Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.
2 day London Marathon next year?
killerandflash
Posts: 71,418
Organisers are considering running the London Marathon over 2 days next year, to allow more people to take part (not to allow slow people to take 2 days to complete the course!)
From our point of view, I assume we wouldn't be able to play at home on the Saturday if the Marathon was taking place. So we would either have to play on Friday or Monday, or away that weekend.
0
Comments
-
Need to get the roadworks on Woolwich Road finished before it's safe to have this year's one first.8
-
It could make for a more interesting watch with trip hazards to negotiate and barriers to climb.Rock Spectacle said:Need to get the roadworks on Woolwich Road finished before it's safe to have this year's one first.2 -
Think it’s a brilliant idea, literally make London the marathon capital of the world. The demand to run is there and it’s already ridiculously hard supporting on course as so many people turn out. Turn it into a 2-day festival is a great idea7
-
Shows how much ££££ it makes. Ballot day and charity day would be great.
4 -
You think they have that amount of joined up thinking ?. The Millwall route march will pale into insignificance when fans are sent on a 26 mile run after the match 😂😂😂killerandflash said:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cqxl8yn4gxwo
Organisers are considering running the London Marathon over 2 days next year, to allow more people to take part (not to allow slow people to take 2 days to complete the course!)
From our point of view, I assume we wouldn't be able to play at home on the Saturday if the Marathon was taking place. So we would either have to play on Friday or Monday, or away that weekend.
4 -
Will be really interesting to see if they can make this happen, the demand is clearly there from how oversubscribed the ballot is every year but I can see it being logistically pretty tough with road closures
Elite races and the Mini Marathon on the Saturday and then everyone else on the Sunday potentially?1 -
Looking forward to Steve Cram doing his best Jeux Sans Frontieres commentary around the 3/4 Mile Mark.Rock Spectacle said:Need to get the roadworks on Woolwich Road finished before it's safe to have this year's one first.
And the German has fallen over the No Entry Sign2 -
don't think it would quite feel the same having it run twice, devalues the exclusivity of it a bit - unless 1 day is purely for charity runners maybe
potential a bit of a logistical nightmare though8 -
If they can work out the logistics as Marcus says then I dont see why this can't be every year going forward, rather than just a one off in 2027 - I've been damned lucky in the past, I entered the ballot four times, and got in on three of those times (only ran the once) - But you read stories of people trying for about a decade with no luck, so hopefully will give more opportunities2
-
This year as they get to the Woolwich roundabout they have to get on a Lime bike and ride until they get to Greenwich when they can discard the bike however they feel best and resume on foot.The London Marathon sponsored by TFL😀4
-
Sponsored links:
-
As long as weare playing away that weekend.
Too many midweek games as it is.0 -
Just make our game an away game, not difficult !killerandflash said:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cqxl8yn4gxwo
Organisers are considering running the London Marathon over 2 days next year, to allow more people to take part (not to allow slow people to take 2 days to complete the course!)
From our point of view, I assume we wouldn't be able to play at home on the Saturday if the Marathon was taking place. So we would either have to play on Friday or Monday, or away that weekend.
3 -
Logistically it makes sense to be able to get more runners taking part and spectators to be able to get around easier, but the one day event currently is a very, very special day and my fear would be, as @Elthamaddick says above, that it would dilute that feeling.I'm not sure it would even make it easier logistically as the number of runners and corresponding spectator numbers could expand to fill two consecutive days, each as busy as the one day now.7
-
Fuck that, I live inside the loop around Greenwich/Woolwich/Charlton and it's a pain in the arse already for one day to get about, a whole weekend would be horrendous as they won't bother taking all the infrastructure down overnight2
-
Yup - I live inside the loop too. The marathon is by far and away the best day of the year. No traffic, lots to see, Sunday morning Guinness at the Rose of Denmark, drummers under the flyover. It's terrific.
But I really don't think you can do two days on the same route because of the disruption and economic hit caused by two days of road closures and public transport disruption. Most of those crowds in the first few miles are locals - are they going to turn out for two mornings? I think a lot of goodwill towards the event would evaporate.
If you did a second day, you'd probably have to choose a different route outside central London and let another area take the hit. Maybe somewhere like Battersea Park could take the crowds, or the Olympic Park. But that runs the risk of devaluing the first day and you'd have to look at what else was happening too - the FA Cup semi-finals are at Wembley on marathon weekend this year, but what about next year? And a lot of marathon work is done by volunteers - will they want to get up at 5am twice to do two sets of bag drops?
A second day would be a huge ask, and I don't think it's a goer unless the Saturday starts somewhere else.9 -
Not sure how I feel about this. They need to do something as last year it was a really difficult race to run with so many people. I think it will devalue the race a bit. But there are so many marathons now, maybe London is turned into more of a festival rather than a race.0
-
A rubbish idea, clogs up London and most are not interested. But the silent majority won't be heard, as usual.7
-
Yeah I think it's something that the organisers have to explore but I would be surprised if it happens purely for the road closures , volunteers etc. There's a lot of logistical headaches they'll have to get past.ForeverAddickted said:If they can work out the logistics as Marcus says then I dont see why this can't be every year going forward, rather than just a one off in 2027 - I've been damned lucky in the past, I entered the ballot four times, and got in on three of those times (only ran the once) - But you read stories of people trying for about a decade with no luck, so hopefully will give more opportunities
I know people that have run London and call it one of those once in a lifetime things that they just had to do when they got the ballot.
I volunteer down at the Brighton Marathon and that's enough of a logistical headache trying to get everyone into Brighton without the Albion being at home (luckily this year they're up at Burnley on the Saturday and Sky haven't given them a 2pm Sunday at home.2 -
It's like when Cheltenham added a 4th day
No need for it.0 -
InspectorSands said:Yup - I live inside the loop too. The marathon is by far and away the best day of the year. No traffic, lots to see, Sunday morning Guinness at the Rose of Denmark, drummers under the flyover. It's terrific.
But I really don't think you can do two days on the same route because of the disruption and economic hit caused by two days of road closures and public transport disruption. Most of those crowds in the first few miles are locals - are they going to turn out for two mornings? I think a lot of goodwill towards the event would evaporate.
If you did a second day, you'd probably have to choose a different route outside central London and let another area take the hit. Maybe somewhere like Battersea Park could take the crowds, or the Olympic Park. But that runs the risk of devaluing the first day and you'd have to look at what else was happening too - the FA Cup semi-finals are at Wembley on marathon weekend this year, but what about next year? And a lot of marathon work is done by volunteers - will they want to get up at 5am twice to do two sets of bag drops?
A second day would be a huge ask, and I don't think it's a goer unless the Saturday starts somewhere else.My youngest has run it once, my eldest twice (and fundraising on CL and the generosity shown by Lifers for my boys' chosen charity has always moved me), and each time our first viewing spot was at The Rose - brilliant atmosphere and as you say Guinness early on a Sunday morning just has to be done!I love Marathon day and I've said before on here that it brings out the best in humanity, runners and spectators alike. Please don't spoil that by dilution.
1 -
Sponsored links:
-
Ran it a few years ago. Would say it would make it less special for the spectators but also the runners. Less crowd will turn up across both days and it would be spread, and the crowd really pushes you on. Would make more dead spots on route. Awful idea!0
-
Great idea. Could have the elite men and elite women's events on seperate days. Loads more money raised for charity for an extra day of inconvience. No doubt people outside of London will be against it and call it utter woke madness and call for the removal of the mayor!2
-
Ran it 3 times and the last time it felt like the course was a bit overcrowded in places. The organisers seem to be obsessed with how big they can make the event. World record for applicants, world record for finishers and so on. They plaster it all over their socials. I'm not convinced that's making it a better marathon and not sure a 2 day event will either outside of giving more people the opportunity to get a spot and raise more for charity.
0 -
2 days?
Reckon i'd still need 6 weeks to get my lardy arse around it.2 -
I'm all for it. They seem to cancel all the trains every weekend anyway so it's already difficult going anywhere.
Put the elites on the Saturday (which will be quicker and therefore closures shorter) and have more charity runners on the Sunday. Would simplify the routes around Blackheath into Woolwich as well.
I did in 2021 and it was great. I'd probably do it again if I had a chance in the ballot.0 -
perhaps day 1 for the 'elite runners' and days 2 for the 'amateurs'0
-
Good news for charities, if it means more charity places.0
-
If there's any more charity places you may aswell just cancel the ballot. Imo it would be nice for more people who can't raise over 2 grand for the opportunity, to have a chance.ME14addick said:Good news for charities, if it means more charity places.4 -
should we just lock people in their homes, so the self indulgent marathon runs can do every day
Greenwich already closes for the Greenwich half marathon as well as the London marathon.1
