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London Marathon 2012
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The whole thing is carzy really........the most secretive entry system ever! If someone could actually tell me how many places were available through the ballot, and how it was drawn (is it really completely fair?) then I would have far less to think about!!!??
It all adds to the excitement though doesn't it - which other race, which is a year away, and you don't know if you're in it for another 6 months, can you get SO excited about!!!!????
Entry in - tenderhooks until October!
Woop, woop! I know, it is exciting.
Re: confirmation e-mails, I applied a number of hours before my pal, but her confirmation came through before mine. We have both now received ours, and we are both tres excited!!
applied at 5.45am today and got in straight away with confirmation email following.
Hopefully will get in, done Paris this year as my first marathon, thoroughly enjoyed it even though it was hot, and done a great time for the first one
Manisha Majithia: just adding on to the advice of Norwichrunner; before you start your new running programme, go to a specialist running shop to get your gait analysed and to be fitted with the correct type of running shoes, expect to pay quite a bit for decent road shoes, but these will be better than running in other shoes that arent suitable for running.
Good luck with your training you will enjoy it.
If you didn't, then you're not charged if you don't get in.
I just wonder why it takes 6 months to find out the results of the ballot! If you wait that long, it's too late to enter other marathons around that time of year, if (when!) I am unsuccessful!
Manisha: you should be able to find them in yellow pages or google running shops in your area. whether they charge depends on the shop, one of the shops we go to charge will charge £20 if you dont buy the shoes from him, but then in exchange you get a £20 gift voucher to use another time in the store. certainly would be worthwhile phoning a couple to see if they do gait analysis and if they charge.
when i started running 2 years ago i did just wear some adidas shoes that i had for the gym, but after a couple of weeks i decided to invest a new pair of shoes with more cushioning. you could try shoes that you already have, and see how they go to begin with,
I agree with you not wanting to spend lots of money to begin with, but once you start the running bug, you will be buying endless running gear.
Norwichrunner: from the website this morning i thought i saw it as a red fleece, not a jacket this year, if you donate your money if rejected.
Betty - There is no completely logical answer to why it takes so long, but I would imagine that they have no idea how many ballot places there are yet........if you have deferred from this year you have a few months to confirm your place, and if you are "Good for Age" then you still have a number of months to apply.
It is not until everything is sorted that they can allocate ballot places.
I suppose they are victims of their own success, before the online ballot system was introduced the ballot would take months to fill up (you had to get a marathon magazine from your local running shop and compete a paper app) - I remember doing this in August time not too many years ago, still with enough time to get in the ballot and accepted!!!
So I guess that theoretically, the entry system may be open for the next 5 months therefore giving people plenty of time to apply, train and think! Reality - it's probably open for another 5 minutes and we have to sit and wait 6 months!
There are loads of other entry routes still open after the general ballot date ,which is why it takes so long to decide how many places they give to the general ballot. Deffered entires, good for age, oversea entries. Deffered entries for examples don't have to be for at least another month. Good for age is even longer, sometime in July.
Any idea based on previous years when confirmation is recieved of whether your in or not?
I know they are saying sometime in October but based on previous years would you say early / mid / late? As I'm sure everyone else, I just want to know now so I can look at alternative options in the likely case I don't get in.
Mine actually arrived on the last day of September last year!
Hi
Just been looking at charities (in case I get in through the ballot) and one said if you don't hear by the 7th October, to call VLM directly to find out...
16 days and counting....
Good luck to everyone waiting on the ballot !
Wondering if it's too soon or can I avoid deferring, time will tell.
It's a no for me
Will start looking at alternatives soon.
I'm still waiting!
I had an email earlier in the year to say that they have me down for 4 consecutive attempts to get in so I got an early ballot entry. 5th attempt this year so guessing that's a guaranteed place??