Charity running

We had the following letter in from a read and would like to know your thoughts: 

I am one of many thousands who did not get into the Virgin London Marathon. While I agree that charities should be represented at iconic events, there are far too many places which come with very hefty fund-raising targets. There comes a time, particularly in the current economic climate, where runners can't keep tapping up the same family, friends, work colleagues and pub locals for money. I have done a lot for charity over the years and refuse to feel like I should be held to ransom by a fundraiser target. I think there should be a strict limit on the places taken by charities and celebrities; although these help raise the profile of the charity and the race, they deprive ordinary runners of a chance to race. Running is a fantastic sport and those who participate for the sheer joy of running should have greater opportunities to take part. Wish me luck next year, when I enter my third consecutive VLM ballot.

Do charities get too many places? Disucss. 

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Comments

  • Oh god ............ ok who wants to hear me rant? Hands up ......... have you got enough room in the database Annie? You might want to check first.

     

  • if runnerws couldn't raise the money then martket forces would reduce the amount that has to be raise......

    the marathon is there to cover all bases..and as no one has come up with a better model then it will carry on......

    charities are under pressure to raise as much as they can in current climates and therefore i think its more important for them to have the places than it is for average Joe public to run it.......

    those runners who really want to do it can train and get a GFA.......or they can run one of hundreds of other marathons around......

     

  • Oh good, a discussion on a new topic we've never had before! image 

    I think that most (not all) of the people who complain about not being able to get a place tend not to be members of running clubs, as they usually forget or don't know that clubs have places allocated to them to distribute as they see fit. People who claim they want to take part in VLM for the love of the sport should try getting more involved in that sport through clubs and they'd probably find they'd get in sooner or later.

  • +1 for what literatin said... We almost had to twist arms last week to get rid of all the club places
  • image How many times has this discussion come up? Most of the people complaining are pissed because they want to run "the marathon" 

    how many smaller marathons are there. Loads. Try another One. 

    I missed my clubs place. There was only 6 people who put their names in the hat because the rest just don't want to run it any more. 

  • It's only really the London Marathon that is hard to get into in this country. And there are other marathons! If people are that desperate to run London then surely it's not too hard to raise the cash as a one off? Or as the others say, run another marathon and get a GFA place. VLM have always prided themselves on the amount of money raised for charity and as it's their marathon, they can run it as they like. Easier than Boston where it's either GFA or charity places I think, no other places.

  • Its lazy thinking to say 'well run another one then lots of marathons around.' .... fine well lets aim that same argument at the charity runners who have no intention of training hard for the event and furthermore if tje event was suddenly held in Slough lets see how many of these people so dedicated to raising money for charity would show up. answer... bugger all.

  • Are they really a runner if they don't train hard for a marathon ?



    What's you VLM time DF ?
  • Oh God, not this again image

  • i have no vlm time as:

    a) I have no interest in running marathons

    b) i am not good enough for a GFA.

    c) my commute time of nearly 4 hours each day makes a running club impractical for me.

    d) im sure there is a d but cant think of one right now.

     

     

     

     

  • ha. i doubt too many people can match that. stupid london.

  • I can think of hundreds sad enough to commute like that.... Sit at Waterloo at 8:00 am any morning and watch the lemmings arrive, bit like the VLM finish line
  • 8.14am london waterloo for me. If i could be a farmer on the same wage id rather give that a go. i mean you wiuld not believe how stupid the IT industry. I mean its IT yet most havent figured out a way for people to work from home. instead we have to be sitting in one of the most expensive office rental areas in the world to do our job. morons.

  • The real Mr I wrote (see)

    ha. i doubt too many people can match that. stupid london.

    There's nothing stupid about London. It's your choice to live 2 hours away from where you work.

  • Well said Screama, we all make choices in life and those choices either improve or negate any work life balance we strive for.

    in regards of charity places , I'm with the majority and this extends to all race entries, if you want the entry bad enough you'll do whatever it takes to bag that entry, if that's gaining a GFA time, sucking it up and raising the cash for a charity place, or waiting until the odds work in your favour and you gain a place in the ballot.

    For me the charity runners and the elites are the focus of the London marathon and especially without the charity runners london would not have the same appeal.

    Best of luck with your next entry.

  • London is the cesspit of this country. think about it. its in a totally random spot along some tidal muddy river. if every company agreed to up sticks and move to say bournemouth or the lake district then at least there would be a proper reason to like the place. Imagine work and great countryside/beach all in the one place. You know what else you get in the countryside? people who doff their hats to you. in london the only reason they remove their hat is so they can cover their faces from the cctv cameras.

  • The real Mr I wrote (see)

    London is the cesspit of this country. think about it. its in a totally random spot along some tidal muddy river. if every company agreed to up sticks and move to say bournemouth or the lake district then at least there would be a proper reason to like the place. Imagine work and great countryside/beach all in the one place. You know what else you get in the countryside? people who doff their hats to you. in london the only reason they remove their hat is so they can cover their faces from the cctv cameras.

    It isn't random, learn some history. The reason London is where it is, is because it grew up around the place on the Thames that was fordable.

    And you get lovely places to run in the countryside but you don't do that - so why bother travelling for 2 hours and paying crazy fares to get there? 

     

  • if it is so bad why dont you go and work somewhere else then? Like Australia for instance? 

     

  • because england needs immigrants like me to do the job that locals wont. you know, like IT jobs

  • Oh I'm sorry I didn't realise you were helping out.  I thought you were here because you wanted to be, or you could earn more, or some other reason.  No wonder you look down on charity runners, when every day you are donating your skills like this. I'll certainly think twice before I criticise you again.

     

  • And I thought I had it tough cos I commute into Wales every day.... Only 7 miles from home to office so no great sweat
  • Why would you travel to a 'cesspool' what an idiot!

  • The real Mr I wrote (see)

    . if every company agreed to up sticks and move to say bournemouth or the lake district then at least there would be a proper reason to like the place. Imagine work and great countryside/beach all in the one place.


    Feel free to mess up Bournemouth, But there are enough people who fancy sheep in The Lakes without importing Aussies !

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭
    Dave The Ex- Spartan wrote (see)
    +1 for what literatin said... We almost had to twist arms last week to get rid of all the club places

    We had one club place, and one person who wanted it, so it was really simple.

    I understand it's frustrating to people who don't get a ballot place in "the" marathon, but some do carry on like it's their RIGHT to run it.

    If you're really that desperate for a place, you'll get a GFA, join a club, or raise the cash.  The letter writer implies that they have already been raising money - they should have saved the fundraising efforts for the "big" one!

    DF - you seem (once again) to have a very low opinion of the place you have chosen to move to.  

    Please don't feel you have to stay just for our sakes.  There will be other kind souls from around the world who will take on your burden of solving our IT problems.

  • we had 4 people wanting our 2 places...I thought they should have a mud wrestling competition but they went to a straight ballotimage

  • London's lovely. We can do without people working here who think it's a cesspit. If you're so good at IT, work out a way you can work from home and present it to your employer.

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    Perhaps RW should do an article on what DF does for a living...  That seems to get about the same amount, if not more, discussion as charity places on these threads image

  • Yes there are too many places for charities but it is not the fault of the organisers or charities. While there is demand there will be supply.

    My concerns are that altimately it is closing the market. Only the bigger charities really get a look in at buying the bond places which mean the small locals lose out. I am always suspicious of big name charities of how many pence in the pound make it to the cause.

    The only runners who can pick up the bond places are desperate to do it as a one off, are wealthy enough to stump up a shortfall, or don't care either about a shortfall or aggresievly pursuing friends for funding. 

  • Let Dave work from home. He spends all day on here already so why would they trust him to wank from home.

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