n007 - you go to the green start which is a lot less crowded than the others. And you see Nell McAndrew. Still go at 9.45 though - no sneaky head starts !
It probably just a "bag of grapefruits" on my part, but I suspect that it is, statistically speaking at least, the most difficult GFA to get (men 18-40).
You basically have to be in the top 2% of runners in the race and that includes all the elites (male and female) and all the other sub 3'ers over 40..
n007 - they all start at the same time but green start is less crowded than the other two. and you have to prove that you've done sub 3 (ie give them a copy of the result) to get a GFA place.
I'm currently on 3:21 and aiming for 3:10 this year. Perhaps if I eat more bacon butts and talk rubbish to a news paper I might get in !!! Hoorah... running has never been so easy ;-)
n007 - if you are planning on giving GFA a go remember to check the cut off date. they haven't been announced for this year yet but were very early october last year. it might make a difference as to which marathon you decide to go for.
I didn't see any policing of those pens, candy. If you wanted to jump the queue it looked pretty easy. (I had to work out a predicted time based on 1/2M time)
Please give details and proof of performance (which must have been achieved in 2003 or 2004). You must provide proof of this performance i.e. a photocopy of your results slip and your age. The closing date for receipt of letters applying for GFA entries is 10th October 2004.
If your performance is accepted by our scrutinisers you will be sent a guaranteed entry form which must be returned by 24th October 2004.
MEN 18 - 40 2:45-3:00 WOMEN 18 - 49 3:15 -3:45 MEN 41 - 59 sub 3:15 WOMEN 50 - 54 sub 4:00 MEN 60 - 64 sub 3:30 WOMEN 55 - 59 sub 4:15 MEN 65 - 69 sub 4:00 WOMEN 60 - 64 sub 4:30 MEN 70+ sub 5:00 WOMEN 65 - 69 sub 5:30 WOMEN 70+ sub 6:30
Cardboard box - there are martials on the entrances, so if you are supposed to be in pen 6 they wont let you in pen 2
but allocations go on predicted times, so a 5.30 marathoner could claim to be a 3.15 marathoner to get near the front
hence my comment about W***ers (of course misguided novices might misjudge, and that's fine, but I was annoyed to overtake lines of club runners happily jogging along at about 9:00 or 10:00 pace well into the race on sunday, so they had obviously deliberately lied to get to the front)
in pen 4, blue start I might have missed the marshalls but I sure saw all the bin liners which would obscure runners numbers and didn't see anyone asked to lift the liner to see their pen no. I'm sure nearly everyone went to their alloted pen and would not want to encourage anybody to get a flyer.
Read all this with great interest - well done everyone for Sunday! I'm doing my first marathon (Cardiff) on Oct 3rd and hoped to get a GFA time for next years FLM. Is there going to be enough time to get results to them before Oct 10th? Does it have to be written or do they accept the results off the website? Failing that, would a GFA time stand for the following year? Thanks
Can anyone help please with these GFA times thingeys.
I'm living in hope (probably foolishly), but it does state on the website that to qualify in my category for GFA, women need to run "equal to or faster than 3.15 - 3.45"
Does this mean sub 3.45 or does bang on 3.45 also count? I'm asking because my chip time for Sunday's FLM was 3.45.52 and wondered if this counted as "equal to"
If anyone knows, I'd like to know, be it good or bad news for my entry next year.
Comments
nell... mmmmmmm
its a bit off that they didn't change the female one too last year though... sexist pigs
do some starts start before others? dont people just lie about their likely times?
You basically have to be in the top 2% of runners in the race and that includes all the elites (male and female) and all the other sub 3'ers over 40..
no problem!?
(er can we not just do a fast half and tell them to double that ?)
Thats what put me off this year,.
each start also has 'pens' such that runners are banded, fastest at the start
so you run with people of equal ability
...except of course the W***ers who lie about their expected times to get to the front
i can give you details of some cheap ones
candy i seem to recall that you are doing an ironman this year
is it feasible to do an IM and marathon within a few months of eachother
or stupid?
This will be my 4th attempt to get in..
http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/entry_info/goodforage.htm
Please give details and proof of performance (which must have been achieved in 2003 or 2004). You must provide proof of this performance i.e. a photocopy of your results slip and your age. The closing date for receipt of letters applying for GFA entries is 10th October 2004.
If your performance is accepted by our scrutinisers you will be sent a guaranteed entry form which must be returned by 24th October 2004.
MEN 18 - 40 2:45-3:00 WOMEN 18 - 49 3:15 -3:45
MEN 41 - 59 sub 3:15 WOMEN 50 - 54 sub 4:00
MEN 60 - 64 sub 3:30 WOMEN 55 - 59 sub 4:15
MEN 65 - 69 sub 4:00 WOMEN 60 - 64 sub 4:30
MEN 70+ sub 5:00 WOMEN 65 - 69 sub 5:30
WOMEN 70+ sub 6:30
I have to admit I think the women's time is a bit generous, but watching it on the TV, there are so few women coming in in sub4, perhaps it isn't.
but allocations go on predicted times, so a 5.30 marathoner could claim to be a 3.15 marathoner to get near the front
hence my comment about W***ers (of course misguided novices might misjudge, and that's fine, but I was annoyed to overtake lines of club runners happily jogging along at about 9:00 or 10:00 pace well into the race on sunday, so they had obviously deliberately lied to get to the front)
I'm sure nearly everyone went to their alloted pen and would not want to encourage anybody to get a flyer.
although if you have a computer the numbers would be easy to forge!!
Thanks
Can anyone help please with these GFA times thingeys.
I'm living in hope (probably foolishly), but it does state on the website that to qualify in my category for GFA, women need to run "equal to or faster than 3.15 - 3.45"
Does this mean sub 3.45 or does bang on 3.45 also count? I'm asking because my chip time for Sunday's FLM was 3.45.52 and wondered if this counted as "equal to"
If anyone knows, I'd like to know, be it good or bad news for my entry next year.
Cheers
Sarah :0)