners at the back

AllHailTheHen

They dont ask for it during the ballot. They do when you have a place confirmed either in the ballot or via charity etc...

sholland

When I ran it this year I got in through the charity ballot (LDN Marathons own Charity), this is the better chance X2 but costs £50 up front.
  
If you don’t get in you get a free running top worth what you paid. If you do get in then nothing to pay so you get to run it about £25-30 cheaper. 

This year for 2027 race it is a running vest apparently worth over £100. 

Another good way of getting in is to join a running club that is affiliated to England Athletics, each club usually gets awarded one place depending on the number of members. (More members = more places)

Last year in 2025 only 3 runners in my club wanted to run it out of about 40 ish members. 

I went into the hat with a 1 in 3 chance of doing London Marathon, that is a far better route and worth considering if you have a local affiliate club.