London Marathon 2016

Major Dad · 27-04-2015 10:09am #1

Hi there,
Looking for some advice on the best way to try and enter next year's London marathon. The website says overseas entries should apply via a local organiser, but I presume I can still take my chances in the general ballot entry ? And are my chances better if I use a UK address ? My in-laws and sisters-in-law live in the UK so I could potentially use their address.
Cheers

jmcc99_98 · 27-04-2015 3:55pm

Major Dad wrote: »

Hi there,
Looking for some advice on the best way to try and enter next year's London marathon. The website says overseas entries should apply via a local organiser, but I presume I can still take my chances in the general ballot entry ? And are my chances better if I use a UK address ? My in-laws and sisters-in-law live in the UK so I could potentially use their address.
Cheers

Yeah I would like to find this out also. Would love to run London

amcgee · 27-04-2015 4:00pm

me too

Would like to enter, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Has anyone ever enter through the tour company and roughly how much would it cost?

will try and enter by all means this year.
thanks

Podge83 · 27-04-2015 4:06pm

Look on the London Marathon Website.

If you can run a decent time the GFA "Good For Age" system is good. To use this you have to be resident in UK - so just use someone's address who you know if you qualify.

If you can run under 2.45 men (not sure on ladies time) you can get a championship entry - get right up the front too with your own small area - its a great way if you can qualify.

The best option if the above cant be satisfied is a charity entry - you'll have to raise plenty of cash though, but the charity will look after you.

The Ballot & overseas ballot is a lottery where the odds are seriously stacked against you though!

rom · 27-04-2015 5:39pm

Ballot ratio in the uk is 1 in 10 get in. Internationally its less. Charity place requires about 1800 pounds (2500 euro)

Slow_Runner · 27-04-2015 6:26pm

You can also go with a travel agent who will sort out entry, flights and accommodation - will be expensive but none of the hassle if you have the cash.

Chivito550 · 27-04-2015 6:29pm

rom wrote: »

Ballot ratio in the uk is 1 in 10 get in. Internationally its less. Charity place requires about 1800 pounds (2500 euro)

So you don't get your race entry confirmed until you hit that target?

Ecoenergy · 27-04-2015 6:36pm

I got a quote from the travel agent last year. I can't remember the exact amount but it was about a grand which included flight, hotel and race so not too bad if you have a big birthday coming up.

jamesbere · 27-04-2015 6:55pm

Ah shur I'm doing my first ever marathon in June. 2:45 should be no bother ;-)

nobody told me · 27-04-2015 6:58pm

I have a GFA time from Dublin '13, and I live in london if it makes a difference. Will they let me use that time or will it have expired?

ThebitterLemon · 27-04-2015 7:08pm

Had a quick look at the website regarding a GFA entry to 2016. No details up yet but if they apply the same criteria it looks to me like a time achieved in a marathon from 1st Jan 2014 will suffice so I should be good to go (I'll have a UK address then). At last some benefit to being an auld lad

TbL

Murph_D · 27-04-2015 8:00pm

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

... (I'll have a UK address then)...

Are you leaving us or are you setting up some offshore shenanigans?

yaboya1 · 27-04-2015 8:10pm

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Had a quick look at the website regarding a GFA entry to 2016. No details up yet but if they apply the same criteria it looks to me like a time achieved in a marathon from 1st Jan 2014 will suffice so I should be good to go (I'll have a UK address then). At last some benefit to being an auld lad

TbL

Your LQ lasts longer than your BQ.
You'll have to come to Boston first with all the other auld lads (and me

)

ThebitterLemon · 27-04-2015 8:31pm

Murph_D wrote: »

Are you leaving us or are you setting up some offshore shenanigans?

I'll be spending so much time over there in the next 12 months that I might need some offshore haven, was gonna say that I had some love nest over there but there's a better chance of Shergar winning next years Grand National than me having a burd on the side

yaboya1 wrote: »

Your LQ lasts longer than your BQ.
You'll have to come to Boston first with all the other auld lads (and me )

Your right P, it sounds like a class experience and I'll be seriously tempted to revisit some unfinished business!

Hope you enjoyed that big beer!

TbL

rom · 27-04-2015 9:50pm

Chivito550 wrote: »

So you don't get your race entry confirmed until you hit that target?

?

I mean like say 200,000 apply for 20,000 places so only 1 in 10 get in on the ballot in the UK.

Also before it used to be the case if you got x (can't remember the exact number) number of rejection letters then you could get in the following year for certain but thats not the case anymore.

Chivito550 · 27-04-2015 10:15pm

rom wrote: »

?

I mean like say 200,000 apply for 20,000 places so only 1 in 10 get in on the ballot in the UK.

Also before it used to be the case if you got x (can't remember the exact number) number of rejection letters then you could get in the following year for certain but thats not the case anymore.

I was talking about the charity entry route.

robinph · 27-04-2015 11:39pm

rom wrote: »

?

I mean like say 200,000 apply for 20,000 places so only 1 in 10 get in on the ballot in the UK.

Also before it used to be the case if you got x (can't remember the exact number) number of rejection letters then you could get in the following year for certain but thats not the case anymore.

I expect the ratios of successful ballot entry will be worse this year as I'm sure the press release when they announced the date it opened said it would stay open for a set number of days rather than just until they had reached some specified number of entries. I guess they have given up listening to people complain about their own laziness meaning the missed the window for ballot entry before so are changing tactic.

That probably also caused them to have multiple t-shirt sizes this year, although I've still seen Facebook posts with people giving out about that improvement as well.

rom · 28-04-2015 11:20am

Chivito550 wrote: »

So you don't get your race entry confirmed until you hit that target?

Re money. I am not sure but basically yes. A friend had to put in 800 of his own money to hit the target last year. It a lot of money to be asking from family and friends for a charity that is probably based in the UK. If either raise the money or meet the shortfall yourself.

robinph · 28-04-2015 12:11pm

Ways of entering London 2016:

Be an elite and get invited.

Run a sub 2:45 (men)/ sub 3:15 (women) and also be a member of a UK club. Entry for this will be open until approximately January 2016. There are also qualification times for half marathon, if you have not yet run a full.

Run a good for age time, see the VMLM website for the various times. Entry for this will need to be confirmed around about June 2015 and you'll need to have run the time between Jan 2014 and probably end of May 2015. You will have to be UK "resident" to apply.

Enter the UK ballot. This opens on 4th May 2015.

Enter the International ballot.

Be a z-list celebrity or retired footballer and get invited on.

Pay a lot for an international tour.

Raise a load of money for a charity entry.

RubyK · 28-04-2015 1:17pm

robinph wrote: »

Ways of entering London 2016:

Run a good for age time, see the VMLM website for the various times. Entry for this will need to be confirmed around about June 2015 and you'll need to have run the time between Jan 2014 and probably end of May 2015. You will have to be UK "resident" to apply.

Just wondering, last year they required a bill showing your UK address for GFA place, do they only accept the likes of a household bill (gas/electricity/phone) or would they accept a copy of an internet purchase bill showing my UK address?

This year I had a deferred entry from 2014, so there was no issue with getting a bill.

slingerz · 28-04-2015 1:55pm

robinph wrote: »

Ways of entering London 2016:

Be an elite and get invited.

Run a sub 2:45 (men)/ sub 3:15 (women) and also be a member of a UK club. Entry for this will be open until approximately January 2016. There are also qualification times for half marathon, if you have not yet run a full.

Run a good for age time, see the VMLM website for the various times. Entry for this will need to be confirmed around about June 2015 and you'll need to have run the time between Jan 2014 and probably end of May 2015. You will have to be UK "resident" to apply.

Enter the UK ballot. This opens on 4th May 2015.

Enter the International ballot.

Be a z-list celebrity or retired footballer and get invited on.

Pay a lot for an international tour.

Raise a load of money for a charity entry.

where did you see that there is qualification times for a half marathon if you have not run the full??

RayCun · 28-04-2015 1:58pm

slingerz wrote: »

where did you see that there is qualification times for a half marathon if you have not run the full??

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/championship-entry/

sub 75 for men, sub 90 for women

slingerz · 28-04-2015 2:00pm

RayCun wrote: »

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/championship-entry/

sub 75 for men, sub 90 for women

balls my PB is 80.20

robinph · 28-04-2015 2:21pm

slingerz wrote: »

balls my PB is 80.20

The half times for championship qualification are tougher than getting the required time in a full marathon.

menoscemo · 28-04-2015 2:39pm

RubyK wrote: »

Just wondering, last year they required a bill showing your UK address for GFA place, do they only accept the likes of a household bill (gas/electricity/phone) or would they accept a copy of an internet purchase bill showing my UK address?

This year I had a deferred entry from 2014, so there was no issue with getting a bill.

They don't seem to be overly strict. I used a car insurance letter a few years ago and it was fine. Any official type letter seems to be ok...

rom · 28-04-2015 2:51pm

RubyK wrote: »

Just wondering, last year they required a bill showing your UK address for GFA place, do they only accept the likes of a household bill (gas/electricity/phone) or would they accept a copy of an internet purchase bill showing my UK address?

This year I had a deferred entry from 2014, so there was no issue with getting a bill.

It needs to be a utility bill.

The page last year was

http://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/marathon-centre/enter-virgin-london-marathon/good-for-age-entries/

You can use http://www.changedetection.com to watch when it changes. I set it to email when when it changed.

menoscemo · 28-04-2015 2:59pm

rom wrote: »

It needs to be a utility bill.

The page last year was

http://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/marathon-centre/enter-virgin-london-marathon/good-for-age-entries/

You can use http://www.changedetection.com to watch when it changes. I set it to email when when it changed.

Not completely true, my friends both got in this year with a statement letter, not a utility bill. I am pretty sure anything official looking is fine. Not everyone who lives in an address has the utility bills in their name.

BeepBeep67 · 29-04-2015 2:49pm

robinph wrote: »

Run a good for age time, see the VMLM website for the various times. Entry for this will need to be confirmed around about June 2015 and you'll need to have run the time between Jan 2014 and probably end of May 2015. You will have to be UK "resident" to apply.

Any country sanctioned marathon or does it need to meet additional criteria?

robinph · 29-04-2015 3:31pm

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Any country sanctioned marathon or does it need to meet additional criteria?

Pretty much any marathon world wide will be OK, unless it's something really obscure that they can't confirm as existing.

However, some UK marathons may not count if the event is registered with ARC instead of with UKAthletics as there is a bit of politics between the two governing bodies and clubs registering with different bodies.

ooter · 30-04-2015 9:55am

Question about gfa, do you post your application or can you do it online,and do they accept a photocopy/scan of proof of address or do you have to post the photocopy or the original?

robinph · 30-04-2015 10:04am

ooter wrote: »

Question about gfa, do you post your application or can you do it online,and do they accept a photocopy/scan of proof of address or do you have to post the photocopy or the original?

It has been online for the last couple of years, and you would just submit a scan of the required documents.

London Marathon 2016

Comments