Unused Golden Bond Places

[Deleted User]

Apart from the wasted 12,000 odd places given out each year for the FLM, what happens to any unused Golden Bond places. Is there a mass give away a few days before, it would be nice to get one.

Also what happens to those that pledge to raise £N,000 and then fail to do so. Are they allowed to start / finish?

cougies stupider clone

Dunno about the giveaway.

Can't see that they could stop you from doing the FLM - it's only after that the money is due ? Maybe you have to sign up to make up any shortfall yourself ?

RunningCommentary

If a charity fails to fill a GB place, I believe it gets carried over to the next year, resulting, I suppose, in an unfilled place for this year.

I know that some charities expect a runner to make up the shortfall if they raise less than agreed.

People might think that there are therefore a lot of 'wasted' places, but I know from talking to the organiser of the Chicago marathon that they assume that x% of entrants will not actually race for one reason or another, and plan on that basis. Indeed he went so far as to say it would be a logistical disaster if everyone who entered turned up!

I presume London is the same.

Andy

neilruns .

Charities pay £250 for each Gold Bond place. If they have unused ones and they return these before a set deadline they get that money back, but they are then allocated fewer places for the following year. That is why you often see charities unloading Gold Bond places cheaply towards end of Feb.

RunningCommentary

GB places are 300 UKP this year.

Maybe the system has changed this year as one of the charities told me they can carry over places without extra charge.

A charity might still want to unload a place cheaply on the grounds that they'd prefer to get a reduced 'profit' now than defer the greater profit till next year.

I think the end of Feb is the deadline for last minute changes to runner details, so that's the decision time about deferring or not.

Andy

Trogs

Read somewhere that there's a blacklist of those who significantly fail to meet their agreed target.

[Deleted User]

Murf's right about the blacklist so charities know who has badly defaulted in the past and they can warn other charities about people who badly default in the next race.

Generally if you fall short a bit a charity is not going to mind. Also some charities now ask for a deposit to cover at least what they paid (some ask for more, some less - it really depends on the charity).

Free sponsorship webpages for the London Marathon.

[Deleted User]

Is it worth going onto a blacklist for newies.