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Online Entry - Open already?
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Online entry is great but it should have opened next month. Anyone who was committed enought to doing it would remember. This way goodness knows next years race could trun out like. Record no-shows and a record number of people underprepaired I reckon.
How bizarre to open entries for 2009 during the actual running of the 2008 race
Wonder whose brilliant idea that was.
Now call me an old cynic, but I don't suppose it would have anything to do with maximising revenue via the bequeath option?
Anyway, I'll predict that 9 out of 10 over-excited couch potatoes will today be thinking "Oh God, why did I go and do that?"
maybe next year they could use the online system, but pick another date to start it, like 7am on the first monday of may, or something, and publicise that on the tv broadcast etc. (Not a 9am start if there are going to problems as all the poor people who actually work wont be able to get in at the beginning!)
Opening the ballot during the race and applying a limit were both mistakes, the consequence of which were predicted accurately by very many people on these forums.
Could you consider increasing the limit to something which will not cause a huge surge of panicked entries? Half a million? You'd never fill it, but you'd have avoided all the over-capacity problems, and you'll save some bad feeling on Monday.
You haven't explained why you chose mid-day on race day. We're scratching our heads to understand why what would seem to be the absolute worst time was chosen, and coming up with no answer. Could you enlighten us?
Finally, I managed to get my entry in without a hitch. Could you give it a helping hand through the ballot? Thanks!
What happens for people who have applied and failed to get through the ballot for 3 years in a row and are unable to get the application in for this year?
The guaranteed entry in the 6th year off application will change to the 10th year off failed applications just because they are unable to sit at their computer at 9am on a work day?
Not at all happy with this.
I doubt the FLM would say that it was a mistakes swerve. They currently have 80,000 people entered into the race which is a pretty good number (having done a bit of searching on the forum there is only 20,000 places availble through the ballot anyway?).
What was a mistake is not being prepared for lots of people trying to enter at once which I would have said was obviously going to happen, and not having a system to deal with questions.
That might be being a bit hard as they have at least stopped entry so they can deal with questions/issues.
Not sure how the postal entries are going to work as well. That seems to be a bit of an add on. Had I know then I think I would have just opted for the postal entry instead.
I must dig out my crystal ball as it would stop things like this happening.
Hi yes - very disappointed with the service - couldn't get through at all - typical that it opened early - this is my 4th year of trying - wont even get rejected at this rate. can't get through on the phone either - completely jammed up
Well done to those who have got in
good luck
Chippers
I'm actually happy with the online entry per se. Every other race of note does it.
But there are questions marks over the timing and (from what I read here) the technology.
How about a Glastonbury-like system of pre-registering an interest over a period of time, say April-June. You could even ask people to pay a non-returnable £5 to pre-register. Then later on, people are asked to confirm their interest, along with the payment of the race fee and option to bequeath. These people would go into the ballot.
I'd also like to see more imaginative initiatives. Why not, for instance, auction off a few hundred places? Yes, it favours the wealthy but it's all for a good cause. They would be allowed to give (but not sell) these places to someone else as a gift, so you could be a benefactor to someone else.
They could make the whole thing more exciting. Have a first round of the ballot, then a second and third round where you could pay a bit more to enter your name again.
There would still be the golden bond and club places.
I'm sure there are more, and better, ideas. It just strikes me that the system they've chosen isn't terribly well thought through, and all rather cynical and unimaginative.
But anyway, I'm not planning on running it, so it's kinda academic to me.
I deferred my place this year because of a broken toe.... I understand that by deferring it to 2009 it is an automatic entry but cant get a confirmation on this.
anyone have any ideas please
Pre-registering a la Glastonbury is a good idea. I registered for Glasto this year (although I don't know why, because after having gone to 5 muddy fests I don't think I ever really wanted to buy tickets) - and registration was easy and no hassle at all. I don't think charging people to register would be ethical, though.
Now that I think about it I can understand the entry limit of 120,000 and in general I think online entry is better than entry via the post. The only thing I really can't understand is why on earth they opened it during the race - ??
The Ballot system is at fault, be it paper based or on-line.
120,000 prospective applicants for 15,000 places. How can this be considered fair to all.
I believe there should be a qualifying process based on the following criteria:
No. of races entered (and competed) in the previous 12 months.
Club membership
Previous marathon experience (outside FLM)
No. of rejections.
There should also be fewer charity places (controversial, perhaps) and most controversially..............
No more Gordon Ramsay Entries !!!
I think it was unfair to open the entry on Sunday. I'm only just back at work today and have already missed the boat which seems a bit harsh. Does this mean the five misses and you are in rule is now no longer working? Very harsh on all those who were close.
I'm very glad I got in this year and suspect that might be my last London. I do run other marathons but London is great fun. I will just feel a bit robbed if I can't even get a ballot entry in. Actually...why are they limiting the online applications? Why not just keep it open a bit longer?
O something for me to moan about!
I returned last night from London last night- having had a wonderful 2nd London Marathon/fundraising campaign. I have been unsuccessful in the ballot the last 2 yrs, so have taken Golden Bond places. Yes I have enjoyed raising the money/made it worthwhile, but unfortunately I know I cannot raise money every year, so hopefully at one point I would gain entry through the ballot.
Thus unable to get entry online as full up on Phase1- and as I know any system cannot be ideal for everyone, and yes I think online entry is the way forward. I have to say know that my criticism of the London Marathon company is why did they open the ballot on day of the Marathon???and why could they have not had some facility been put in place for runners in the race at the Expo. I also feel that a large percentage of people would of entered , due to the feelgood factor of watching! Call me cynical, but I will be hugely disappointed if not even accepted through the ballot process.
Surely this system will have to be reviewed, and that they probably never anticipated this response?
Yes I did know of the ballot, and the new entry requirements , but I feel disappointed at this stage if I cannot guarantee my continuity in entering the ballot 5 years running.
Am I right in saying that I will have to take next Monday off work if I want to attempt to get an online entry in Phase 2 or am I too late?
I have posted a couple of times in this thread defending the new set-up, and I do still think online entry is the way forward, but it sounds like some people have had a terrible time trying to get registered. I'm sure online entry is here to stay, and that they'll learn lessons from this year. It seems the biggest mistake was to have entries open on marathon day itself. I guess they were trying to maximise the publicity from the TV coverage, and underestimated the ammount of demand that would be placed on the system.
I'm not sure I agree there'll be a big problem with people applying on a whim and then dropping out, but if there is I'm sure they can adjust the numbers accordingly in future. After all, there's no way they could accommodate everyone who is given a place in the race. They must rely on a certain percentage dropping out each year.
I agree with Graham...I don't think there's anything wrong with online entry provided that you have the technology to cope with it (I'm not sure on that point whether they did or not). Really think it was a mistake opening it whilst the race was going ahead but apart from that, no real problem with it.
Really don't agree that there should be any sort of qualifying system for London because it them becomes a bit elitist and goes against what the spirit of the marathon is supposed to be about.
Why don't we all have a race, and the first 32000 or so finishers get guarenteed entry to FLM....
Entries to the Pre-FLM FLM are now open!
Online entry is the way forward but not if it dosent work! I have been looking around the realbuzz website and not sure how they have ended up doing the online entry for the london marathon. Have they done this before? The realbuzz website does seem very comprehensive with sections about everything although none of the sections really gives you much. A bit lost in it all really.
Why didnt the london marathon just do their own online entry? Or use the runners world system? I do my own tax & payment online and the goverment system seems to cope with 10,000 of people submitting forms and payment on one day.
I do find myself getting more wound up by this as the day goes on.
I've just rang to register for paper application to be told you can only do this if you have no access to online entry. Unfortunately i told them I had online access before they told me this.
Lets hope I can get through on monday, I was running when lines opened on sunday. Whos stupid idea was that?
I have always said that it would be far fairer if you were not allowed to enter the ballot the first year after a successful entry.
You could still run on a GB place if you really wanted to do it on consecutive years.
That would automatically free up what - 20,000 places or something every year?
Have they just added the paper entry recently? Seems open to abuse that you could just call up and say you havent got internet access etc.... How have they communicated that? Only online? This is turning into a comedy......
knock knock
who's there?
200,000 people who want to run the london marathon.
try and enter online and try and call our number that is always engaged. oh and you can also enter by post but we have only told you online so we know you have a computer.