I’m 0 for 13 as of yesterday
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I’m in. Got a ballot place from 2000 extra slots - what were the chances lol.
Ran in 2012 with a GFA place and ran a 2:47 literally off the plane from Spain - ran some nice there and back miles on the coast out from the centre of Malaga. Each run I’d stretch it a bit further out. Almost ended up in Torres del Mar running 27 milers lol
Didn’t bother tapering and all of that nonsense. Refuelling strategies in Spain involved beer/mojitos
… something to aim for at least especially if Wales is cancelled again. Wonder if smaller ultra races etc will go ahead in summer?..
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Sounds like we’re in the same boat for Wales and now London 
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When it rains it pours!
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I haven’t entered the ballot since 2009, but my record is 2 from 2 
(2002 & 2009)
I only entered both times because Mrs W had entered and thought it would be “fun” to train for it together. Needless to say, I got in both times and she didn’t 
.
She did eventually get a ballot place in the last year that they guaranteed entry after 5 rejections. It’s a shame they stopped that route in, but they’d have to limit the number of entries or the numbers just wouldn’t work and the entry donation for rejections must be a nice little earner for the charities judging by the number of “rejection gifts” I see out and about.
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GWR application resubmitted.
Might try and do the double, as the half marathon record is 1:55…
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2 from 2 ballot! Wow. Perfect score. This is my second ballot acceptance, from I think about 4 or 5… my first was in 1994 but I postponed to ‘95 - by which time I had started art school in Edinburgh and let it slide 
Superbly organised race, but epic enough getting to the start line. Something to be said for smaller races like Strathearn where you can camp literally next to the start line.
I’d love to do it again, fantastic experience, one of the highlights of my sporting life. My first in 2011 I got injured a few days after the southern XC (bet it was the fatigue didn’t help) where I ran for a train and tore a calf muscle. I think I had 3 weeks training at most. Went through half way “conservatively” in about 1:59…blew up spectacularly at about 15 miles just before the underpass where the drummers are. I actually cant remember a thing until 20miles where i stopped to pee and struggled to even walk away. Ended up about 4:50! 2013, got sick so 2014 i went just for a sub 4, easy enough target with a 1:45 half PB. half way bang on with pacer but got to Docklands and got stuck in the crowds and actually thought sod chasing after the pace to catch up time, and just enjoyed my route back. 4:09 I think give or take but loved every minute soaking it up.
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Youch. Topsy turvey business. My first ever experience of a marathon was Amsterdam in 2009. 40 secs shy of sub 3. Got me to Boston in 2010 but got bad flu that January and hardly trained prior to race. Couldn’t really cancel flights/hotel etc so limped round like a fat pasty faced crab in about 3:45 or something. Should have been an amazing experience but was absolute hell.
I thought after that - well it can’t get any worse! Vowed never to get that out of shape again. it was triathlon that whipped me back into shape relatively quickly - My brother’s mate dragged me to Leeds and I borrowed all my brothers gear. Then we did alpe d’huez shortly after.
Buoyed by all that adventure I ran consistently through the winter putting in a lot of hilly ten milers. Started ratcheting up bigger runs early 2011 and ran a 2:52 in Lochaber. Then went hell for leather running big mileage. Couldn’t keep it up forever sadly. Felt invincible for a while.
There’s guys that I used to train with running pretty average times but doing all the correct stuff consistently with the club they were soon beasting marathons with times around 2:36. I couldn’t stand the x country/ 10ks!
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I loved XC, really miss it but the Kent County League don’t allow guests anymore. The Southerns are awesome, 15k around knee deep mud at Parliament Hill with about 2000 other men. On one event I slipped , covered head to toe and looked like the creature from the black lagoon finishing . Really tough as the thick mud just saps the energy.
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That actually sounds rather fun!
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Proper XC not running round the outskirts of a golf course as they do for the world champs apart from fairly recently when they ran over the top of a building
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Kent County league has a couple of “park runs” or “school fields”, but there’s one in Tonbridge that it tough as hell, 10k up and down some pretty steep slippery slopes. Kent Champs are usually equally uninspiring although Detling one year we were routed across a ploughed field so foot placement was tricky. Can’t beat PH though.
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Looking to book accom now for London marathon- can’t remember where the start was… Any help? I think I put down 3hrs on my ballot.
Can I go wrong if I just book an ibis in Greenwich. Presumably not too far from start… in 2012 it was a right old rigmarole getting assorted transport to starting paddock
Either Greenwich or Blackheath depending on your start.
You get free rail travel to the start on the day with your race number and the trains out there go from Charing Cross or London Bridge, but can be a bit packed. If you stay centrally you’ve got less distance to hobble back to your hotel after the race.
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Oh great, cheers. Of course - ha ha prob better to be closer to the finish than the start. Not as young as I used to be lol, I’ll be walking away like a cardboard cut out
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If that’s the one in the village you’ve got a fair uphill walk to the start. Not the end of the world by any means but you probably want a shortish, flat walk from Blackheath village.
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Thanks. A daft idea of mine to stay near the start. It was - quite rightly - pointed out that it would be more beneficial to stay near the finish!
Maybe the Queen has a few rooms free at the Palace on AirBnB?
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So London Marathon 2022 has been moved from April to October. But as an entrant I’ve not actually received an email, just seen the big standard press release on social media.
As discussed on other threads, I deferred my entry to 2022 because I didn’t want to spend my summer training. Rather annoyed!
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