London Marathon 2016

Major Dad

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

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

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

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

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

Slow_Runner

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

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

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

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

nobody told me

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

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

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

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

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

yaboya1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

ooter

robinph wrote: »

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

Great stuff,thanks.
Do you know if it has to be a utility bill?
I'm sure it's been asked before but I've looked and can't find it.

robinph

ooter wrote: »

Great stuff,thanks.
Do you know if it has to be a utility bill?
I'm sure it's been asked before but I've looked and can't find it.

I've used my driving license before, as I don't have utility bills in my name, but then my driving license has a UK address on it.

menoscemo

ooter wrote: »

Great stuff,thanks.
Do you know if it has to be a utility bill?
I'm sure it's been asked before but I've looked and can't find it.

I have used a car insurance renewal letter before, others have used account statements. A far as I can see anything official which shows you love there should be fine.

rainbow kirby

No chance in hell of me running a 3:45 for GFA any time this decade, so UK ballot it is for me because I refuse to go down the charity route. Expecting my 6th rejection in a row :pac:

RunRoryRun

From what I can see on the website, there's no overseas ballot this year. Just travel agency overseas entry. I could be wrong.......

SummerSummit

RunRoryRun wrote: »

From what I can see on the website, there's no overseas ballot this year. Just travel agency overseas entry. I could be wrong.......

Do you think a ParcelMotel address would work??

RedRunner

RunRoryRun wrote: »

From what I can see on the website, there's no overseas ballot this year. Just travel agency overseas entry. I could be wrong.......

I think when you select ballot entry it gives you an option for uk or international. I could be wrong. Just going from memory of 2014 when I entered via uk ballot.
Will find out tomorrow, one way or the the other.

RunRoryRun

RedRunner wrote: »

I think when you select ballot entry it gives you an option for uk or international. I could be wrong. Just going from memory of 2014 when I entered via uk ballot.
Will find out tomorrow, one way or the the other.

Thought that would be the case, but can't see any mention of it. Applied through overseas ballot before and it was listed as same.

rainbow kirby

It's there. Entered through the UK ballot, expecting my 6th rejection.

RedRunner

Chanced my arm on the overseas ballot. You never know might get lucky.

robinph

If the reference number they give you is actually a sequence starting from zero, then the ballot entry I just submitted means that they have already had over double the number of entries they would have allowed in the previous system for the ballot.

RedRunner

robinph wrote: »

If the reference number they give you is actually a sequence starting from zero, then the ballot entry I just submitted means that they have already had over double the number of entries they would have allowed in the previous system for the ballot.

Don't know if the overseas and uk ballots use similar system but I applied almost as soon as it appeared on the page in the early hours and I got a high six digit number. ??

tang1

RedRunner wrote: »

Chanced my arm on the overseas ballot. You never know might get lucky.

Done the same myself, not to hopeful, but sure worth a shot.

RedRunner

tang1 wrote: »

Done the same myself, not to hopeful, but sure worth a shot.

If you're not in..you can't win!

Krusty_Clown

Just out of curiosity... How difficult is it to join a UK related club?

rainbow kirby

Doesn't seem massively difficult.

http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/member_howjoin.html (Serpentine is ridiculously big, if you just need it for the club vest it's probably a good choice)

http://www.londonheathside.org.uk/forms.htm

https://webcollect.org.uk/highgate

menoscemo

The GFA times seem to be unchanged.
https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/good-age-entry/
Sadly that means I am out for next year. I'll chance my arm in the ballot anyway...

Bulmers74

Is it the age you are on race day? I'm 40 now & ran my time on Sunday but will be 41 by the time race day rolls around.

robinph

Bulmers74 wrote: »

Is it the age you are on race day? I'm 40 now & ran my time on Sunday but will be 41 by the time race day rolls around.

I pretty sure that you will be able to benefit from the extra 5 minutes for the 41+ category. What time do you have?

Bulmers74

robinph wrote: »

I pretty sure that you will be able to benefit from the extra 5 minutes for the 41+ category. What time do you have?

Ran 3:08 in Limerick. If it's not age on race day I don't have a time.