These people shouldn’t be allowed to enter the London Marathon

[Notbeinggoadybut]

Like most runners I put my name into the ballot every year, and have never been picked not bitter at all.

The footage of the “last finishers” sets my teeth off a bit. I think if you can’t finish the marathon in say, 6.5-7 hours, you shouldn’t be taking a ballot place that could be allocated to someone who actually wants to RUN the marathon. There are plenty of walking marathons for people who prefer to walk, don’t be selfish and take a slight after place for a RUNNING race. I mean the key is even in the slogan, “We run together”.

AIBU?

I did the Rotterdam marathon in 2019.
Over there they celebrate the last runner on the course, sing them in, make a big deal of it- recognising their achievement.

I would have to disagree, I am a very serious runner and again have never been successful in getting a position but I don’t begrudge those who take longer to do it. It is still a mammoth achievement and for them could be absolutely life changing to complete that.

I used to qualify with a GFA (when it was around sub 3:40) years ago. I’m a very average runner but put years of consistent commitment and training in and got the results.

The first year I ran it, I ran for a charity and got my place that way and worked hard to raise the money. That year I hoped for 4.30 and got 5.15 and realised how much I’d underestimated the training required. Following year I ran on a place from my running club as had done lots of cross country races for them and marshalling and they had some guaranteed places. I ran my first sub 4 hours that year and then ran my GFA time on another course the following year.

If you really want to run London then there’s many ways of doing so. The ballot isn’t the only way. But it’s great that so many people challenge themselves with the course and you never know what will happen on the day.

Sounds like you’re trying to police something which has different rules than the ones you feel should be enforced. How about if the standards aren’t to your liking then you don’t repeatedly enter?

Agree, it helps people feel like an achievement a raises awareness and money for charity. A friend did one for Mind a mental health Charity after someone close to her committed suicide. Have you heard of the Olympics or a National team? There elite Marathons for people who want to compete

I think you’re missing the idea of inclusivity and people raising much needed funds for charity - if you’re that good try out for the Olympic team??

Wow, I am shocked by your attitude to this.

To complete a marathon takes incredible strength both physical and mental.

the fact that someone takes the full amount of time to complete the race shouldn’t make a difference and they should be congratulated for time on feet and the mental strength it took for them to keep going.

I think your are very bitter for not being selected and with an attitude like yours, should you ever be ?

live and let live. There will always be fast people and always be slower people.

First and foremost it’s a fundraising charity event. So yes you ABU! If it was only for proper runners, you wouldn’t get all the people in fancy dress, those who have recovered from horrible things or with disability inspiring us all by getting around etc and you would kill the spirit of the event and it certainly wouldn’t attract the same following as it currently does. I’m sure there are plenty of other running events you can run, leave our wonderful and inclusive marathon alone! And kudos and hurrah to those who just get around it even though running isn’t their bag and raise a bucket load for charities in the process xx

Ps why don’t you just get a charity place if you’re so keen to run it? What have you got against raising money for charity?

I think that maybe you should have done a half marathon within 3.30 hrs (maybe a bit less) in the past 5 years, it's not that hard a hurdle, but they'd get loads of backlash for it.

Attitudes like this confirm everything I dreaded when my children got their mobility condition diagnosis. Why shouldn’t someone slow have the same opportunity to enter and participate in the marathon?
I’ve not read the thread incase it makes me angry but I sincerely hope you never encounter any kind of ‘different’ in your life that means you need a supportive community around you, just incase you encounter someone with the same views as you

Your attitude makes me angry.

It's very entitled.

I have only done a half and took 2.30 which by your standards would probably be 'not good enough' but I trained hard for that.

I imagine it would take me close to 6 hours for a marathon.

You do not deserve the space more than anyone else and if you want it that much support a charity.

Ever heard of ‘inclusivity’ ??

Runners. Clues in the term.

It's just a race, no one really cares.

Isn't it like this though so everyone gets the chance to run, not just those who can. People are running for many reasons, personal ones for lots. Who are you to say they haven't done good enough by your standards, it's a massive achievement for them no doubt to even complete it.

You don't know how many times someone stops. They completed it, regardless of time it took them.

There are marathons all over the world with lower cutoff times, if you only want to run with faster runners.
London Marathon has evolved into something different over the years; apart from the top end elites, it's become a fundraising vehicle, and a means of bringing a bit of excitement and happiness to the country. A huge amount of this is down to the people at "the other end of the pack" : the fancy dress runners, those battling illness and overcoming the odds, and all the unlikely heroes. They're the ones who bring the biggest stories and publicity to the event, and they're the ones who make Joe and Jill Bloggs on the street think maybe they could get involved, give it a go and do some good.
Absolutely, the elites and the other faster and GFA runners are amazing, and make the news, but they aren't the reason most of the spectators and TV viewers get their feelgood fix when watching the event.
It's just what the event has become. If you don't like it, there are SO many other marathons to enter, where there's a quicker cutoff time and more emphasis on running. Get involved with those instead.
And don't knock anyone who's taken eight hours to get round. Just think hard about being on the move on foot for eight hours. I think it's rather an achievement....

How do you know they're ballot runners though?

A few years back I volunteered. There were loads still plodding on at the end of day as the road sweeper came in and the crowd had dispersed . That must be hard to carry on

You can tell ballot runners or charity runners from looking at their bibs

So you're that desperate to run ... that you're riddled enough with bitterness that you're happy to post this.... and yet you've never decided to try and run for a charity? interesting insight.

I've entered the ballot eight times. This year at the age of 50 I got lucky. My running partner and I have raised £12k for the Brain Tumour Charity since she lost her son (my son's friend) to a Brain Tumour 9 years ago. I'm sorry we weren't elite runners. We did it under the time you have arbitrarily stated. And we trained in all weathers. But having run it I have ultimate respect for anyone that puts in the training and achieves it. Guess what? 26.2 is 26.2 no matter how long it takes you. I've also shown a lot of other middle aged larger chicks that you can do it. Would you rather they sat on the sofa?

Why not channel that (frankly negative) energy in to raising some money for something you believe in instead of wasting denigrating someone elses achievement?

There’s a lot of reasons someone could take a long time - I’m thinking of someone I knew, who had a charity place but put in the training and was looking at around a 4 hour time.

everything that could go wrong did go wrong, she got her hydration wrong, she twisted a ankle, she felt sick, she ended up shuffling from one first aid post to the next but ended up completing in about 8 hours instead. I really admire her for her perseverance!

@Platymelons MASSIVE congrats! Huge fundraising achievement!

OP your post has made me both laugh at your ignorance and feel so annoyed at how you have knocked the confidence of so many people.
I completed London marathon on Sunday and am incredibly proud of myself as it was extremely tough. I got a ballot place after 10 attempts and it took me 6 hours 37 minutes. I walked loads. I trained loads too. Since October last year, through rain, ice, wind and snow so stuff you for your assumption that slow folk don’t train. What a massive discount. I am built for stamina not speed.

By the way, one part of the course has ‘slower’ runners going past ‘faster’ runners on opposite sides of the road. So there were people opposite me going for around 3.5 hours. Let me tell you- I saw LOADS of them walking. It’s not all or nothing.

For those who are at the slower end like me, we show endurance, determination, stamina and mental grit.