The Running Thread Vol 2

[Parabola]

KTF said:

The letter that comes with the magazine should have the details of where to go to pay.

Ah yes. Thanks. There's a website

[Parabola]

jamest1988 said:

Can I ask how you know you have a place without getting an email? I only ask because I've applied and know a few people have got the "better luck next year" magazine and I'm still waiting for mine, no news via email yet either.
thanks!

Got a 'You're in!' Magazine in the post.

[Rich_W]

7 attempts (2011,12,13,14,15,16 and now 17)
7 Failures

I actually want that sodding magazine though. The eZine version is just cheap!

[Max5476]

No London marathon spot for me.

[rubes78]

Max5476 said:

No London marathon spot for me.

Nor me, same as last year

Entered Birmingham for next October.

[Smitters]

Rich_W said:

7 attempts (2011,12,13,14,15,16 and now 17)
7 Failures

I actually want that sodding magazine though. The eZine version is just cheap!

Fair play - I was pissed off as I've been trying on and off for 15 years (maybe 10 of the 15), but that's a bad run.

No place for me either. To be fair, I'm only good for 10k right now, so it would have been a push in terms of mileage, but still.

[fiatpower]

I thought they did a guaranteed spot after a set number of tries in a row or is that not done anymore?

I didn't get in either, no one I know has! Will be doing Birmingham, Reykjavik and Equinox24 as part of a team of 3 next year. May try and do a triathlon too possibly.

[RizzoTheRat]

Presumably the new application procedure this year means loads more people entered. I think only 1 person from our club got in this year, we had half a dozen running last year.

[Cybertronian]

fiatpower said:

I thought they did a guaranteed spot after a set number of tries in a row or is that not done anymore?

They stopped that practice after registrations exploded a couple of years ago. I think 2013 or 2014 was the final year where they honoured people that were partway through the 5 failed attempts process.

After announcing the Cardiff Marathon for April 2017, Great Run have decided to pull and postpone it until April 2018 to better flesh out their plans.

[Rich_W]

Smitters said:

Fair play - I was pissed off as I've been trying on and off for 15 years (maybe 10 of the 15), but that's a bad run.

No place for me either. To be fair, I'm only good for 10k right now, so it would have been a push in terms of mileage, but still.

Thanks. TBH I'm not in the best shape currently either (bit of a lay off through other things to do) But could have made it. I'll keep plugging away. NY ballot is before London. Chicago is relatively under appreciated. Tokyo always has places through the Tour Operators (Though BOO! To Sport Tour Int who didn't even return my email regarding Japan!) And obviously Boston will be a more long term goal. (which could coincide with me getting GFA for London)

Stopped the guarantee thing in 2010. apparently there was so any people applying they got to a stage where there would be more people owed a palce than there were places. I can kind of see that.

BUT

Then last year (for the 2016 race) Rather than just opening the ballot for 100K people and then closing it, which rewards people prepared to make an effort and get up early 1 day a year. They upped it to 250,000 in the ballot open for a week for the same number of places.

Someone on their facebook page suggested they say that if you got through the ballot one year, you are barred from entering the ballot again for the next 2-3 years. But can run for a charity. Seems quite sensible.

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/ho...

Good for Age is out, due to the laughable times. Sub 3h05 for me. But if I was a girl 3h45 (IMO should be 3h20!) I'm not DESPERATE to do it..... yet

I accept it's a popular event. I really do, I just get pissed off when I see some fkwit "celebrity" finishing in 6h30 or something saying "I ran the whole way" You're an embarrassment! I don't mind Jenson Button or even professional lefty Eddie Izzard (or even Alistair Campbell! Since they make the effort with training.

Respect the race!

Edited by Rich_W on Wednesday 12th October 20:02

[smn159]

Just signed up for the Milton Keynes half in April, meaning that I have a few months to up my distance from my current 11k to half marathon distance.

This is complicated by my need to get bike fit as well for a trip to Tenerife in January - hopefully the training for both will be complementary... we'll see!

[ukaskew]

What's the appeal of London, out of interest? I get it if you've done loads of others and want to tick it off the list, but I know people who would be capable of completing a marathon with training who simply won't until they can get a place at London.

Unlike say, 5/10 years ago there are no shortage of marathons now, I think there are well over 100 in the U.K. annually.

[egor110]

ukaskew said:

What's the appeal of London, out of interest? I get it if you've done loads of others and want to tick it off the list, but I know people who would be capable of completing a marathon with training who simply won't until they can get a place at London.

Unlike say, 5/10 years ago there are no shortage of marathons now, I think there are well over 100 in the U.K. annually.

That's essentially me.

I've done a 19 mile coast trail race but other than London i'm not really interested in road running.

I'll be running the south devon jurassic coast path in april from exmouth-seaton , 20 miles , hilly as fk and hilly as fk but far more scenic ( because it won't rain )

I quite enjoy Bristol/Cardiff because they feel like big buzzy events but other than that i prefer the dirt.

[Cybertronian]

ukaskew said:

What's the appeal of London, out of interest? I get it if you've done loads of others and want to tick it off the list, but I know people who would be capable of completing a marathon with training who simply won't until they can get a place at London.

Unlike say, 5/10 years ago there are no shortage of marathons now, I think there are well over 100 in the U.K. annually.

As somebody that's run London twice, I've no desire to go back. It's incredibly well organised, but with some 37,000 runners all descending on the course at the same time, it becomes a massive bun fight.

My most recent outing there had me in pen 3 of the blue start, which should have seen most alongside me finishing around 3:30. Shortly after crossing the start line, my target sub-8 minute miles ground to a halt and I couldn't physically go much faster than 9 minute miles due to the sheer amount of congestion. Due to the design of the course, yet more congestion occurs at around 3 miles when the red and blue starts merge with no guarantee that those coming into contact with each other are even remotely running the same pace!

Basically what I'm saying is, if you're after an experience, then London will deliver unless you don't like crowds. If you're after a fast time, then go seek it out at a different marathon and perhaps nail a Good For Age performance at the same time, which seeds you into an exclusive start pen with less congestion.

[RC1807]

All of my marathon running friends didn't manage to get places for London 2017, but as posted above, they weren't too concerned about it. I think London's viewed more for its "prestige" (and TV coverage! "Hello Mum!"), whereas other places are more likely to generate better times for those taking part.

[Rich_W]

ukaskew said:

What's the appeal of London, out of interest? I get it if you've done loads of others and want to tick it off the list, but I know people who would be capable of completing a marathon with training who simply won't until they can get a place at London.

Unlike say, 5/10 years ago there are no shortage of marathons now, I think there are well over 100 in the U.K. annually.

Personally, I live here. So would be nice to do it once.

But I want to run all 6 of the Majors. I've already done Berlin. I like big events like this. They ARE prestigious.

Backup plan is to spend 6 months to a year training to do somewhere like Brighton and get a GFA for London. But that's not until I get to 10 rejections

[SpydieNut]

i'm going to do a 10km cross country race tomorrow - the first in a series of 4

it's the red rose cross country league - anyone else from here in the area and doing it?

slightly anxious, but just going to enjoy it

[anonymous-user]

I had a bit of a sulky patch a few weeks ago with running. I was getting down about injuries etc and messed up my entry to a race (looked at where to register the night before-turned out it was pre-entry only) that meant I now can't complete the club championship I'd been aiming at through the year.

I think part of my issue was that I was always working towards something and never enjoying what I was doing, so when I got injured it just meant I didn't see the point in running.

So at the moment I'm trying to run each day this month (at least 3 miles), and deliberately not thinking any further than that. All I have to do is run each day. And it seems to be working! I'm getting out at 6am most weekdays to run, and enjoying the sunrises while I can! I'm hoping I can keep this up, but it's nice to be working on something, rather than towards something all the time!

I've also treated myself to lots of shiny new gear, including a new watch (I've defected from Garmin to TomTom-not 100% convinced yet but I like a lot of the features) and 3/4 length tights (I normally only see women wearing them but I've found them very comfy to run in!)

[Cybertronian]

cookie118 said:

I had a bit of a sulky patch a few weeks ago with running. I was getting down about injuries etc and messed up my entry to a race (looked at where to register the night before-turned out it was pre-entry only) that meant I now can't complete the club championship I'd been aiming at through the year.

I think part of my issue was that I was always working towards something and never enjoying what I was doing, so when I got injured it just meant I didn't see the point in running.

So at the moment I'm trying to run each day this month (at least 3 miles), and deliberately not thinking any further than that. All I have to do is run each day. And it seems to be working! I'm getting out at 6am most weekdays to run, and enjoying the sunrises while I can! I'm hoping I can keep this up, but it's nice to be working on something, rather than towards something all the time!

I've also treated myself to lots of shiny new gear, including a new watch (I've defected from Garmin to TomTom-not 100% convinced yet but I like a lot of the features) and 3/4 length tights (I normally only see women wearing them but I've found them very comfy to run in!)

Sorry to hear you've been injured, but positive that you've seen light on the other side!

[markh1973]

Cybertronian said:

cookie118 said:

I had a bit of a sulky patch a few weeks ago with running. I was getting down about injuries etc and messed up my entry to a race (looked at where to register the night before-turned out it was pre-entry only) that meant I now can't complete the club championship I'd been aiming at through the year.

I think part of my issue was that I was always working towards something and never enjoying what I was doing, so when I got injured it just meant I didn't see the point in running.

So at the moment I'm trying to run each day this month (at least 3 miles), and deliberately not thinking any further than that. All I have to do is run each day. And it seems to be working! I'm getting out at 6am most weekdays to run, and enjoying the sunrises while I can! I'm hoping I can keep this up, but it's nice to be working on something, rather than towards something all the time!

I've also treated myself to lots of shiny new gear, including a new watch (I've defected from Garmin to TomTom-not 100% convinced yet but I like a lot of the features) and 3/4 length tights (I normally only see women wearing them but I've found them very comfy to run in!)

Sorry to hear you've been injured, but positive that you've seen light on the other side!

Not so positive that he's wearing tights - still shorts weather surely!!