Place in the big half marathon?

8 replies

Platypusdiver · 13/10/2026 21:40

I have entered into a few ”big” half marathons. The very popular type where you have enter a lottery. Every time I never get a place (unless I do the charity sponsorship, which I’m not interested in).

Cardiff, Copenhagen and some London one (big sights or similar). I am beginning to think that there an algorithm that means not every entry is equal. Or is it the case that most places go to the and charities? Leaving a relatively small places to a huge number of potential entrants?

Has anyone managed to get a place in either a superhalf or a London half?

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Cla7 · 14/10/2026 01:52

I got one for London Landmarks, but got rejected for Royal Parks. I don’t know how many places are available for these half marathons via ballot, but I know that the odds are ridiculously tiny for London (full) marathon, it’s probably not quite as bad for the HMs but there’ll definitely be many more interested runners than places available.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 14/10/2026 09:52

Running is super fashionable at the moment which means getting in is harder

In terms of big events where you can just enter

Manchester Half
Swansea
Bath
Belfast
Oxford

If you want to go abroad,
Gothenburg
Rome
Cologne
Hamburg
Pisa

Whataninterestinglookingpotato · 14/10/2026 18:38

The only lotteries I’ve entered are London and Lakeland 50. Never got a place for London but got into Lakeland 50 this year, though I think there a lot more chance with that one than there are for most.

I’ve entered Cardiff half ballot this year so we shall see what happens with that.

DuckWithOneWing · 14/10/2026 18:46

I got rejected by London Landmarks, but I've got a place at the Royal Parks two years in a row. I also got Copenhagen but I turned it down due to travel.

pinkglove84 · 15/10/2026 21:18

The new Run South London race next March still has places I think.

But yes it's hard to get places in the likes of the Great North Run as most are charity spaces, rather than ballot spots. That's why I rarely bother and just do nice local halves instead. There are great ones around and they're a fraction of the price.

Linguist1979 · 15/10/2026 21:30

I got a ballot place for Royal Parks and ran it last weekend!

Onewildandpreciouslife · 17/10/2026 14:50

I got a place for Royal Parks in the ballot last year (but had to pass it on).

The charity fundraising requirement for halfs is much lower than for marathon- typically £500 - so not such a burden.

Original poster

Platypusdiver · 17/10/2026 19:36

Thanks for the replies. When I pressed send I realised that I had been accepted for Lisbon a couple of years ago…totally negating my own hypothesis!

But just rejected from Cardiff, which I am sad about.

@Lastqueenofscotland2 funny that you mention Gothenburg. Or Göteborgsvarvet in Swedish. I have special knowledge of that one. No lottery, but so popular that I believe it sold out within 1 day of tickets going on sale. Most popular half marathon in the world apparently.

I would love to do Gothenburg and Cardiff for personal reasons (both places have a special place in my heart and, as I discovered running a half marathon around a city in which I had lived previously, it is quite emotional - for me anyway!)

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