Then we get to the end of September, social media starts to buzz. The organisers have drawn the ballot. They're going to let you know if you're successful. Rather than email everyone and have the news out there instantly, they send you a magazine in the post. There is a No magazine and in theory a Yes magazine. Your timelines start to fill up, your friends, family and coworkers start to post a photo. You see more No magazines and with each one you feel disappointment for your friend, but also anticipation, perhaps this will be your year.
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| VLM 2013 Rejection |
Then your time arrives, you get home and notice the A4 magazine, usually tactfully turned down. You turn it over and of course, this greets you:
Another year, another ballot disappointment. That's three years in a row for me. In the old days of the VLM you were at least offered a place after five unsuccessful attempts.
Why does the ballot take over four months to draw? It is only open a maximum of 12 hours these days. If you look at New York or Berlin or Royal Parks, the ballots are open for a few weeks so there is no chaotic rush to sign up, less chance of missing out. The draw is then made within a month or two. That means the runners know what their plans are.
Transparency
It would be nice to know what your chances genuinely are. Apparently the ballot has one hundred and twenty five thousand applications. How many places are allocated? Do we have a one in four? One in six? Probably a one in eight? Once you've had multiple rejections you start to question whether it is truly worth it. I'll never get to good for age, so without a ballot entry there is only one remaining option......
Charity
I've raised funds for Mind previously and were I to get a ballot entry I'd be straight onto just giving to setup another page and bring in some income for them.
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| VLM 2014 Rejection |
I have no problem with a ballot. It's a fair way of doing things, what I struggle with is some of the process and the fall out that results.
Time
Why does the ballot take over four months to draw? It is only open a maximum of 12 hours these days. If you look at New York or Berlin or Royal Parks, the ballots are open for a few weeks so there is no chaotic rush to sign up, less chance of missing out. The draw is then made within a month or two. That means the runners know what their plans are.
Sure if you keep the draw open for longer you'll likely get more sign ups, maybe reduce everyone's chances, but at least you won't miss the opportunity to sign up. Then you have the four month wait. Surely the organisers know how many ballot places they're allocating? You of course have good for age entries, but if there is a solid number for ballots, just get it drawn so people can move on. For example the Tokyo marathon is in February. I'd like to run it one day, but with the ballot for London not being resolved until October it gives just four months to prepare, flights, hotels etc might have sold out. You almost have to go ahead with Tokyo plans and if you get a London place look to defer it a year.
Transparency
It would be nice to know what your chances genuinely are. Apparently the ballot has one hundred and twenty five thousand applications. How many places are allocated? Do we have a one in four? One in six? Probably a one in eight? Once you've had multiple rejections you start to question whether it is truly worth it. I'll never get to good for age, so without a ballot entry there is only one remaining option......
Charity
I've raised funds for Mind previously and were I to get a ballot entry I'd be straight onto just giving to setup another page and bring in some income for them.
Charity has become the focus of the London Marathon. They raise a huge amount of money for good causes & we should rightly tip our hats to that. The problem is, they charge charities a high amount for places. Where a standard ballot place is around £50, a charity place appears to cost around £500. No wonder the ballot gives the impression of reducing in size every year! By charging a high amount for a place, the onus is then placed onto the charity to not only recoup the fee, but raise further funds on top. Most charities are now asking for £1750 to be raised, on top of registration fees from the runner to secure a place. So if you fail to get a ballot place, you could run for a charity. It'll probably cost you more than a standard ballot place based on various registration fees & have the burden of raising a huge amount of money whilst also trying to train.
There is also a knock on effect. By spending high amounts on places, many charities are now desperate to fill their allocations. Not only is the VLM magazine full of adverts suggesting you run for a charity but you now experience a new phenomenon when you post about a ballot failure online.
I can't recall if this happened in previous years, but within moments of posting that I'd not got a place I started to receive Charity Spam. Unsolicited replies from a charity that was far too quick to suggest I could run for them. I'd never heard of them & as I feel I could only run for a cause I had a personal affinity for rather than a marriage of convenience, I declined their offer.
That should be the end of it, I'd replied after all. The next morning I mentioned the ballot once more & sure enough very soon afterwards I received more charity spam from the same charity! Essentially they have someone just following various London Marathon related feeds & replying to anyone non successful. Essentially a policy of throw as much shit at the wall in the hope that something sticks. I was disappointed enough with not getting a place, I didn't need to be hassled repeatedly. I politely declined the offer a second time & asked that they stopped spamming runners.
This is a problem of VLM's own creation. By charging higher for charity places, charities find themselves needing to fill places. And because charities keep buying the places, the ballot will in turn reduce in size to allow more. With the charges being so high, the amount runners are asked to raise keeps going up. Where £1500 might have been the standard a couple of years ago, the major charities can now command £2000 (one charity had a funding commitment of £2800 & registration fee of £150!). By the end of a training cycle you'll have exhausted not only yourself with the physical effort, but your friends & family with the fundraising.
The Conclusion
Sadly some runners will be desperate to run the London Marathon & bite the charity bullet. Where as in previous years I'd entered, been turned down & said I'd wait another year, this time around I want to run a marathon. I want to see how I can perform over 26 miles so in 2015 I'll find a race, sadly it won't be London.
There is also a knock on effect. By spending high amounts on places, many charities are now desperate to fill their allocations. Not only is the VLM magazine full of adverts suggesting you run for a charity but you now experience a new phenomenon when you post about a ballot failure online.
I can't recall if this happened in previous years, but within moments of posting that I'd not got a place I started to receive Charity Spam. Unsolicited replies from a charity that was far too quick to suggest I could run for them. I'd never heard of them & as I feel I could only run for a cause I had a personal affinity for rather than a marriage of convenience, I declined their offer.
That should be the end of it, I'd replied after all. The next morning I mentioned the ballot once more & sure enough very soon afterwards I received more charity spam from the same charity! Essentially they have someone just following various London Marathon related feeds & replying to anyone non successful. Essentially a policy of throw as much shit at the wall in the hope that something sticks. I was disappointed enough with not getting a place, I didn't need to be hassled repeatedly. I politely declined the offer a second time & asked that they stopped spamming runners.
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| Charity Begging - Is it really necessary? |
This is a problem of VLM's own creation. By charging higher for charity places, charities find themselves needing to fill places. And because charities keep buying the places, the ballot will in turn reduce in size to allow more. With the charges being so high, the amount runners are asked to raise keeps going up. Where £1500 might have been the standard a couple of years ago, the major charities can now command £2000 (one charity had a funding commitment of £2800 & registration fee of £150!). By the end of a training cycle you'll have exhausted not only yourself with the physical effort, but your friends & family with the fundraising.
The Conclusion
Sadly some runners will be desperate to run the London Marathon & bite the charity bullet. Where as in previous years I'd entered, been turned down & said I'd wait another year, this time around I want to run a marathon. I want to see how I can perform over 26 miles so in 2015 I'll find a race, sadly it won't be London.
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| VLM 2015 Rejection - Straight in the recycling bin |
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