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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

379 replies

Notbeinggoadybut · 24/04/2023 19:58

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?

OP posts:
Hobnobswantshernameback · 24/04/2023 21:53

For years I told myself I couldn't run.
I can run
slowly.
I'm still a runner
And I've covered exactly the same distance as the sneery wankers that made me feel so crap it took me years to get the confidence to try

JudgeRudy · 24/04/2023 21:54

Gwdihooooo · 24/04/2023 20:02

I think you are not in charge and people can do it how they like if it’s in the rules

Agree!
and there are other 'running' competitions you can enter if it's the competitive edge that drives you.

ZacharinaQuack · 24/04/2023 21:55

I actually still don't understand why you can't get a club place? If your club is UKA affiliated, it will be able to apply for one or more places depending on how many affiliated members it has. In the club's I've been in, the odds of getting one have been pretty good, either because they have criteria like not having done the race before (or recently), having volunteered for club events etc. In my current club it's often about a 1 in 3 chance of getting the place because most members who want to do the race have a qualifying time already.

P0mbears · 24/04/2023 21:55

I know someone who trained really hard, ran the whole thing and finished in just under 7 hours raising over £250,000 for charity. Im so pleased he got a place over you.

RoseBucket · 24/04/2023 21:56

Banquosfeast · 24/04/2023 21:48

Maybe your ire should be directed at the 20,000 runners who - every year - are given a place, but don't turn up on the day. Last year 27% of all entrants did not turn up to start the race. The organisers know this, and so allow many more entries than they could cope with, knowing that 20,000 people who have paid the entrance fee, won't turn up on the day.

I didn’t know that, that’s frustrating because they have a defer system I think you’d think they would at least notify TCS, I’ve tried five times so far with no success.

RandomUsernameHere · 24/04/2023 21:56

London is very different to the other majors. If you don't like the inclusivity of it then I'm not really sure why you'd want to do it. There are plenty of marathons with much tighter cut offs.

EnaSharplesStout · 24/04/2023 21:56

Hobnobswantshernameback · 24/04/2023 21:48

This was the first year wheelchair assisted participants were allowed.
don't suppose you'd want those inconvenient types slowing you down or taking up your precious space either

@Hobnobswantshernameback i noticed that.

Does anyone know why assisted wheelchairs are allowed but power (electric) chairs aren’t? When they say assisted do they mean self propelled wheelchairs who just have a bit of help occasionally on the course?

or people who are pushed all the way? If it’s that what is the difference in using a power chair?

ZacharinaQuack · 24/04/2023 21:56

Omg can't believe my predictive text put an apostrophe in clubs. I don't deserve to do London ever again. Blush

Wombatbum · 24/04/2023 21:57

Anyone else not a runner and tempted to enter the ballot now….

not being goady 😇

LlynTegid · 24/04/2023 21:59

Not allowing a second time, understandable and fair enough. I don't see how you could stop someone doing their first London one unless you had to have completed another, which would have stopped the winner of the women's race taking part, for example.

whynotwhatknot · 24/04/2023 21:59

i used to like thebloke that done it in the deep sea diving suit took him days but he never gave up

QuickGuide · 24/04/2023 22:00

RoseBucket · 24/04/2023 21:56

I didn’t know that, that’s frustrating because they have a defer system I think you’d think they would at least notify TCS, I’ve tried five times so far with no success.

Show quote history

This is a good thing though. It means the charities get entry fees from 20000 people who don't run and the organisers can offer 20000 more ballot places than if they thought everyone would turn up.

BitchImTheSecretIngredient · 24/04/2023 22:00

@Wombatbum already have 😁

QuickGuide · 24/04/2023 22:01

ZacharinaQuack · 24/04/2023 21:55

I actually still don't understand why you can't get a club place? If your club is UKA affiliated, it will be able to apply for one or more places depending on how many affiliated members it has. In the club's I've been in, the odds of getting one have been pretty good, either because they have criteria like not having done the race before (or recently), having volunteered for club events etc. In my current club it's often about a 1 in 3 chance of getting the place because most members who want to do the race have a qualifying time already.

You get one place per 50 affliated runners. The odds aren't that good!

SuperSange · 24/04/2023 22:04

I got a ballot place the first year I applied. I trained three times a week, one of those a long run. I finished in 6.05, with 80% running and the rest walking. And you know what? If it had taken be 24 hours because I'd crawled, I'd still be a better competitor that you.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 24/04/2023 22:05

I do wonder how the OP feels about the elite wheelchair competitors. I mean they aren't running either...

Minniem2020 · 24/04/2023 22:06

QuickGuide · 24/04/2023 20:37

I've been successful in the ballot once in 15 years. I trained properly and did a respectably average time.

I go to watch every year and usually know a few people who are running, either ballot, charity or club places. I've also volunteered a number of times.

Everyone has their own reasons for running/getting round and it's a massive challenge for all of them. In many ways it's harder for the very slowest, they're out on the course for much longer after all.

The people I know who ran this year finished in times ranging from 3:17 to 7:21. They are:

  • A mother of a young child and a severely autistic teenager who uses running as her only down time but who has limited time to train
  • A recovering drug addiction and alcoholic who has found a love of life (and probably another addiction) through running.
  • A usually very good runner, who hasn't been able train consistently because of illness and injury
  • A severely obese woman who has terrible struggles with her mental health and who really did train very seriously to achieve her 7 hours.
  • Someone who can do a marathon in 3.5 hours but who decided to this one in fancy dress, interact with the crowd and soak up the atmosphere whilst raising 1000s for charity
  • A woman with such high levels of anxiety/lack of self belief that she sobbed for all of the last week before the race, for much of the run and afterwards too. But she did it.
  • And one very good runner who stuck religiously to their diet and training plan, really living training for the last 6 months.

You judge all you like, but do you really think you're more worthy of a place than any of them? Every runner has a story and the most unlikely runners have the biggest stores of all IME.

Fantastic post.

FlowersEverywherePlease · 24/04/2023 22:07

🙄

ZacharinaQuack · 24/04/2023 22:10

@QuickGuide yes I know, but most don't want to do it, or have done it before, or can qualify with gfa or championship times. The odds when you are one of a handful who want and need the place can be pretty good. My old club used to insist on a ballot rejection to be allowed to go in for the club place too.

Ohow · 24/04/2023 22:12

Plenty of running events are inclusive for everyone at different speeds.

You mean.... like to London marathon?!

RandomUsernameHere · 24/04/2023 22:12

To say it's a "carnival" and "not a proper marathon" is ridiculous. Sifan Hassan ran 2:18:33 and Kelvin Kiptum 2:01:25 which is only 16 seconds off the world record. Look at the depth of the elite field every year, they wouldn't be turning up if it wasn't a proper marathon! Just because slower runners are allowed to participate doesn't detract from the fastest runners.

ZeroFucksGivenToday · 24/04/2023 22:14

Wombatbum · 24/04/2023 21:57

Anyone else not a runner and tempted to enter the ballot now….

not being goady 😇

Erm. I've just entered. I'm unfit! Need to lose 3 stone. Can't run at all as my Achilles gives up.
But with training I could get down to 7 hours walking id hope.
so impulsive ballot entry is now registered.

TheSaturdayAfternoonnessOfIt · 24/04/2023 22:14

The diversity is the beauty of the event - marvelling at the skill of the elite runners/wheelchair racers to begin with and then hearing the stories of all those who are running en masse, seeing the costumes, just seeing 'people like me' having fun, raising money and challenging themselves.

It's the only running race I make a point of watching every year. Absolutely love it, and that's from a person who could barely run to catch a bus.😃

QuickGuide · 24/04/2023 22:15

ZacharinaQuack · 24/04/2023 22:10

@QuickGuide yes I know, but most don't want to do it, or have done it before, or can qualify with gfa or championship times. The odds when you are one of a handful who want and need the place can be pretty good. My old club used to insist on a ballot rejection to be allowed to go in for the club place too.

I guess it depends in the club. At mine, a social running club, rather than a serious athletics club we have 2/3 older women who meet the GFA but it's certainly not the majority.

We have to have a ballot rejection to enter and you can't enter if you had the place last year, but there'll usually be 20+ entries for one place. They also changed the rules last year so that if the runner allocated this year's place defers (he did or he'd have been on Op's black list 😆) , the club don't get a place next year

QuickGuide · 24/04/2023 22:16

RandomUsernameHere · 24/04/2023 22:12

To say it's a "carnival" and "not a proper marathon" is ridiculous. Sifan Hassan ran 2:18:33 and Kelvin Kiptum 2:01:25 which is only 16 seconds off the world record. Look at the depth of the elite field every year, they wouldn't be turning up if it wasn't a proper marathon! Just because slower runners are allowed to participate doesn't detract from the fastest runners.

TBF they don't really run the same race 😆