UKC

The ballot is now open for the London marathon. Just wondering though, I notice they have a ballot for overseas entrants, with my dual nationality it is possible to enter via this route, any idea if you have a better chance of success on an overseas ballot compared to the domestic ballot?

In reply to Cú Chullain: You need an ovrseas address as well, I think.

Good for Age is your best chance (or join a club) - find a fast, small marathon and get a decent time then you're in for two years.

In reply to andy:

I can use my folks address so no problems there. I have been rejected 3 times on the London ballot but the last time I applied was about three years ago. My best time is 3.49 so no danger of me getting any kind of semi elite personal best any time soon. I have run Berlin, Paris (3 times) and Barcelona. To put it bluntely I simply cant be arsed to run for a charity, every year I see mates spening more time worrying about their fund raising then their actual training.

In reply to Cú Chullain: I'm not sure what the success rate is, although I'm sure someone on Runners World website'll know. I know a guy who lives in Oviedo and I think he entered as a "foreigner".

Might be worth joining a club - ours get six places every year and there's rarely more than ten applicants for them.

In reply to andy:

Have you entered?

In reply to Cú Chullain:

Nope - I've done London four times. Last one I did was 2011 and I did a reasonable time so could have done 2012 or this year's, but I find spring marathons a bit soul destroying - all those long runs in the cold and dark. I might do another one day, but for now I'm more into my bike.

In reply to Cú Chullain:
They have changed the GFA times today - so if anyone was thinking they don't need to enter the ballot because they had a GFA, then check you still have one.
The main change seems to be that men sub 40 now need better than 3:05 rather than 3:10, and women down to 3:45 from 3:50

In reply to andy: Whats the time frame for Championship entries..

I'm torn between London or Boston..

I have a sub 2:45 recently, but Boston doesn't open until September so was going to think but also see how Berlin goes at the end of September. London is that bit late, interupts my season but also is often too warm.. but I do want to do it one year so with a sub 2:45 makes it far more enjoyable.

The problem with fall marathons is summer training.. Berlin is a tad too early.. and interupts my summer racing..

In reply to steelbru: Same for Boston.. its good.. shows we are seeing some improvements in time again.

In reply to steelbru:

Good spot. Last night they hadn't published them so while the ballot was open you didn't know them. Nice.

The BIG change is not only that all the GFAs have dropped by 10mins but there are now two age categories 18-39, 40-49. I'm sure it was just 18-49 before.

My friend turned 50 this year and was hoping for a 3:30 at yesterday's Shakespeare, he didn't get it but would have been slightly annoyed to find it wouldn't have qualified him.


Spring marathon? No thanks, train in snow and run in 20'C? I'll stick to Autumn ones. Although I've entered the ballot, if I get in it will be run gently and take in the atmosphere.

In reply to DancingOnRock: I'm pretty sure GFA for 40-59 was 3:15 and has been for yonks.

In reply to andy: 2:45 according to the site.. I have 2:39 anyway.. and hoping for sub 75 half this week so both will count.. but need to get them on Po10..

In reply to IainRUK:

Yep, so it it - hence deleted my post!

In reply to IainRUK: 2:45..

https://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/marathon-centre/enter-virgin-london-ma...

In reply to andy: ok..

Joining a club can be a good way in - we get a couple of places and 3 or 4 people interested once you take out the GFA folk.

In reply to IainRUK: I've just entered the ballot - amazed if I get in (never have before - done 2xcharity, 1xclub and 1x GFA) but if I do perhaps that's a "sign" I should do another. GFA time for me is now 3:20 as well - so 7:30 pace, which feels a bit more achievable.

In reply to andy:

Ok. But it's now 40-49 and 50-59 is 3:20.

In reply to DancingOnRock:

Yes, that's a new one - it used to be right up to 59 (which seemed bonkers - a 59 year old only got 5 minutes on a 25 year old. And had to run half an hour quicker than a 25 year old woman.

In reply to Cú Chullain:

I'm in the ballot. This will be my fourth attempt (and will get me my third jacket) and, if successful, my first marathon. While I want to run it for charity, I could never commit to raising the amount of money they require, so it's ballot or nothing for me.

In reply to DancingOnRock:


No, it was still 18-40 last year. I'm 37 and just ran a 3:08 and was really looking forward to be able to get a GFA entry. I was extremely annoyed this morning to see the shifted times which now means I need to go into the ballot.

Its quite annoying that the GFA category isn't a bit more granular. I reckon I will still be able to run sub 3.15 in 2.5 years time, but at the moment I have to compete in an time bracket against lads half my age.

London was my first marathon ever in 2010, and was fantastic fun. It would have been nice to do it again but I don't live there anymore so I might as well look for another city. I did Paris, maybe Berlin this time.

In reply to yorkshireman: Its poor..

Boston is organised by runners.. for runners.. when they changed times they let you know for a good year so everyone qualifying knew..

I don't think the change is a bad thing.. but it should be given out on the day those results matter.. so from the first January 2012.. for the 2014 race..

In reply to Cú Chullain:

I'll be entering tonight. I am hoping to get a GFA, but ran 3:19 carrying an injury at Manchester yesterday, trying to get it sorted before Edinburgh in 4 weeks. This change makes it much more difficult, now have to get sub 3:05. My girlfriend won't be happy, she had a 3:49 from Chester last year, she now needs a sub 3:45.

I don't expect to get in on the ballot, but we have a lottery of club places as well.

In reply to The New NickB:

I'm doing MK next week, but 3:05 has been the target for Boston for ages and I've done London before so not much difference to me. Not sure I'll make 3:05 but I'll give it a go, glory or bust for me I think! Could be a very fast first half and a very slow second!

Our club has one place on offer. Remarkably stingy I think, especially as the head of UKA is a member!

In reply to The New NickB:
Did you mean you'll be entering the ballot tonight ?

If so, then bad news as it was shut by 11:30am !!

Not sure how many they let enter the ballot, some say you have a 1 in 5 chance, so must be over 100,000 but all places gone between 00:15 and 11:30

In reply to steelbru:

Great! I still hope to do a sub 3:05 in Edinburgh, but my girlfriend has lost her GFA and now cannot get in through the ballot or the club, because having a GFA she won't have even looked at the ballot!

In reply to steelbru:

Shut already!? That's ridiculous. They should make it more difficult to enter the ballot. When I first entered I had to get a form from a running shop or magazine and send a cheque. Now you don't even have to pay until the results come in.

In reply to Eric the Red: You had 11.5 hours! It opens at midnight.

In reply to DancingOnRock: Our club entries used to be only for people who had been rejected in the ballot..

Not sure if that is still the case..

In reply to steelbru:

It's not a straightforward ballot. They use demographics to split people into sub ballots. If you are a 40something male you have a much lower chance of getting in than a 70something woman. They also use your predicted time to filter so if you put 4:30 in you're less likely to be successful. It's so that they get a nice flow of runners finishing at a good spread over the day rather than several thousand 40year old men at 4:30.

It supposed to be a marathon for all. If you want to race, enter a different one.

In reply to IainRUK:

Ours give priority to people who've not had a club place before, and to people rejected in the ballot. Thing is Ilkley's such a big club they get lots of places - I think it's 6, so they have even had to put out an appeal to see if anyone wants them!

In reply to DancingOnRock: I hadn't realise that til my mate got in twice on the bounce because he was putting 2:55 as his expected time. The fact that the one time he did it he had an absolute shed collapse and ran over 4 hours seems to be immaterial!

In reply to Eric the Red:
They should either make it the first however many automatically get a place, or give a set time that the ballot will be open for, say 48 hours, and accept any number into the ballot.

Having an unknown time for a ballot system seems a bit weird.

Our club also has a ballot for club places, but you can only enter if you fail in the main VLM ballot

In reply to DancingOnRock:

I did it this morning. Plenty of others will be disappointed and my point still stands. Lots of people will speculatively enter, with no real intention of training for or running a marathon unless they get into London. The barrier to entry should require at least a little more effort than clicking on a link. Paying in advance (like in the past) would be a good step.

In reply to DancingOnRock:

Indeed

The reason I have run Paris three times is due to its simplicity in getting a spot. All in, eurostar, night at a hotel and race fee costs about £350. Damn sight cheaper then the £2,500+ that you have to raise through a charity.

In reply to IainRUK:

I am pretty sure the organisers want to see the reference number from the rejection slips when the process the club entries.

In reply to The New NickB:

London Marathon don't give two hoots who gets club entries, but most clubs give preference to those who were rejected in the ballot.

Whilst I can see that people who were aiming for the previous 3:10 GFA target for 18-39 men will be annoyed by the change let's face it that was far too soft a target. They should have kept it at 3:00 which it was pre-2011.

In reply to r0b:
That isn't what it says in the letter sent out to clubs.