4 in 4 is legendary status. Bloody hell, I've ran 6 marathons and have rode over 100 miles a day on a bike quite a few times over the years but at no point have I thought about doing one straight after the other. That would be insane. And to swim 2.4 miles too. Thats roughly 169 lengths of a 25m pool. Fuck that with a barge pole. Awesome effort.
Just entered the ballot for 2020. If I get in it'll be my third London Marathon.
Seems to be very hard to get in through the ballot these days, trying for the third time in last five or so years.
The ballot got over 400,000 applications for this years race.
With roughly 40,000 places would love to know the allocation split between ballot / clubs / premium packages / charities to knock out at ridiculous minimum raise.
Roughly speaking...based on the dozens of articles I've read on the subject, which started as a bit of an obsession once I'd suffered my 4th successive rejection on the ballot...
Based on 42,000 entries
Elites (including wheelchair race): 200 Celebrity Places: 100 Championship Places: 250 Good for Age Qualifiers: 6,000 (split evenly between men & women) Club Places: 2,500 UK & International Ballot: 15,000 Charity: 17,000 Volunteering through marshalling: 1,000 Pacers: 3 coloured starts all with 2 pacers for each time between 3:00 to 7:30 in 15 mins increments = (3 x 2)*19 combinations = 114 flag carrying pacers
Thats comes to just over 42,000. Have discounted deferred places from previous year as VLM say they build that into their calculations and its a relatively small number each year.
The VLM give out marathon places to clubs based on number of first-claim members. Clubs like Plumstead Runners, a relatively small club, will get 1 place automatically. See here for more info. At last count there were just under 1,400 run clubs in the UK. So my estimate of 2,500 may be off but it wont be far off.
Clubs/groups will also get places for volunteering. We used to get an additional place(s) for marshalling down at Cutty Sark. The Plums share this with New Eltham Joggers every year and the extra places are shared between the two clubs. I've also got friends that volunteer at the VLM Expo and they get a place for giving up their time.
VLM wont release the breakdown because apparently it is commercially sensitive. God knows how they come to that decision. I thought about challenging that with a FOI request but never got around to it.
I thank my lucky stars I managed to get a place for the 2016 VLM through my club at the time. I think I was rejected 6 or 7 successive times in the end (lost count) and I only got in because one of the guys who got the club place in the ballot tore his Achilles Tendon the day after and I was 1st reserve.
I long believe that more places should go to the club runners who dont treat this sort of thing as a one off event and that the Ballot / Charity places should be conbined
Rather than it being X places to each club I think it should be a points based system on the events that you do across the year
Looking at some of the runners i saw on Saturday i would be very miffed if i had been trying with no joy to get in. Quite clearly some hadn't really trained at all.
Looking at some of the runners i saw on Saturday i would be very miffed if i had been trying with no joy to get in. Quite clearly some hadn't really trained at all.
I long believe that more places should go to the club runners who dont treat this sort of thing as a one off event and that the Ballot / Charity places should be conbined
Rather than it being X places to each club I think it should be a points based system on the events that you do across the year
Incredibly harsh on those that treat London with the respect it deserves from a runner point of view.
I covered over 400 miles in training with 4 20 mile runs and one marathon as Longer runs, only to have to walk run because of an injury from mile 16... missing out on a PB at the course I've wanted to do for 8 years.
Possibly looking to others like I hadn't trained enough...
I In fact probably trained more than most that were outside GFA or Elite categories.
I long believe that more places should go to the club runners who dont treat this sort of thing as a one off event and that the Ballot / Charity places should be conbined
Rather than it being X places to each club I think it should be a points based system on the events that you do across the year
Incredibly harsh on those that treat London with the respect it deserves from a runner point of view.
I covered over 400 miles in training with 4 20 mile runs and one marathon as Longer runs, only to have to walk run because of an injury from mile 16... missing out on a PB at the course I've wanted to do for 8 years.
Possibly looking to others like I hadn't trained enough...
I In fact probably trained more than most that were outside GFA or Elite categories.
True and agree with what you say
Just think there needs to be more places given to those who run a lot of events over the course of a 12-month period - i.e. I did tons in the South East and London (Canterbury | Folkestone | Dartford | Myra Garrett | Hastings | Great South Run etc.), was all to build up practice and build for the London Marathon, thankfully the first year I entered I got in yet the following year wasnt lucky and lost a lot of motivation for doing the sport
There needs to be a balance between the type of runner that me and you are
At the moment though it does feel as though it favours towards the latter far too much, unless of course your good for your age
I trained fully for all my five marathons but always broke down between 20-22 mile stage with pains all down right hand side, back hip leg groin and shoulder. Haven't been able to run or play golf for past two years because of the pain and have just found out I have arthritis in my spine neck and hip plus damage to L3 L4 and L5 of my spine. They are now saying this could be down to the running? Not sure myself. Was really hoping to run London again next year for my 50th.As for them iron man challenges I did a marathon on a Sunday and then the London to Brighton cycle the following Sunday for cancer research double challenge and that did me in!!!
Looking at some of the runners i saw on Saturday i would be very miffed if i had been trying with no joy to get in. Quite clearly some hadn't really trained at all.
From miles 5, 14, 20.5 and 23.5. I moved about the course cheering on a few friends.
Looking at some of the runners i saw on Saturday i would be very miffed if i had been trying with no joy to get in. Quite clearly some hadn't really trained at all.
From miles 5, 14, 20.5 and 23.5. I moved about the course cheering on a few friends.
This is it to a degree and it opens up a huge huge can of worms.
If you're walking from over halfway with an injury, I dont think anyone would bat an eyelid and the finishing time would reflect that.
However, if you're walking around Cutty Sark, just over 6 miles in without no apparent injury, then there's an issue. I understand there's a need to be fully inclusive, I totally get that. I understand its a huge income puller for charities, I get that too. But this is the UKs Premier Marathon, arguably the best supported marathon on the planet. There are thousands of people applying and not getting in year after year.
I understand it was the first year that there was a cut off in excess of 6hr 30 to make the event truly inclusive. I read the Facebook post of one of the 7:30 pacers which has now been picked up by the media and the pacer and her runners were treated appallingly. However, 7:30 is approx 17.5 min/mile pace. Thats a leisurely walk pace for most adults, not even a brisk walk. Then it throws up the whole this is a marathon, not a sponsored walk angle.
Its a real tough one. When I was standing out there marshaling at Cutty Sark in 2014 & 15 (when I was pointing the wheelchair racers around the bend at CS...I was on tv and everything! lol), 2 weeks after I ran Paris & Brighton respectively, it felt like a huge kick in the balls to see people walking without any apparent injury without a care in the bloody world. Christ, even the Jamaican Bobsleigh team that came through were running. Even the Rhinos, the big bottle of London Pride, even the fella that I went past at Mile 8 carrying a bloody Washing Machine was running. Running. Its a running race. The respect I've got for those 'runners' who finish in 5:00-6:30 is huge as to be on your feet for that long takes some bloody effort and you can reasonably deduce that they actually run at least part of the race to come in under 15 min/mile pace.
As the sport gets bigger and bigger, the demand for places will get greater and the arguments over a fairer system for allocating the places will just get bigger too.
People were walking on the Woolwich Lower Road, just past the roundabout. Later on it was clear who had injuries but some people were really out of shape.
I long believe that more places should go to the club runners who dont treat this sort of thing as a one off event and that the Ballot / Charity places should be conbined
Rather than it being X places to each club I think it should be a points based system on the events that you do across the year
Incredibly harsh on those that treat London with the respect it deserves from a runner point of view.
I covered over 400 miles in training with 4 20 mile runs and one marathon as Longer runs, only to have to walk run because of an injury from mile 16... missing out on a PB at the course I've wanted to do for 8 years.
Possibly looking to others like I hadn't trained enough...
I In fact probably trained more than most that were outside GFA or Elite categories.
True and agree with what you say
Just think there needs to be more places given to those who run a lot of events over the course of a 12-month period - i.e. I did tons in the South East and London (Canterbury | Folkestone | Dartford | Myra Garrett | Hastings | Great South Run etc.), was all to build up practice and build for the London Marathon, thankfully the first year I entered I got in yet the following year wasnt lucky and lost a lot of motivation for doing the sport
There needs to be a balance between the type of runner that me and you are
At the moment though it does feel as though it favours towards the latter far too much, unless of course your good for your age
But that is what the GFA is for.
I'm not and won't ever be able to put in a sub 3hr marathon. I say this from having trained with a target of 3:20 for London and Brighton.
I don't do loads of other events as 1. They're expensive and 2. I have the ability to train myself.
The key problem is these people don't train enough, but that's on them not on the event organisers to correct. It sucks to miss out on the ballot but then so e of these people won't even try to enter it ever again.
I do think that a GP medical cert to verify the holder can compete would be good. I had to have one for Florence and it meant there were very few real slugs. The cut off time of 5hrs helped too!
We, those who have successfully completed marathons get to choose where we go next. That's the beauty of us maintaining a level of fitness all year round. (I usually still keep myself working towards a pb at some level when not training for marathon times)
We can visit other places to complete them. I personally plan to do halves and fulls from now on with sights in Valencia, Barcelona, Athens, Berlin, Paris, Vancouver, Vegas, Boston, Edinburgh and many more.
One of the London marathons I ran in just about where you mentioned Curb It two runners if they could be called that stopped and both lit up cigarettes and were leisurely walking along chatting and getting in the way!
One of the London marathons I ran in just about where you mentioned Curb It two runners if they could be called that stopped and both lit up cigarettes and were leisurely walking along chatting and getting in the way!
I was outside the Rose one year and a bloke with an official running number on was wandering along drinking a can of Tenants!
Looking at some of the runners i saw on Saturday i would be very miffed if i had been trying with no joy to get in. Quite clearly some hadn't really trained at all.
From miles 5, 14, 20.5 and 23.5. I moved about the course cheering on a few friends.
This is it to a degree and it opens up a huge huge can of worms.
If you're walking from over halfway with an injury, I dont think anyone would bat an eyelid and the finishing time would reflect that.
However, if you're walking around Cutty Sark, just over 6 miles in without no apparent injury, then there's an issue. I understand there's a need to be fully inclusive, I totally get that. I understand its a huge income puller for charities, I get that too. But this is the UKs Premier Marathon, arguably the best supported marathon on the planet. There are thousands of people applying and not getting in year after year.
I understand it was the first year that there was a cut off in excess of 6hr 30 to make the event truly inclusive. I read the Facebook post of one of the 7:30 pacers which has now been picked up by the media and the pacer and her runners were treated appallingly. However, 7:30 is approx 17.5 min/mile pace. Thats a leisurely walk pace for most adults, not even a brisk walk. Then it throws up the whole this is a marathon, not a sponsored walk angle.
Its a real tough one. When I was standing out there marshaling at Cutty Sark in 2014 & 15 (when I was pointing the wheelchair racers around the bend at CS...I was on tv and everything! lol), 2 weeks after I ran Paris & Brighton respectively, it felt like a huge kick in the balls to see people walking without any apparent injury without a care in the bloody world. Christ, even the Jamaican Bobsleigh team that came through were running. Even the Rhinos, the big bottle of London Pride, even the fella that I went past at Mile 8 carrying a bloody Washing Machine was running. Running. Its a running race. The respect I've got for those 'runners' who finish in 5:00-6:30 is huge as to be on your feet for that long takes some bloody effort and you can reasonably deduce that they actually run at least part of the race to come in under 15 min/mile pace.
As the sport gets bigger and bigger, the demand for places will get greater and the arguments over a fairer system for allocating the places will just get bigger too.
Is it a race? Not for most in it. It's a challenge. For some to get a time, for some just to finish. I think if you're a serious racer there are other Marathons for you. The ones with relative low entries.
Looking at some of the runners i saw on Saturday i would be very miffed if i had been trying with no joy to get in. Quite clearly some hadn't really trained at all.
From miles 5, 14, 20.5 and 23.5. I moved about the course cheering on a few friends.
This is it to a degree and it opens up a huge huge can of worms.
If you're walking from over halfway with an injury, I dont think anyone would bat an eyelid and the finishing time would reflect that.
However, if you're walking around Cutty Sark, just over 6 miles in without no apparent injury, then there's an issue. I understand there's a need to be fully inclusive, I totally get that. I understand its a huge income puller for charities, I get that too. But this is the UKs Premier Marathon, arguably the best supported marathon on the planet. There are thousands of people applying and not getting in year after year.
I understand it was the first year that there was a cut off in excess of 6hr 30 to make the event truly inclusive. I read the Facebook post of one of the 7:30 pacers which has now been picked up by the media and the pacer and her runners were treated appallingly. However, 7:30 is approx 17.5 min/mile pace. Thats a leisurely walk pace for most adults, not even a brisk walk. Then it throws up the whole this is a marathon, not a sponsored walk angle.
Its a real tough one. When I was standing out there marshaling at Cutty Sark in 2014 & 15 (when I was pointing the wheelchair racers around the bend at CS...I was on tv and everything! lol), 2 weeks after I ran Paris & Brighton respectively, it felt like a huge kick in the balls to see people walking without any apparent injury without a care in the bloody world. Christ, even the Jamaican Bobsleigh team that came through were running. Even the Rhinos, the big bottle of London Pride, even the fella that I went past at Mile 8 carrying a bloody Washing Machine was running. Running. Its a running race. The respect I've got for those 'runners' who finish in 5:00-6:30 is huge as to be on your feet for that long takes some bloody effort and you can reasonably deduce that they actually run at least part of the race to come in under 15 min/mile pace.
As the sport gets bigger and bigger, the demand for places will get greater and the arguments over a fairer system for allocating the places will just get bigger too.
Is it a race? Not for most in it. It's a challenge. For some to get a time, for some just to finish. I think if you're a serious racer there are other Marathons for you. The ones with relative low entries.
No, its a marathon. Its a race. Not a cyclosportive, not a sponsored walk but its a race.
Got to question whether it’s worth it to be honest. Yes it’s great having that determination etc but is what he’s doing really worth risking permanent damage?
ultra challenges seem to be getting too ultra imo for the physical well-being of people
Got to question whether it’s worth it to be honest. Yes it’s great having that determination etc but is what he’s doing really worth risking permanent damage?
ultra challenges seem to be getting too ultra imo for the physical well-being of people
That was my first thought too. Apparently he was having tests to see if he had caused any permanent damage to his heart and lungs, next day he’s back doing another iron man. Must have been medically cleared but seems crazy.
Got to question whether it’s worth it to be honest. Yes it’s great having that determination etc but is what he’s doing really worth risking permanent damage?
ultra challenges seem to be getting too ultra imo for the physical well-being of people
The body possesses far more capability beyond the imposed mental barriers.
Special thanks to @LenGlover who I met randomly walking down the hill from the village. Your donation is appreciated as were your kind words. Another Addick I can put a face to the name of.
Special thanks to @LenGlover who I met randomly walking down the hill from the village. Your donation is appreciated as were your kind words. Another Addick I can put a face to the name of.
Good to meet you and your lovely little girl @Dazzler21
Comments
Based on 42,000 entries
Elites (including wheelchair race): 200
Celebrity Places: 100
Championship Places: 250
Good for Age Qualifiers: 6,000 (split evenly between men & women)
Club Places: 2,500
UK & International Ballot: 15,000
Charity: 17,000
Volunteering through marshalling: 1,000
Pacers: 3 coloured starts all with 2 pacers for each time between 3:00 to 7:30 in 15 mins increments = (3 x 2)*19 combinations = 114 flag carrying pacers
Thats comes to just over 42,000. Have discounted deferred places from previous year as VLM say they build that into their calculations and its a relatively small number each year.
The VLM give out marathon places to clubs based on number of first-claim members. Clubs like Plumstead Runners, a relatively small club, will get 1 place automatically. See here for more info. At last count there were just under 1,400 run clubs in the UK. So my estimate of 2,500 may be off but it wont be far off.
Clubs/groups will also get places for volunteering. We used to get an additional place(s) for marshalling down at Cutty Sark. The Plums share this with New Eltham Joggers every year and the extra places are shared between the two clubs. I've also got friends that volunteer at the VLM Expo and they get a place for giving up their time.
VLM wont release the breakdown because apparently it is commercially sensitive. God knows how they come to that decision. I thought about challenging that with a FOI request but never got around to it.
I thank my lucky stars I managed to get a place for the 2016 VLM through my club at the time. I think I was rejected 6 or 7 successive times in the end (lost count) and I only got in because one of the guys who got the club place in the ballot tore his Achilles Tendon the day after and I was 1st reserve.
Rather than it being X places to each club I think it should be a points based system on the events that you do across the year
I covered over 400 miles in training with 4 20 mile runs and one marathon as Longer runs, only to have to walk run because of an injury from mile 16... missing out on a PB at the course I've wanted to do for 8 years.
Possibly looking to others like I hadn't trained enough...
I In fact probably trained more than most that were outside GFA or Elite categories.
Just think there needs to be more places given to those who run a lot of events over the course of a 12-month period - i.e. I did tons in the South East and London (Canterbury | Folkestone | Dartford | Myra Garrett | Hastings | Great South Run etc.), was all to build up practice and build for the London Marathon, thankfully the first year I entered I got in yet the following year wasnt lucky and lost a lot of motivation for doing the sport
There needs to be a balance between the type of runner that me and you are
At the moment though it does feel as though it favours towards the latter far too much, unless of course your good for your age
If you're walking from over halfway with an injury, I dont think anyone would bat an eyelid and the finishing time would reflect that.
However, if you're walking around Cutty Sark, just over 6 miles in without no apparent injury, then there's an issue. I understand there's a need to be fully inclusive, I totally get that. I understand its a huge income puller for charities, I get that too. But this is the UKs Premier Marathon, arguably the best supported marathon on the planet. There are thousands of people applying and not getting in year after year.
I understand it was the first year that there was a cut off in excess of 6hr 30 to make the event truly inclusive. I read the Facebook post of one of the 7:30 pacers which has now been picked up by the media and the pacer and her runners were treated appallingly. However, 7:30 is approx 17.5 min/mile pace. Thats a leisurely walk pace for most adults, not even a brisk walk. Then it throws up the whole this is a marathon, not a sponsored walk angle.
Its a real tough one. When I was standing out there marshaling at Cutty Sark in 2014 & 15 (when I was pointing the wheelchair racers around the bend at CS...I was on tv and everything! lol), 2 weeks after I ran Paris & Brighton respectively, it felt like a huge kick in the balls to see people walking without any apparent injury without a care in the bloody world. Christ, even the Jamaican Bobsleigh team that came through were running. Even the Rhinos, the big bottle of London Pride, even the fella that I went past at Mile 8 carrying a bloody Washing Machine was running. Running. Its a running race. The respect I've got for those 'runners' who finish in 5:00-6:30 is huge as to be on your feet for that long takes some bloody effort and you can reasonably deduce that they actually run at least part of the race to come in under 15 min/mile pace.
As the sport gets bigger and bigger, the demand for places will get greater and the arguments over a fairer system for allocating the places will just get bigger too.
Later on it was clear who had injuries but some people were really out of shape.
I'm not and won't ever be able to put in a sub 3hr marathon. I say this from having trained with a target of 3:20 for London and Brighton.
I don't do loads of other events as
1. They're expensive and
2. I have the ability to train myself.
The key problem is these people don't train enough, but that's on them not on the event organisers to correct. It sucks to miss out on the ballot but then so e of these people won't even try to enter it ever again.
I do think that a GP medical cert to verify the holder can compete would be good. I had to have one for Florence and it meant there were very few real slugs. The cut off time of 5hrs helped too!
We, those who have successfully completed marathons get to choose where we go next. That's the beauty of us maintaining a level of fitness all year round. (I usually still keep myself working towards a pb at some level when not training for marathon times)
We can visit other places to complete them. I personally plan to do halves and fulls from now on with sights in Valencia, Barcelona, Athens, Berlin, Paris, Vancouver, Vegas, Boston, Edinburgh and many more.
I think its absolutely disgusting how the 7:30 pacer and her group were treated though.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48125731?fbclid=IwAR39tq8sPPsCuR0g_2MxE9txOY0NXleBL8T8hAa0Q0HdXMsznfU-qb_1UAI
I think if you're a serious racer there are other Marathons for you. The ones with relative low entries.
The London’Marathon is only partly a race, it’s also a massive fundraiser and street party.
He’s out of hospital and has started day 6 himself.
ultra challenges seem to be getting too ultra imo for the physical well-being of people
The body possesses far more capability beyond the imposed mental barriers.