London marathon mags

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  • Still waiting. Wonder what the chances are of getting through to a human on the VMLM phones tomorrow...
  • I expect to spend a long time waiting for anyone to answer the phone tomorrow, I'm at work when the postie comes but I'm ringing at 9 anyway!

    Will we be told over the phone that we aren't in? Or will they insist on re-sending the reject email/mag? I think I noticed on FB they said notifications would be resent... meaning it could be this weekend until we know?

  • NayanNayan ✭✭✭
    250000 applicants wasn't it? Cut them some slack eh?
  • They chose to open the ballot to a ridiculous amount of people and they could have emailed all of the rejects in a few minutes in the click of a button I'm sure!  I don't really think it's unreasonable to complain.

     

  • They didn't have to allow that many applicants if they are unable to notify us all within a week. I think that ought to be enough time. It's not the end of the world to be kept waiting but I think my club is doing their ballot tomorrow and you need your rejection email or letter to be allowed to participate. I still haven't got one.

  • so the club should delay....they should know that not all the information comes out for about a week each year.....the London ballot does not function to work around the schedule of one club  

     

  • yes i agree our club draw is 11th OCTOBER may i suggest you put in a "missing presumed rejected" slip? with proof of application...email?

  • I know that and will see what the club does about it. I assume they want to do the ballot quickly to give people the chance to look for charity places. I know I'm not the only one from my club that hasn't heard so I'm sure they will also want to be fair to us. And there are plenty on here that haven't heard either so I think it's OK to be a little bit miffed with VMLM. Doesn't sound as though looking after their ballot rejects is high up on their list of priorities.

  • Funnily enough, Rick, I never got a confirmation email. I had to phone them to confirm they had received my application. So all in all I'm not particularly impressed with the level of organisation.

  • must admit im perplexed at leaving ballot open long enough to attract 250,000 entries that does surprise me! (if it really was that number?) lets disappoint 220,000 people thought someone?

  • I think that number has been widely reported and they haven't denied it so I expect it's accurate. They are looking to raise as much money for charity as possible and many of the unsuccessful applicants will have bequeathed their entrance fee. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with the ballot system. My beef is that they haven't adequately upscaled their capacity to cope with the massive numbers of notifications. I'd like to have had an email confirming receipt of my application and I'd now like to know if I have been successful. Not too much to ask really.

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    When they used to limit the entry to the ballot people moaned.

    Now they open it for longer, people moan.

    How about an entry system like Boston?
  • They do have an entry system like Boston - the GFA places.
  • Rick Ryder wrote (see)

    yes i agree our club draw is 11th OCTOBER may i suggest you put in a "missing presumed rejected" slip? with proof of application...email?

    Hehe I like that image

     I'm entering Manchester regardless of even getting through to anyone on the phone tomorrow, I think I know what the outcome of the enquiry  will be and if not, I can do both.

    Will look forward to reading how everyone gets on tomorrow! 

  • I must admit having also had multiple rejections, tried the wait up until 0300 for ballot opening ....early bird idea. my only success has been via affiliated club/ via rejection slip method, which i like, so today on my submitted rejection slip i have stated "should i draw a vlm place before someone that has never ran London i will go below them in draw / reserve list" my club has a policy of you must have marshaled or helped at two events. which is fair...

  • NayanNayan ✭✭✭
    I think opening up the ballot to 250,000 was a good move. At least some of them will donate the entry fee so that's more cash for charidee even though the odds of getting in have clearly lengthened.



    Smart move to be honest.
  • i think it was a great idea as people moaned that they couldnt even get into the ballot......

    and as you say more donate so the charities get more money....win/win situation

  • NayanNayan ✭✭✭
    Plus new and interesting comedy gold moments for discussion threads. It's the gift that keeps giving.



    Sorry ric. I shouldn't laugh but you are fucking hilarious.
  • Skylarker wrote (see)
    They do have an entry system like Boston - the GFA places.

    hmm they have courses like

    http://findmymarathon.com/race-detail.php?zname=Canyon%20City%20Marathon

    which drops 5000 ft start to finish, guaranteed a Boston place? bring a parachute?

     

  • NayanNayan ✭✭✭
    Brilliant.



    Go on do that 'screw the kids with cancer- I want my marathon!!' One again.



    Gold. It's like watching froot' keyhole but you know -actually funny.
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    The Facebook comments are pure entertainment. According to the general themes the entry rules for next year would be,

    People that got in last year can't enter (so no elite, champs or GFA runners)

    Get rid of the people that don't train / will walk ( no one over 6 hrs)

    If you have 4 rejections you should get a guaranteed entry.

    Less charity runners



    It would be a procession of about 100,000 people all running between 3.30 and 5.30. Absolute chaos and would attract no TV coverage and little crowd support.

    No wonder the organisers don't want to change the system.
  • who in the crowd want to watch a bunch of average joes running....they turn up to watch the elites and then they see some of the fast guys go round whilst they wait for the entertainement............the guy in the rhino costume beaten the average runners who deserve so much to be there,............

    they look for the guy running in the mankini and the girl who hoola hooped the whole bloody 26.2 miles........

    I agree that there would be little support if it was just runners........and without the support it would just be like any other marathon...

    the charities in our country rely on the event for a lot of funding...sadly we need the charities as noone wants to pay for it all out of their taxes........

  • I'm not sure who your comments are addressed to, seren. I've not been complaining about the entry system and I didn't get that vibe from what I've seen on this thread. I've run London on a charity place and would do it again except I don't want to keep stinging friends and family for money. That said there are other ways of raising the money and it's not as hard to do as some people might think. I'm just not that desperate to do London again.

    As far as my contribution to this thread goes, I just want to know if I've got a place. 

  • I'm not complaining about the entry system, I'm complaining that this year they decided to double the numbers allowed in the ballot without allowing any more places - then clearly failed to notify everyone within a reasonable time.

    It's 2015 - it can't take many seconds to send an email to a few 1000 people!

    (do VLM still charge the charities £400 for each golden bond place?)

  • BikoBiko ✭✭✭

    In addition to those who donate when entering (I think I did that last year and didn't get a place!), the advantage of allowing 200,000+ ballot entries is that VLM now have a database of 200,000 people who have expressed an interest in running the event. They can now bombard them with charity running options (for 2016 and 2017). And it wouldn't surprise me if even more people applied in the ballot next year.

    One change I would make to the system would be that you're only allowed to qualify via the ballot once. Though enforcing that would be almost impossible.

  • it's pretty poor really, can they not just send out a mass email? All this messing about with magazines over a week is pretty stupi in this day and age! !

    I'm losing interest very quickly, I've got plenty other races planned for next year ... God only knows why I keep entering the farce LM ballot every year!
  • LouP - VLM charge charities for places as they are a charity themselves - they've raised over 50 million for local projects since 1981 on top of the 700 million that runners have raised. It actually raises more for charity than any other marathon in the world - not bad for one with one of the cheapest entry costs. I agree it would make more sense to make all the communication digital but then we wouldn't have all this comedy drama! Plus they must make loads from adverts from companies and charities place in the mags.

    https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/charity/charitable-trust/

     

  • Lol! Yes I know it is quite comical - in the grand scheme of things I expect it's only a couple of 100 whose mags got lost in the post - it's just rubbish when mine is one of them! And if I'm lucky enough to get a "yes" today of course all will be forgiven!!



    I was not aware that the VMLM was a charity itself so thank you for enlightening me on the one image (they'd save a fortune on postage if they ditched the mags though)
  • Still waiting! Do you suppose if I have to call them tomorrow they will just tell me if I'm in or not? Can't really be bothered hanging on for another magazine or email!



    I've always received it within a couple of days before (always a no) is it quite normal for lots to go astray in the post? Or could this be lost emails?
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