London Marathon 2022 (2nd October)

robinph

The event has been pushed back to October for another year to give them more time to organise things and so that they reduce the chances of getting tangled up in any winter covid hassles. Entry is basically the same as any other year, except the prices seem to have jumped quite a bit for the ballot places with it not being £125 for international ballot and £49 for the UK ballot.

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/enter/how-to-enter/ballot-entry

Chances of getting a place are going to be drastically reduced from previous year I'd expect as there will already be up to a third of places taken due to deferred places from 2020, and that is likely to still be happening in the 2023 event also.

Ballot entry closes at 9pm on 8th October 2021.

GFA qualification period was for events run between 5 October 2020 to 3 October 2021, I think the times are the same as last year though. For 2020 you needed to be about 2 minutes under the time for men and 7 minutes under for women if I remember correctly. They have not yet said when the applications can be submitted.

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/enter/how-to-enter/good-for-age-entry

Kander

Time for my yearly rejection :D

robinph

London Marathon have just changed their name, and website, from virginmoneylondonmarathon.com to tcslondonmarathon.com

MiketheMechanic

Ballot entered - if you're not in..... 😀

Unknownability

I've entered, would like to get this one.

robinph

Good For Age entries are now open for applications:

https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/enter/how-to-enter/good-for-age-entry

You have until the 29th November to get your application in.

robinph

Got my email through last night to confirm that they have accepted my result, was a bit nervous due to the course registration and type of event being a bit different from normal (not UKA registered and time trial event). Now just need to see if I ran quick enough. That Boston has just announced that the extra cut off for their 2022 event is 0:00 could mean that number of applications are also down for London and getting a GFA place should be relatively easy if you have the qualifying time.

robinph

Good For Age emails should be dropping into email inboxes now.

Unknownability

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118252136#Comment_118252136

Any idea I'd when general entries are notified? Trying to work my way out of some as I've really over extended myself with runs next year.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118252607#Comment_118252607

Not until February apparently.

6run28

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118252607#Comment_118252607

I wonder if new increase in Covid cases means more or less chance of getting a place for next year...

rizzee

Waiting patiently on an email to confirm that I don't have a spot!!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118602774#Comment_118602774

They havnt sent it out yet have they?

rovers_runner

Last week of the month I've read.

rizzee

Yep, from Monday onwards. Good luck...

rizzee

Monday 14th March. Just got email.

rovers_runner

"This is two weeks later than originally planned due to the complexity of accommodating places from the cancelled 2020 mass event and rolled-over places from the 2021 event last October."

Or in other words, we are trying to get as many tour operators in based on corporate agreements on top mass deferrals so you dear boy haven't a chance in hell of getting in.....

robinph

It's an odd one as they have known for 2 years who had places deferred from 2020,which was a third of the normal ballot places, others having got assigned places for 2021 and 2023 already. It's only the ballot places they are dealing with anyway as the charity ones don't have anything to do with it... Unless they had their arms twisted by the charities to give out an extra allocation than normal due to some charities having missed out on places.

I would expect the availability of ballot places to be 2/3rds of the normal availability, with a small number of deferrals carried over from 2021 taking a few extra places out of circulation. Shouldn't be taking them an extra 2 weeks though.

The_Geezer

Anyone get an email from London Marathon today. I got one saying that the ballot results are out on monday but my place is still secure. I don't have a place as of yet!! i am just in the ballot as far as i know.

robinph

Just got that same email as well, due to my GFA place.

Did you have a place deferred from 2020 or anything?

The_Geezer

No, i did try to get a GFA place, but they kept rejecting the time (as it was virtual, i know but thought it was worth a try) im hoping this means im in, but i havnt paid for a place as of yet. had u your deferred place paid for?

robinph

Everyone who submitted a time within the qualifying criteria was accepted, at least didn't see mention anywhere of rejection due to additional cut off times. They did accept times from the virtual marathon app for 2021, think for 2022 you also had to submit a half marathon time in an actual race though for it to count.

You would have had to pay for the place though which you'd probably remember doing. :)

The_Geezer

no didnt pay, it was the dublin virtual one which i did which they would not accept. just a bit weird getting that email. getting my hopes up now, but it must be a mistake on their end

Trampas

Things are back to normal when you get your annual lottery rejection email

MiketheMechanic

Computer says no 😔

rovers_runner

Dear Sir, we've sold all of our places to charidee so PFO.

opus

Yup same for me, the PFO arrived right on schedule ☹️

6run28

Its been a crazy few years but somethings never change, PFO !

AngelaRI

Same here, "better luck next year..."

AntrimGlens

No harm to Lizzie God rest her soul, but if her funeral forces any changes to dates or routes of this years London Marathon I’ll be fit to be tied. I couldn’t take another cancellation or postponement three weeks out. 😡

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119593567#Comment_119593567

Think we'll be OK for the marathon, would expect funeral to be during the week before. If she'd hung on for a couple more days then the marathon would have been at risk though.

robinph

The event guide has finally been released:

https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/the-event/participant-information#event-guide

We won't know our wave start times until we get an email on the 23rd. Need that email to pick up number at the Expo. No sign of special arrangements at the Expo and so assume that is back to normal and we won't have to queue in another exhibition hall for an hour before picking up numbers this time.

Baggage lorries are back. Yay!!! So get to drop kit on the morning at the start and pick up at the finish.

Toffeeboy

What's the expo like? (pre covid) big, much there?

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119626631#Comment_119626631

Pre covid, yes it is big and lots of stuff there. Plenty of opportunities to spend money, run on a massive treadmill, get samples of various energy foods, listen to various people chatting about running on the main stage and pick up more marathon adverts for cities that you'd never even heard of before.

Last year it was a bit dead in the expo itself as I think people had had enough after queuing to get in and just left after collecting numbers and chips.

Slow_Runner

Downloaded the app today, my start time and wave showing up so getting real now 😃.

I'm down for yellow wave 2 - I always thought yellow was gfa section but I got in on the lottery.

Any tips on getting there in the morning, trying to avoid buses and use the tube (staying in Holburn), and most importantly after race pints! Will have the family in tow so not too much debauchery!

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652729#Comment_119652729

Yellow has always been GFA (except last year). They have had wave 1 and 2 printed on the numbers for Yellow for as long as I noticed it, but they never really distinguish between the waves there. They just queue us all up and get us on the road before they release wave 1 of the Red start.

You may have just got bumped up to GFA because not the full quota of places were taken up this year.

I think from Holborn you may be as well heading to Charring Cross and getting a surface train from there to Blackheath. Avoid dlr or train to Greenwich or Maze Hill as whilst it's about the same walk you may get stuck in the park with the Red start and have to make a long walk round. Blackheath to the start is dead easy. There is some questions over train times at the moment due to strikes on the Saturday, but keep an eye on the London Marathon twitter feed which seems to be giving updates.

Not sure on location for pints, but I'll be up for a couple before I have to get my Mega Bus back.

AntrimGlens

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652729#Comment_119652729

I'm also yellow wave two, as is my running club mate. 9.44 start time for me. Looks to be a fairly "small" cohort if the size of the yellow area compared to the red, green and blue is accurate on the event guide.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119654295#Comment_119654295

There is probably only 3000 at most in the Yellow start with the rest of the GFA in Green or Blue. My wave 1 time is 9:40, but in reality they tend to hold us for a minute so that nobody gets any ideas of trying to outrun the elites to the course merge point. Would expect wave 2 Yellow to just be mixed in with wave 1 and we all head off at once, although we'll be queuing the wrong way on the grass at the start as there isn't enough room for us all directly in front of the Red waves.

robinph

Weather is looking good for marathon running at the moment.

Trains less so. Train strike on Saturday so might be tricky to get into London, I believe underground and DLR services to the ExCeL will be running as usual.

Trains to the start on Sunday are meant to be running as normal from central London, but again getting around from anywhere else by surface trains is going to be tricky or impossible. Check your options on the TFL site. Getting out of London on Sunday evening by train is also likely to have limited services.

Toffeeboy

Looks like rain now. I think its one train per hour on Stansted express for Saturday.

Slow_Runner

Picked up my number this morning, no queue so in and out. Didn't hang around the expo too long. New Balance gear area was fairly manic once past that it was pretty quite.

Getting real now! Weather looking up for Sunday so things are looking up!!

rovers_runner

Ballot for 2023 open now, at least it's only a month to wait for the PFO email.

Best of luck to ye all tomorrow, very envious, looks like the weather will play ball.

event

Best of luck to all

marathon2022

So jealous of all you guys running tomorrow, go out there and give it socks.

Slow_Runner

Tough day at the office, my hydration during the week wasn't the best and it showed, was cramping up from 28k, walking on/offfrom 36kmWow what an experience!! Still camr in with a pb so delighted with it.

As for the race, wow what an experience!!! From start to finish it was it was unreal-the crowds, the noise, it was all unreal. After 7 yrs of applying through the ballots and finally got in it was worth the wait! For any not done London do it!! Pay the charity or travel company, just get there!!!

robinph

Was a great day today with almost perfect weather. I'd set out with absolutely no expectations regarding times and was just looking to get around and enjoy the run.

Started off and just ran at no particular pace, just what felt right. That was still feeling good for way longer than I anticipated and wasn't challenging myself until closer to 18 ish. Then realising that knocking a big chunk of time off my GFA time from April was a distinct possibility even if I blew up ( my April time being only a minute inside so likely not good enough). Pace started to drop a touch, but didn't fight that too much and just ensured I kept moving.

Loved it all the way round and managed to finish with a 3:04:59 which should be safe for GFA and a 4 minute improvement from earlier in the year.

That was my 10th London Marathon today as well and now 12th time securing GFA (I don't count the 2020 virtual run).

robinph

Just as I was going through the tunnel at the start of The Embankment I saw someone on the side of the road and some marshals doing chest compressions. Must have only gone down moments before I got there, but there were several paramedics on bicycles then heading back along the route moments later.

Not been able to find anything yet in any news reports, which I'm taking as a good sign. Hopefully they made a recovery.

Slow_Runner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119694216#Comment_119694216

Yeah they were still doing cpr on him when I went through ambulance was there at that stage - didn't look good. The fact there is no news is perhaps good news (let's hope)

robinph

https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/news-and-media/latest-news/statement-from-the-organisers-of-the-tcs-london-marathon

:(

Slow_Runner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119696490#Comment_119696490

That's so sad, rip

FinnC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119696629#Comment_119696629

A reminder to us all that the only thing that matters is we all get home safe and sound to our families. We all stress about finish times and pace and all that but none of that is important.

RIP to that young man.