Glad I got my entry in early for the Virgin London Marathon in 2010 because when I went back to the website the following week there was this message up saying that the ballot was now closed.
Virgin London Marathon 2010 Ballot closed
The ballot stays open until 120,000 people have applied and last year it only took them 10 days to get that many registrations, this year was even quicker with the same number of registrations in under 3 days.
Considering the website was as dead as door nail for most of the first day it was open to registrations thats a staggering number of entries in such a short space of time but its inevitably also a lot of very dissapointed people who didnt even make it into the ballot never mind actually getting into the race itself.
For those of us that are applying for the race very year its important to keep up a run of entries as eventually after 5 failed entries in succession you are guaranteed a place into the following years race. Its my 5th time applying this year so if I dont make it into the 2010 race via the ballot I am guaranteed a place in 2011, assuming they dont change the rule.
With so many people applying for a limited number of places the “price” of charity places this year (the minimum amount you have to guarantee raising to obtain one) is sure to go up as well as the demand for running club places which is another entry route into the race.
If you don’t make it into London 2010 then another option is to run one of the other marathons arranged for around the same time and the Shakespeare Marathon in Stratford Upon Avon is what I will probably run next year if I don’t make it through the ballot for London again.
Its the long wait until October now when the postman will either deliver a successful entry notification letter or a consolation running top….. fingers crossed its a letter and not a parcel I receive this year!
by Nick
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