Anyone in already?

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Comments

  • i ran this year and have sent off for 2003,
    does it seem to follow that if you get in and keep entering that you stand a good chance of a place even if your not running 3.15 etc. i want it more this year than lastand would be gutted if im binned..

    cheers
  • Gosh it is sooo exciting and inspiring to read about you guys and your dreams etc. That's it! I'm off to put my entry in the post now. Will be my first time! Wish me luck !
  • Frances if you're lucky enough to get it you certainly won't regret it, it's fantastic!
  • i sent off for my place with a good for age time buthavent heard back yet has anyone or do you just take it youre in .
    it would be nice to know soon incase youre not so you can try youre luck in the ballot.
  • John - I guess maybe it's a bit soon to have heard anything yet, as until a few days ago they'll have been busy getting "Marathon News" out to the shops.

    Having said that, I can understand how you feel. I hadn't heard anything about my "ill or injured" withdrawal, and went through the same routine of wondering whether to apply via the ballot, so I don't follow my own advice!! :o)

    Anyhow, eventually I decided to ring the helpline (020 7902 0189) about it, where a very helpful person confirmed that I was in. I even got a reference number, which I suspect is my actual running number. Am I the first person in FLM 2003 to know this?? (22492 if anyone is interested!).

    Give the number a call - they didn't seem to mind a bit :o)
  • Iain

    Thanks for the advice on the helpline, i'll give them a ring reference my 3:15:14 'problem'.
  • thx ill leave it a few weeks then give them a buzz if ive heard nothing
  • sadly, i'm in too - virtue of injury in 2002, sustained after 13 weeks of hard trainig

    my god, that means another quarter year of 35+ miles a week with sundays written off. still, after 4 rejections in the late 90s, i guess this is what i would have wanted..........maybe

    :-)
  • Wolf - I think I remember that from the old forum :o(

    Plus I know what you mean about all the training and the Sundays that are no good for anything else but running or lying around totally crashed out :o)

    Best of luck with it this time.
  • Frances - best of luck with your entry, and I agree with Wolfy - you won't forget it, April 16th 2000 is a day that's etched on my memory for ever, and I'm really looking forward to the next one, in spite of dreading the training!
  • It's really ##ssing down in Manchester today and I must admit that remembering the feeling of elation on finishing the FLM this year makes running in the rain almost appealing (did I say that???).

    The lack of alcohol over the past 2 weeks is obviously taking its toll!
  • Thanks guys for the support. I'm going to train for it even if I don't get in. Will be keeping in touch with how everyone else is doing so as to stay motivated !!
  • Craig

    I noticed in the Marathon News mag they specify 2:45 - 3:15 for 18-59 then sub-3:31 for 60 - 64 etc so I think you could have a legitimate claim with a 3:15:14

    I can recall analagous questions on the US Runners World Forum leading up to the 2001 Boston Marathon where several people were asking if a 3:10:xx would get them in (qualifying time was 3:10 or better for that age group), they did get in as the BAA allowed 3:10:59 or better.

    Maybe London Marathon will be thinking along same lines as Boston?

    All the best
    mm
  • MM

    Thanks for the reply. I called the hotline yesterday and a totally disinterested bloke (obviously a non-running admin chappie) said it was up to 3:15:00 only. I have to say I disagree with him and I DO have a legitimate argument - my time IS a 3:15 afterall.

    Anyway, it may not be worth the effort as I now live in Naples, Italy so will be able to get a guranteed overseas entry (at twice the price). The thing is though I've run 18 marathons, 5 of which have been under 3:15 (3:03 the fastest) but the fastest in the last 18 months is the time from this year, I just wanted to get in on merit - I'm sure most people will understand.
  • Craig

    I totally understand regarding the 'getting in on merit' issue. I was living in the US between '94 and '01 and became obsessed with qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon. Took me 5 years to finally get myself into shape to run a qualifying time, and as you probably know at Boston getting in is pretty much solely a 'merit' issue as a qualifying time is the only thing that will get you to the start (other than a charity place or special cases).

    See you in April
    Best

    mm
  • Hi Runners,

    I was lucky enough to get 'Good for Your Age' in the Manchester Marathon last year but held it over for a year due to injury. The next London will be my fourth, having got in twice on my own and once with a club place.

    Good luck to everyone in London 2003

    Di
  • I've got a guaranteed place as I had to pull out last year due to injury.
    The way I got last years place was a bit unusual....I got rejected in the ballot and then a few weeks later I was phoned by the Royal Bank of Scotland who told me they were doing a new credit card in association with FLM and if I applied for the card I would be put into a draw to get one of 6 places in FLM 2002.
    I said yes and thought no more of it, got the application through the post for the credit card...threw it in the bin and thought no more of it.
    Then in late Feb 2002 was phoned by a lady who told me I had won one of the 6 places, great I said but how the hell am I supposed to get enough training in with less than 8 weeks to the big day....I accepted (seeing as I'd been rejected through the ballot so many times) did loads of training to try and catch up and then got injured (probably due to overtraining)
    I wondered why I had bothered and wished I hadn't ever won the place....I guess now I am grateful I did as I have 8 months to train for FLM 2003 rather than 8 weeks like last year.
    Still I have been out of running for a few months and am only just getting back into it since the injury mentioned above and the thought of training like last year fills me with dread, at this moment in time I can not believe I will ever be capable of running 26.2m.
  • Homer, I was in similar scenario last year but trained hard throughout the winter of 2001 and finished the FLM this year respectibly. You'll do it, the mental battle is always the most difficult after injury, by Oct/Nov you'll be back into running and will enjoy the experience!
  • i got a place because of pulling out this year with hamstring problems.
  • I have called the helpline today and they tell me that the 'good for age' letters will be held for a while to build up then the application forms will go out. I intend to send my letter registered post just in case the lose it!!
  • g,day folks i,m interested in any tips for a non local running the london marathon . i intend to visit and run your marathon in 2004 or 2005 by then i will have run 5 to 6 marathons all tips greatly accepted steve
  • Steve,

    information for overseas entries is given on my site:

    http://www.uli-sauer.de/laufen/london/anmeldung_e.htm

    (in english)
  • After competing in the GNR with a fairly pleasing time only spoilt by yes you guessed it those slower runners who insist in going to the front of the starting line why they do it remains a mystery to me,anyway i digress....lol. I got my rejection tee shirt last year which i refused to wear cos its like saying look at me i got rejected.I,ve applied again but just hope i dont get rejected again cos i wont apply anymore there more races than FLM so i have applied for the Edinburgh in June and i may go for one of these package deals to races around the world.Cant race in my own Capital so i will go elsewhere
  • We got our letter saying we were in on a gold bond ticket yesterday. We (lizzie and I) (I being Tony!!!) have to raise a min of £850.00 each. the Charity is Phabkids.

    Now we have our just giving web site up and a big thanks to justgiving.com as they have been really superb helping Lizzie and I customise our page and sort out tiny snags etc immediately.

    So here we go...tired and friendless for the next six months!!!!
  • Good luck with it all Lizzie and Tony - you will get good support from Madeleine at Phab, nice team spirit.

    Many thanks for your comments about us too - we're glad to be of service.

    We're ready and waiting for anyone else running for charity!!

    Free sponsorship webpages for the London Marathon.

  • Woo Hoo!

    I'm in on the "Bloody Awful For My Age" category...

    Not really - I've just had a call from Anthony Nolan to let me know that they're giving me a Gold Bond place, seeing as how I ran for them in 2001!

    Excellent!

    Now all I have to do is get running again...
  • Well done Mr A!

    Good luck with six months of pavement pounding! anyone that can run 26.2 isn't bloody awful at any age in my book!!!

  • Ah, but you haven't seen me running!
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