World Marathon Majors - a 6 star quest
32 watchers
2 May
2:24pm, 2 May 2024
489 posts
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mattglen_
In terms of majors, Berlin in the only one I'm seriously considering right no, but no luck this year. Aiming to get my running up and try again next year
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10 May
2:23pm, 10 May 2024
24,093 posts
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larkim
runnersworld.com Does this surprise anyone? It did to me. Feels an utterly pointless regulation that can only be inflicted on people who are a long way from the front of the field, and is imposed without any real detriment to the race itself. Not a million miles off the Comrades approach I suppose, but at least there they physically stop people getting to the finish line once the time allocation has finished. |
10 May
2:28pm, 10 May 2024
34,980 posts
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Foxy
larkim wrote: runnersworld.com Does this surprise anyone? It did to me. Feels an utterly pointless regulation that can only be inflicted on people who are a long way from the front of the field, and is imposed without any real detriment to the race itself. Not a million miles off the Comrades approach I suppose, but at least there they physically stop people getting to the finish line once the time allocation has finished. I saw this debated yesterday & it's a tricky one as you'll never know what you need to do & it can change from year to year - the only safe option is to run a 5.59.59 to be sure. |
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10 May
2:30pm, 10 May 2024
34,981 posts
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Foxy
DeeGee wrote: I've not had the fortune this year to be drawn from any hats. That said, I only entered the Berlin ballot. I've been a bit "absent" recently, does anyone's details need updating in the sidebar? Any more stars? DG can you add me in for London, Berlin & Chicago 2024, plus London & NYC 2025 please 
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10 May
2:31pm, 10 May 2024
3,478 posts
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Big_G
The thing that I find unfair about that rule is that if someone managed to get into a corral further up at the start, they could in theory get an official finish with a slower time than someone who started near the back. But it’s been a rule for quite some time, as far as I know, and wasn’t a new rule for this year.
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10 May
3:47pm, 10 May 2024
3,479 posts
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Big_G
Tokyo is arguably worse that Boston too, as cut offs are based on race start time. So in advance of the race a backmarker won’t know the time/pace they’re aiming for. ie, if runner takes 30mins to cross the start line and another takes 40mins, the second one will have a different race time/pace to aim for than the first, and neither will precisely know that time/pace prior to the start. Also, there are cut offs on the course and they are designed in such a way that the earlier ones demand a faster pace than the later ones, so runners have to go out harder to start with, which could be an issue if they’re worried about the cut offs. But, I don’t believe there is any misunderstandings at Tokyo as runners get swept into a van, so won’t get a medal etc, which is partly where the confusion comes from with Boston.
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10 May
3:51pm, 10 May 2024
24,097 posts
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larkim
Big_G wrote: The thing that I find unfair about that rule is that if someone managed to get into a corral further up at the start, they could in theory get an official finish with a slower time than someone who started near the back. But it’s been a rule for quite some time, as far as I know, and wasn’t a new rule for this year. But reading the article, it basically says that yes, you could finish the race, cross the line, get a medal handed to you but if your time actually is 6:07:01 because you started 7m02 before the final wave then in the official results your time doesn't stand. So you don't get an official finish, no matter which coral you start in, if your net time is >5:59:59, even though you may have been cheered across the line and been given the medal etc. That's the bit that feels v odd. Feels petty to just delete the times when it might not have been practical for the individual to know where they stood, particularly if they were told during the event that they just needed to stay ahead of the sweeper vehicles. |
10 May
4:19pm, 10 May 2024
40,089 posts
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LazyDaisy
I have a good friend who experienced exactly this in Boston last month. She was fortunate to get a place because she's done the other Majors with (I think) Sports Tours who somehow were given an allocation. In every other marathon she's done she's finished in around 5:00-5:15 hours so had every expectation of beating the cut-off pretty comfortably. Unfortunately in the last couple of weeks of training she picked up a knee injury but she was still expecting to be ok. On the day, the heat and especially the knee combined to give her real problems (she was taken to the medical tent after finishing) but she battled on and finished in 6:05. She was given a race medal but has been denied the six-star. It seems grossly unkind, and unnecessary to protect the 'purity' of the six stars, to treat someone who has been so committed, trained properly, and given it her all on the day, like that. I think in fairness to London, they have learned that encouraging people at the back is a Good Thing and it doesn't dilute the quality of the field at the fast end. Boston might like to reflect on that. |
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10 May
5:05pm, 10 May 2024
34,983 posts
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Foxy
Sportstours & 2:09 always get Boston places but now hold their own ballots to get Boston places such is the deamnd for those unable to qualify. Boston are getting slaughtered for giving so many charity & travel company places as it means some running a qualifier then dont get a place, but the organisers make more money that way ! |
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10 May
5:05pm, 10 May 2024
3,480 posts
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Big_G
Foxy, as a matter of interest, how have you got your 2025 NYC entry so early? I’m not on top of all the entry mechanisms but I wasn’t aware it was possible to get an entry so soon.
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