2010 Ballot entry is up

13637384042

Comments

  • I think you'll find that's 77,338 entries.

  • Divine wind, when people aske me what charity I am doing it for, I just tell them that I'm doing it for fun! That normally stuns them and they forget about charity!
  • Does anyone have an email address for marathon entries?

    I thought I entered last night as received confirmation email after being cut out half way through the entry process how ever I am now worried I am not in the ballot!

  • One thing that I have found frustrating the last few years is the extra 1000 places kept aside for another draw for those that donate their entry fee in order to tempt us to do just that.  This must rake in a fair sum of cash from thousands of people desparate to get in whilst simultaneously making it even harder for them to do so.
  • I've bequeathed every time in the hope of getting one of those 1000 extra places.  Result? 7 applications, 7 bequests, 7 rejections.
  • I bequeathed last year and got into the 2008 race through the 1000 extra places draw.
    Bequeathed for the 2009 marathon and got a fleece.

    This race is mostly about charity so I don't really begrudge the £32, or whatever, going towards a charitable cause.  I also get some fleece or jacket out of it too which I can wear to show how proud I am of my "loser" status image

  • Woob wrote (see)

    Having continually been trying to get through on the website (including trying without the 's' on https) I get to the last page to be confronted by:

    Mod_python error: "PythonHandler django.core.handlers.modpython"

    Traceback (most recent call last):

      File "/usr/lib64/python2.4/site-packages/mod_python/apache.py", line 299, in HandlerDispatch
        result = object(req)

      File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/django/core/handlers/modpython.py", line 228, in handler
        return ModPythonHandler()(req)

      File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/django/core/handlers/modpython.py", line 201, in __call__
        response = self.get_response(request)

      File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/django/core/handlers/base.py", line 128, in get_response
        return self.handle_uncaught_exception(request, resolver, exc_info)

      File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/django/core/handlers/base.py", line 160, in handle_uncaught_exception
        return callback(request, **param_dict)

      File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/django/views/defaults.py", line 23, in server_error
        t = loader.get_template(template_name) # You need to create a 500.html template.

      File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/django/template/loader.py", line 80, in get_template
        source, origin = find_template_source(template_name)

      File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/django/template/loader.py", line 73, in find_template_source
        raise TemplateDoesNotExist, name

    TemplateDoesNotExist: 500.html

    WHAT IS THIS?! Is this a fault with my computer or a secret message advising me just to give up?

       

    It is an error message from the website.  Basically it can't find several files (possibly because you are using the http and not the https version) so it's punting out an error message.  Not your fault at all, they shouldn't show such error messages to the end user.  Personally I find it very interesting, but I'm rather sad like that.  It tells you a lot about the platform that they are using and how they are doing it.

  • I had that error message looking at one of the static pages. Refreshing it worked - probably just volume of traffic.

    They could easily  prevent this mass hysteria (I'm including myself) by not caping the numberof entries and just giving an end date. The Great North Run opens it's ballot between races and that sells out. It can't take long for the computer to draw the ballot (ERNIE does it monthly for millions of bonds), so why not open the ballot over the summer for a few weeks? That would reduce the number of people entering on the spur of the moment (OK, not exactly possible), like my other half...

  • Ron Goodwin- I agree with DeeDee that another 15,000 runners would make it even slower to get going.  Although I only took 2 minutes to get to the start line from Pen 4, it took another 3 miles to stop tripping over other runners heels.  There were folks in fancy dress ( I thought they were supposed to be  starting at the very back) and others who were walking within 3 miles.  There were some serious bottlenecks due to the road being narrowed by road furniture etc and I guess this is what really limits the numbers.  Another 33% more runners would make it all worse.

    The problem with the ballot is that the charities get huge numbers of places, then there are all the good for age runners and  those who have deferred from the year before, so your chances are fairly slim.  You could increase them by joining a club andgetting lucky with a club place!

  • Why is everyone slamming Virgin for the website problems??  They're just the sponsor of the event and don't set up all the IT stuff.  I guess people are just having a go at them because lots of people love to say something bad about Branson and this is their first year as a sponsor.  Just think back to last year when the same thing happened.... how many people blamed it on Flora??  No one I suspect....
  • Virgin must take some responsibility. I know they dont set up the website but they should announce some kind of apology. I didn't have any problems entering ballot last year, but this year was a nightmare managed to get in last night at 11pm.

    Can't understand why they cannot increase amount of entries ... why can't the fancy dress, fun runners set off a long time after the elite/club runners
  • WJHWJH ✭✭✭
    Lots of problems on Monday but managed to get my ballot registered yesterday evening (Tuesday)! Two colleagues in my office have also done so as well. Im much happier now! image
  • People pay for this?
  • Did anyone struggle with each of the 7 pages of the ballot application? It took me 40 mins to finally get my page 7 completed. 4 years of rejection and fingers crossed.........
  • Pete, have you had your confirmation through yet?  I'll give them another call later I think.
  • Run Stuboy Run wrote (see)
    Pete, have you had your confirmation through yet?  I'll give them another call later I think.


    Nah ive not had anything yet

     image

    i was gonna give it a day or so as i guess its prob gonna be busy

  • good thinking, think I'll leave it til the morning, thanks for the update image
  • Hia, does anyone know what how the ballot works? How much chance is there of getting a place if it's the first time you've entered?

     Thanks!

  • Frooliemew - it's totally random. First time entry has as much chance as someone previously rejected 4 times. 2 people next to me on the train on Sunday were talking - one had entered 3 consecutive years and got in twice, the other 4 years and rejected every time (but given club place).

    Great Manchester Run is starting in 5 waves this year. Allows them to have 33k runners in roads that cannot take that pressure. All supposed to be done on time, so some of the slower runners actually get a clear road ahead of them. London could do the same. For example, pens 1 to 5 go off at 9:45, remainder at 10:45. It's not as though we all actually start moving together anyway. It would also ease the transport, toilet queues and other hold ups as not everyone needs to be there at the same time. That would then allow the ballot & charity places to be increased.

  • Frooliemew the ballot is a dark and secretive affair!!

    However,..... common sense would suggest that the organisers need to filter entrants according to finishe times so that the finish line is not swamped by everyone finishing in 4 hours.  I think the busiest finish time is between 3:30 and 4 hours so if thats your predicted finish time, you could have a lower chance of getting in as that time is the busiest.  I did once hear rumour, or maybe I made it up that they do like to let as many first timers in as they can.  Dont know if thats still the case but having got in on my forst attempt, I've never made it in the 4 years since..

    Good luck!

  • Chances of a place on the first entry are about nil, some get through but it's a miniscule amount compared to the amount of entries.
  • Well, there's 3 different answers for you!
  • Just shows how dark and secret it is!!
  • LOL image

    My OH got in first time in 2002 BTW.

  • No-one has ever come back with a single scrap of evidence that the ballot is anything other than completely random.  Nothing.

  • Oooh very interesting indeed! I'll train as if I've got a place and hope for the best then! Thanks all! Bring on October!
  • Just put in my ballot entry, no problems using the Virgin system/website. It's the first one I've applied for! Eeek!

  • Managed to get through to the site last night about 11.30pm.  Tried earlier in the day but it kept crashing between pages 6 and 7, and no amount of refreshing helped!  I only got one confirmation email so hopefully they won't have multiple entries for me.  I donated my fee as well in the vain hope of getting in to the extra 1000 places (or New York of course!) draw, but if that doesn't work at least I'll have a lovely new jacket for gardening in the rain!

    Not holding out much hope of getting in first time, but at least it'll be one rejection towards a few years' time when I might be about ready for it!

  • For the attention of Nick Bittel

    Now here's a suggestion!

    How about bequesthing your entry fee to go on to a waiting list to replace those who defer or decide after their " spur of the moment decision to enter " that its maybe not for them?  

    I personally would be more than happy to do this to go on some type of waiting list for the possibility to take  up one of these places if they became available.  I train throughout the year so wouldn't be putting myself under any necessary risk if say in Feb 2010 I recd a call to say a place had become available. 

    Kind regards  

Sign In or Register to comment.