How's it all going? Who else has entered the London ballot? 🙄
I watched a bit of the coverage yesterday - saw Eliud Kipchoge finishing and now have a new goal to be able to run like Eliud 😄
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Sqkr & roseabi
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roseabi
Ultramarathon
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I did my 3rd 10 mile run yesterday (4th if you include the HM). Just punched all the numbers into my spreadsheet and found some nice pace patterns emerging. When you aren’t fast you have to find your gold where you can!
I read elsewhere that this is how you can get selected in the ballot for the London Marathon .
" Think of a number between 1 and 7, treble it. Multiply by your birthday. Add the number of ice-caps remaining (volatile number) and divide by the number of ex-athletes presenting the coverage. Subtract the minutes taken by the 42nd female 10k runner at the Olympics in 2012. Stand on one leg for 24 hours and make a small clucking sound. Count the number of times people say “are you alright” and add that to your total. If you end up with an odd number, you’re in. Good luck"
I watched the marathon too and I was so happy for Callum Hawkins ... not only he managed to recover from the bad commonwealth games, but he managed to get in the top 10 with the 3rd time of all time for the UK. I was also proud for the italia guy who beat him
On a side note... I have done my math, I can run with Eliud for about 200 meters during the race, I use to be strong and I could run for about 1k... But probably today he'll rest or just jog, so I would probably be able to run with him for about 1 Km
Congratulations on entering the ballot!!! and congratulation to everyone who ran yesterday!!! Lots of PB in the elite racers, seemed like a good day for a marathon...
last 2 weeks were easy taper weeks, with 46 miles each. Only training worth noticing was the 3X1600 mt. on the track on Wednesday (my last workout). I managed to do every single lap in 90'' (6' for each 1600) which does not account for the spring speed challenge but gives me a good feeling for a possible 5000 or 10K over the summer.
This week will be resting and slow short run in prep for the Belfast Marathon (next Sunday)
I entered roseabi ran it in 1986 and 1988 would like to run it again in my 70th year probably take me twice as long but who cares the atmosphere was brilliant back then but it looks even better now 🏃♀️🏃♀️🤞
Wow!! I'd love to hear about your experiences of running London in the 80s! Was there a ballot then, and did you have to collect your number at the expo the day before? Was the route very different? Did you run any other marathons? I imagine there weren't so many to choose from, I think that marathons are a LOT more popular now - but I don't really know actually!
I ran London last year and the atmosphere was completely amazing - and extremely loud 😄I'd love to have another go - good luck to both of us in the ballot xxx
no ballot the first one I entered thro Mars the next one I got a club entry as I was ladies captain of Selby Striders I ran the local Selby Marathon and finished it in 3:30 hrs I still hold the course record for fastest local lady but I think thats only because its not run anymore !
I'm sure you're right. It just seems such a big difference in time - which I have never had before. I am ususally pretty consistent in my runs. But on the plus side, I should probably be running those longer runs slower anyway.
Brighton and London? Now I know you're superwoman! Undeterred by yesterday's fall - all the running bits are still working - I came home and signed up for a couple of races (definitely not a marathon though, absolutely do not believe I could do that and definitely couldn't enjoy it). I watched some of it yesterday and just thought 'no way'!
I'm going to carry on with a loose variation of the VO2/tempo/long plan this week - although if I go to Parkrun on Saturday (pacer day) that messes that up a bit. Jury's still out! I'm really enjoying doing some yoga in amongst the running and cross training and am sure it's going to help flexibility. I also keep meaning to dig out the 'drill work' the physio gave me last year - thought that could be another cross session for a bit of variety.
After watching the marathon and having my brother finish it, I thought I’d give it a go. I’ve entered the ballot - no idea what the chances are? I’ve only ever ran 10k once so far and thought that would be my maximum. Time will tell......
Hello there! Welcome to the forum, hope you find a lot of inspiration and fun here 😊😊😊
We won't know what the chances are yet because the ballot is still open. In the 2019 ballot there were 414,168 applications for about 17,500 places, so roughly a 4% (1 in 25) chance of a ballot place.
So, good luck! 😄
In seriousness though, if you are interested in running the London Marathon (or any marathon) it would be a great idea to start working on it now - building up your distance, working on your speed, and establishing a solid strength routine. 10 mile and half marathon races would be fabulous shorter-term goals that will test you, but the distances are very doable, and a lot of fun!
Absolutely loved watching the marathon yesterday! I've always been a fan of running but I have a new appreciation of how spectacular the achievements are now I run myself.
My 14 year old son also loved it. He watched it right up to the end of the BBC coverage even though I had to go out food shopping - think it's the longest he's ever been off his PlayStation!
We tracked some of the runners from our club too which was really fun.
As for my own running this week I've had my first go at the 2km Army Selection distance which went well. Hoping to go on the club 10k on Wednesday morning but that's when I get to see if we have been allocated Brighton season tickets we can afford so that may or may not happen. Will definitely make the relaxed Friday club run then on Saturday me, my son, his Dad and his Dad's girlfriend are off to the first running of Uckfield parkrun 😁
My claim to fame: I made Humphrey the Camel 🐫 without much prior experience of creating such things 🤣. He wasn’t running this year but he’s done at least 21 London’s since 1996.
He is based on the cartoon camel on the opening credits to Disney’s Aladdin. Was only supposed to last for 3 performances, in the Thames Water Engineering Real Panto Society (aka the TWERPS) 1995 production.
Can’t tell you what a buzz it has been to watch out for him every year. The BBC even did an advert for their Marathon coverage featuring him and his brother (that I also made, in 1998, when the original became a bit too ‘fragrant’ for other fundraising duties 🤣) He also has a ‘sister’ too 😉.
For myself: I am still on the IC and under physio. Don’t know if a HM is something I’ll be able to do after all - with this hip - probably not this year anyway. But at least a bit of me has done loads of marathons 🤣👍
I watched the marathon yesterday, and felt really emotional looking at all those amazing people - all shapes and sizes. 🏃♀️🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♂️🏃♀️
It’s the first time I’ve watched it knowing anything at all about running, and I got so inspired, I popped onto B210K where there was a post about it. A short back and forth convo later - and a few of us bonkers souls have entered the ballot! Well that was something I never ever thought I’d do, and whilst I realise the chance of getting in is rarer than hens’ teeth, the miniscule chance that I do is so exciting! Hey, better start training! 😅😳🏃♀️
Got the Bristol 10k this weekend, and it’ll be fun because Dexy5 and UpTheStanley are coming to run it too. My first ever race! Exciting times! 😀👍🏃♀️❤️
Go get him... show him how it’s really done... he wasn’t suffering nearly enough at that finish line... didn’t appear to be sweating much, and what’s that grinning and waving to the crowd all about? If he’d given it 100% he wouldn’t be able to do that 😂
Good luck in the ballot... Manchester or Brighton will welcome you if you don’t get in.
I'm part of Notts womens runners and it seems everyone has entered the ballot and it has also led a dead to enter Manchester, me included. Eeek! The most ive run so far is 11 miles, my first half is Chester in 2 weeks a d I've entered a marathon!!!! Oh no. Excited and terrified at the same time . A year yo train!
It was a mixed bag for me last week, depending on your point of view. Because of my 10K event on Saturday, I only had the two runs, and neither one was amazing, but I got round. I'm really proud of my 15-year old who got a 2 minute PB on his 10K. Now I have to watch 2 episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus with him. It's odd what motivates him.
The second-best moment on Saturday was when I was approached after the race by an 81-year-old lady who reads my column. After telling how great it was to read something about "us ordinary people", she revealed that she has run 113 marathons. She was really sweet, and it give me a nice boost.
I write a column about what running is like for us regular people. People like me who started running fairly life, and don't think it's all rainbows and fun. It's for a magazine published a large national organization for athletics, skiing and other cardio sports. They call themselves a club, but tend to only focus on really speedy results. I wrote to complain, and ended up with a column.
Hello all, I’ve been a bit quiet for a while, still been running though.
I’ve just entered the ballot for London next year too. Slim chance I know, but worth a pop surely? I’m also pondering entering Brighton but not sure how I’d get there in time for the start on a Sunday... 🤔
I’ve got my local 10km event in a couple of weeks and I’ll have last years time (my first 10km) to try and beat! Oh and pacing for the first time at Parkrun this Saturday - quite looking forward to that.
I might be a late entry for the speed challenge Abi, but not sure if it fits in this time around.
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!!! congrats on your 10 miles 
