VLM Registration - a Farce

Am i the only person who thinks the whole registration process is a complete farce? Thousands of us will arrive after a long train journey only to have to fight our way accross London to register and then fight our way across London to our hotel. The whole day will be gone - not a very relaxing day before the marathon!  This is stressing me more than running the marathon !

Comments

  • SuperCazSuperCaz ✭✭✭

    It's so that they can check the identity of the runners, as one of the anti-black market strategies.

    Or if I was cynical I could say that it was because they want you to spend money at the stands at Expo, and therefore support their sponsors.

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    It's normal practice in many other countries.

    And it's hardly a huge trek - it's a ride on the DLR.

  • I can't get there until the saturday afternoon but I have never found it stressful.......

    if it stresses you why not go on one of the other days......not sure what you want them to change.....pick up your numbers in the morning at the start image
  • Or arrange to stay in Docklands - close to the expo. Easy to get to the start. sorted.
  • StrayceltStraycelt ✭✭✭
    It's far better organised than many others, bit more exciting, great for kit junkies and goes on for more days and longer than many. It's also more accessible than many I've been to although I look nostalgically back to when it was at the Barbican, then Docklands....maybe they coud move it to the O2image. I've travelled up from Walesmid week throughto Saturday and have found, no matter which day, that it was not stressful. Relax and enjoy and liberate some cash on the non-sponsors who may make your favourite kit or check out another marathon
  • I am staying near the Barbican - that would have been ok for me! Points taken - i will just enjoy the day and promise to spend some money whilst there.

  • You can also get someone else to pick up your number for you.

  • I don't know if it's still the same, but at Berlin we had to walk for ages from the station through the entire expo to get to number collection at the far end of an aircraft hangar.  At least with London, if you want to just get your number & chip & then leave you can be back at the DLR pretty quickly after you get there.
  • I quite enjoy it.
    It's part of the build up.
    Plus, I bumped into Nam and KK last year and it was fun.
  • I've enjoyed going to the Expo since 2009 and that's the only year I did it! In 2010 I went every day cos of support group pick ups, cost me a fortune there's so much nice stuff!!!! I love it, especially when - as LB says - you meet up with others from here image
  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭
    One year I found myself running a bit late for registration, in fact I was the very last person to register. On arriving the official said I had exactly 1m09s to do everything so I had to sprint round and managed to leave the hall with just a few seconds to spare.  More stressful than the marathon!
  • I enjoy it. If they didn't have it then you'd have a fantastic black market for places. Plus it would cost more as the expo subsidises the race.

    Running 26.2 miles is tough. If you can't get a train and collect a number then Sunday will be torture.
  • Quite right too Cougs!
    It should be pointed out that the expo has freebies too. And cheap stuff. I got a shedload of Hilly mono skins for two quid one year....
  • And it's a great place to buy new shoes. Perfect for the race !

    Oh and meet your mates.
  • StrayceltStraycelt ✭✭✭
    and get a massage, some pasta, t-shirt printed, have a beer, get your gait analysis checked, freak out with other terrified peopleimage
  • TmapTmap ✭✭✭

    I can't stand the expo and find it a massive inconvenience, and it's only 30 mins from work.  My usual aim is to see if I can get in and out in under 5 minutes.  Although I did once pick up a good book there, and did see Gebrselassie, so there you go.

    However, I can see the argument that it discourages a secondary market in numbers, and is probably worth it just for that.  Although in New York, the expo is where you go to buy someone else's number - they stand outside and sell them.  Better than Seatwave somehow flogging them for £400 and claiming it's all above board and legal though.

    And I can see that it's exciting if you haven't done it a dozen times before and don't mind the insipid music.

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