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?

Do you have a link? I would like to sponsor him

Noticed you haven't answered those who suggest you run a GFA time to get yourself a place, OP. Hmmm.

Plenty of us on this thread can run London every year on GFA times should we choose to. You could do the same if you knocked out 3:40 or so at any other marathon, for your qualifying time (depending on how old you are!). But you can't as you're not fast enough - does that make you not a "proper" runner as you can "only" run 5 hours?

Not very nice, is it. Perhaps don't be a twat.

The irony of taking a story from an article about 'runners who are proud to be slower'

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-65314029.amp

Couldn't disagree more with this goady bollocks.

One of those people who took 8 hours yesterday was my inspiring mate who has stage 4 cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. She raised thousands for charity and this WAS her very best.

Nothing I hate more than smug "runners" who want to belittle someone's achievement. And I post that as someone whose marathon PB is well under 5 hours and who has never got into London on the ballot

You need to run faster OP. It's as simple as that 🤷

I couldn’t do a GFA, it’s sub 3:45 and that’s beyond me. If you were a real runner you’d know it’s not just about putting the training in, some speeds/distances are beyond you. Muscle twitch etc. It’s not only about training.

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback.

Bar the OP, this is actually a very kind thread.

I am almost inspired to give the LM a go! (I'm not a runner)

I think it's an amazing achievement to finish it and those who did should be immensely proud of themselves.

It's just an amateur sports event isn't it? Not the Olympics.

While I'll never run a marathon the likes of the OP put me off trying any sort of running

Sorry to hear that @DarlingG . DH got into the ballot last year and found the same in terms of the sheer volume of traffic, which didn’t thin out at all.

I run several half marathons and always have the same thought when I see someone walking half a mile in. Why not enter a more suitable event? I have zero upper body strength so I know I would be a disruption if I entered something like an Iron Man/assault course style race. So I don’t.

huh!
my daughter in law ran the London marathon in, I think 2019. It was over an hour before she went over the start line! Start line

it’s not a competition, it’s a stamina event. Your sense of entitlement doesn’t make you any more important.

by the way, my DIL raised several hundred pound for cancer research. Well done Kayleigh, I’m so proud of you.

Not good enough

No ballot place got you!! Slacker!

How would you feel the marathon organisers could police a minimum requirment?

@AbbaG12 by reducing the cut off time.

They do. It just so happens to be a lot more generous than most other marathons.

Yeah, and that’s why most of us aren’t anywhere close to elite times or even championship. But GFA is surely trainable for nearly everyone who fancies themselves as a real runner?

I did it really slowly on a charity place, heavily pregnant. I'd put in the work fundraising thanks. If you want a fast race you can run it fast if you like. There are good for age and elite places for amazing runners like you, let slow people like me have our fun.

Hoho, the irony! "Some speeds are beyond you". That's probably how the seven hour runners feel too. Still got those blinkers on, eh?

I don’t think we can add links on MN to them, but you can Google the LM final finisher or search in twitter and there are several links to his Just Giving account.

Of course it's about training. It's about putting in the miles after miles after miles, the early starts, the speed sessions you don't want to do, the weights sessions for strength, and battling on when it fucking hurts. GFA isn't meant to be easy.

And I know the qualifying time is theoretically sub 3:45 (if you're under 40) but often the cut off is about five minutes below that, as there are so many people entering with times just below 3:45. Which is why I'd said 3:40 would get you a place.

GFA times are there so decent club runners can get a place. To moan that you can't get a place as an average runner, and then criticise even slower runners for wanting to have a go, is a bit rich. We're all slow compared to someone faster!

So the paralysed ex-equestrian Claire Lomas who walked the marathon in a robotic suit and crutches taking 17 days is unworthy? Despite her training for it endlessly and raising almost £200,000 for spinal injury research.

You sound a right barrel of jealousy OP.

OMG can you hear yourself? You couldn't possibly do 3:45, others have to overcome all sorts to do 7 hours.

Train harder and yes you could, if you're a real runner with the right commitment. Distance running at that (still relatively low level) is all about training.

Or volunteer and qualify for priority ballot that way or take a charity place and raise the money. Or run another event and enjoy this one as a supporter/volunteer.

Crawling along like a gorilla would have been fun 😂