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Apr 2023
1:58pm, 25 Apr 2023
20,962 posts
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larkim
I thought the under-the-bridge thing was intentional by the organisers as it creates an atmosphere like no other. I enjoyed it too; especially the first one around mile 5.5 or so. The second was in the approach to Canary Wharf which was a bit more isolated.
I can see how some would hate it though.
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Apr 2023
2:03pm, 25 Apr 2023
26,603 posts
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TROSaracen
Just noticed while checking 2024 details that overseas athletes get charged £120 entry fee (way higher) PLUS a £26 carbon offset levy 'as international travel accounts for 90% of our carbon footprint'.
Genuinely didn;t know that they charged differently for international athletes.
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Apr 2023
2:04pm, 25 Apr 2023
94 posts
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LS21
That drumming band under the roundabout at about 5ish miles are there every year. Or at least they've been there every year I've done it anyway (about 8 or 9 times). I personally really like it. The ones at the tunnel at circa 24 were a new one (I think?)
Re the goody bag/expo etc. I was pretty underwhelmed by the expo this year. No London Mara theme music playing when you went in, very few big brands there (no Nike, Adidas, Saucony, Brooks etc). Nothing in terms of goodies, no magazine thing to read (I know they have the app, but I quite liked flicking through the old mag). And no Pink Lady apple or sachet of Lo-Salt!! :D
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Apr 2023
2:12pm, 25 Apr 2023
2,442 posts
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Big_G
TRO, probably thread creep, but international runners who are trying to do the 6 majors really struggle with London. They tend to find it the hardest to get in to as they have to go via a tour company or raise potentially many thousands of dollars for a charity (I’ve seen $10k regularly mentioned, but maybe there are cheaper ways, I’ve never looked into it). Being UK based we are lucky that we can qualify for the US majors, whereas there is no London GFA for international runners. Why this is I don’t know.
Tokyo is the hardest for me. No chance of a qualification time as it’s 2:32 for men.
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Apr 2023
2:14pm, 25 Apr 2023
2,443 posts
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Big_G
There are international ballot entries, but chances are very slim that way.
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Apr 2023
2:14pm, 25 Apr 2023
21,155 posts
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3M
Few thoughts on the above from me....
I thought the whole thing was incredibly loud! Not just the drumming in the underpasses - compared to other runs I've done the sheer spectator volume was quite overwhelming at times. Maybe it's just that I'm now a country bumpkin at heart ;-). I did feel for the guy I was getting on the train at London Bridge with who suffered from "social anxiety" (his words) and was being jostled by the crowd on the way there!
Congestion on the course (with a Blue Wave 7 start) was grim at times - there seemed to be a lot of spots where the course was constricted, making it look like my home parkrun start at times! Possibly to do with being in the bulge at the middle of the mass of runners.
Yeah, the goody bag did feel a bit underwhelming after that much effort on the course.
I enjoyed it overall, but I don't think I'll be rushing back. (Actually, I'm not rushing anywhere today!) But as an absolute positive, my legs have just started working more of less normally again, now!
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Apr 2023
2:19pm, 25 Apr 2023
20,964 posts
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larkim
I think (I could be wrong!) WMM do some special issues of places for those on 5* needing their final entry, but I'd presume (as with GFA) that as the number of 5* finishers increases they'll have less capacity to accommodate the 6* places. Demand is so high in the UK for places though, I can see why they don't bend over backwards to accommodate a load of overseas runners.
I did note in my wave that I think 6 of the 7 pacers were overseas (mainly western european nations, judging by the surnames) runners. Maybe that explained why they didn't appear to be communicating with the pack around them, and perhaps these were runners taking a chance to get a London place? I thought pacers were there to motivate / cajole / inform runners as much as run the pace intended, so that did make me wonder. They did all seem to run the required paces though, although the green 3:10 pacer seemed to be going for a 3min positive split.
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Apr 2023
2:21pm, 25 Apr 2023
2,444 posts
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Big_G
3M, I think the congestion I had was at times when the organisers were letting pedestrians cross. IE, half the road used for pedestrians and the other used for runners, causing a bit of a squeeze. But I found it okay generally.
As an aside, the last time I did it in 2017 and 2010, there were crowds down past the 400m sign, just before the last right corner up to the finish. Does anyone know why the crowds weren’t there this time?
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Apr 2023
2:23pm, 25 Apr 2023
2,445 posts
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Big_G
Larkim, yes, that is correct. I don’t know what the odds of that is. I did see about 10 people completing their 6th in London. They had a piece of card on their backs, from Abbott, saying London was their 6th.
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Apr 2023
2:24pm, 25 Apr 2023
2,446 posts
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Big_G
Details here.
MAJOR NO. OF PLACES FOR 2023 ELIGIBLE RUNNERS*
Tokyo Marathon 100 5 stars
Boston Marathon 150 5 stars
TCS London Marathon 500 3/4/5 stars
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 500 3/4/5 stars
Bank of America Chicago Marathon 250 3/4/5 stars
TCS New York City Marathon 500 3/4/5 stars
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London GFA
Nov 2024