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Ballot Entry London Marathon has to CHANGE
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that's what I was thinking. They always say for instance the Premiership fixture list is random but it can't be. They manipulate it so teams like Arsenal and Spurs don't play at home the same weekend
Dont get into London? do one of them ? DUH!
Am I the only one who gets tired of the elitist claptrap that's get spoken every year?
Make it fairer with a qualifying time - fairer for who exactly? There is the GTA, what more do you want?
Have to have run a marathon before - why? For most non-runners, London is the event for them to do. Why put them through the ordeal of doing another one before that? The beaeuty of running is that it is an inclusive sport. Many who run London may never run again, but just as many will. Consider it a gateway race if you must.
Celebrities - ever noticed that they are on charity places and aren't actually paid to run the bloody thing, just throwing their name behind a charity to help increase their sponsorship revenue.
Have 2 races - one for us stuck up runners and one for everyone else. If you can run a decent time, you can still run a decent time in VLM. The numbers really don't change that.
It's the only one people have heard of - yes, it is. Before anyone of us started, I suspect that most of us had only heard of London and New York.
There are loads of other marathons - yes there are. But many people want the big city experience. I've done a few and there is no way I would want to put in 4 months training to run a small field marathon. I don't care how pretty it may be.
Sorry for mini rant, but it does get my goat.
again I agree BDB
but there are many people who get a place in VLM and just do not take it seriously. I heard 3 people say at 10 miles that it was the furthest they have ever ran. I don't think people were saying a real fast time to enter rather more an official time from something just to show you will pay it the respect it deserves
I totally except that VLM is a Mickey Mouse race and stay well clear. But if London want to claim to be the best "marathon" then it needs better quality. If it wants to be more like the Pride carnival then carry on.
David - so what happens when then fail to treat the other marathon they get a place for with respect and the club that organises it gets complaints from regulars that they couldn't get a place because of some Jonny Come Latelys filling up the field?
VLM is product. No one is entitled to have that product. Lots of people want to buy it and all things considered, I think they do a reasonable job at getting the balance right.
Its not hard to get a GFA time really.any midpack club runner could get one.......
I think London is what it is.........a big race at the front end for those wanting to see the top runners.....and then a big fancy dress party for the crowds entertainment further back.......I think the boring bit for specvtators if the middle group of club runners........
why complain about it .it is what it is........and it does get lots of people into running.........i personally don't care if I don't get a place and someone does who doesn't take it as seriously as me.....and hasn't trained enough..............probably those who are running 100 miles a week think that if I took it more seriously and trained like them I could do a lot better........
david not sure what you say about the respect it deserves..............in the end its just a another race.not life and death....and its the same distance if travelled in 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 or 8...........
if everyone gave it the respect it deserves the 40.,000 people all finishing under 3 hours would cause a hell of a lot of congestion
....tired and grumpy....
If people are not happy then they should just go and organise their own London marathon.............the charity runners make it the event it is.........all those people lining the streets are looking at the celebs and the fancy dress runners and those at the back who are suffering but still moving forward.........after they have admired the front runnwers whizzing past.......
they are not interested in a bunch of average club runners sweating and struggling for another PB.......
I can see both sides. Perhaps that is why they have just settled for a "randomish" ballot
mmm but do you think that a person who gets in does a couple of runs and then drops out after 10 miles deserves their place? Tricky one
It's 3:50 now. (Lon ladies gfa under-50s)
Boston is 3:55 for the over-45s wimmin (now: was 4h last year) but then they changed the 1st-come-first-served system to take-the-fastest-in-ag system this year, so you're still not guaranteed a place. I cunningly got a BQ time for the 2012 race by a whole 59 seconds and not surprisingly missed the cut. It was a bit cruel of them in the "sorry the other qualifiers were faster and we filled up with them" email, though, to tell me I would have made it if I'd been 15 seconds faster!
So has anyone else used Beachy Head to get their GFA time?