Chicago Marathon - 12th Oct 2014

blockic

Recieved an email from Active.com this morning in response from an email I sent yesterday.

Have been refunded the duplicate registration fee and entry confirmed! Whoop!! Off to Chi for sub 3!!

They responded pretty fast to be fair to them considering the barrage of emails they must have recieved. One guy was registered 8 times apparently! :eek: Nice credit card bill there!

Peckham

My name appears twice in the registration list, but with the same registration number. Nothing has hit my credit card yet, so will wait and see if I've been charged twice.

Can't understand why this has gone so badly wrong for them. Surely they expected the volumes they got.

belcarra

Peckham wrote: »

My name appears twice in the registration list, but with the same registration number. Nothing has hit my credit card yet, so will wait and see if I've been charged twice.

Can't understand why this has gone so badly wrong for them. Surely they expected the volumes they got.

This is exactly what has happened me too, added to having received a single confirmation email.
I reckon let the dust settle and examine the detail next week.

I'm assuming the recent Active takeover of RunIreland.com is what sent the company's resources over the edge...!!:D

ThePiedPiper

Got the confirmation email from the Chicago Marathon this morning, so I'm taking that as gospel that I'm in. Unbelievable mess from Chicago organisers. This should have been their opportunity to really put it to NYC marathon after last year's debacle. Active really are a terrible mess, in the 4 races I've tried to enter with them, only 1 was easy, 1 I couldn't enter at all, another took me 30 minutes to enter a 5k, and then Chicago was a good two hours. Hopefully race organisers for all races might learn something from this.

blockic

Peckham wrote: »

My name appears twice in the registration list, but with the same registration number. Nothing has hit my credit card yet, so will wait and see if I've been charged twice.

You should be fine so, I appear 4 times on the list with 2 registration numbers and Active confirmed I was charged twice.

belcarra wrote: »

I reckon let the dust settle and examine the detail next week.

Yup, I see 15,000 places left approx but they are not re-opening for at least 2 days, could take a while to sort that mess!

RunForestRun wrote: »

This should have been their opportunity to really put it to NYC marathon after last year's debacle.

Real opportunity lost there alright. Fair bit of press coverage on it over in Chicago anyway and they are getting a lot of grief on FB!

ThePiedPiper

Krusty_Clown

If I remember correctly, when we registered the year before last, your name was always listed twice, so it's not an indication that you've been double-charged. Listed four times however....

Peckham

From Chicago Marathon website:

We do not plan on reopening registration within the next two days. We will provide another update on registration by 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on Thursday.

They must have some mess to sort through!

ThePiedPiper

As of today, Aer Lingus have dropped their fares to the US. I think its available until 21st March. Can get return now for €583, which seems fairly reasonable. Best I could find with stops and connections was €494 with United, so I'm inclined to go with the nonstop least hassle for the extra €90.

Anyone who went last year, do prices normally go down any further than this or would this be as good as it might get?

In related news, the final 15,000 registration spots are being given on lottery basis. They'll probably have to go this route in future after the whole debacle.

Peckham

Feel sorry for anyone who was frantically trying to register on day one, only to miss out due the technical issues, and now has to face into a lottery with a whole bunch of new people who weren't as focussed on getting into the marathon and are attracted to enter by all the hype this seems to be getting.

As for flight prices, when I was heading to Boston last year I watched the Aer Lingus prices for a few months and they bounced around quite a bit. The sale price was just over 500 I think, but Chicago is probably more expensive than that.

Peckham

Just a reminder that you can now submit your previous half marathon or marathon race result to get assigned to the start corral relevant to your pace. On Thursday morning I submitted my result from Bohermeen Half last year and the website is updated this morning assigning me to a start corral.

Details here.

The_Boy_Wonder

Aerlingus sale at the moment. Flights for circa €500 to be had. It'll be hard to do better than that

ThePiedPiper

The_Boy_Wonder wrote: »

Aerlingus sale at the moment. Flights for circa €500 to be had. It'll be hard to do better than that

I feel cheated! :mad: At least it was just €590 I paid, and not when it was up over €703. Mad that prices can go up and down so much.

The_Boy_Wonder

RunForestRun wrote: »

I feel cheated! :mad: At least it was just €590 I paid, and not when it was up over €703. Mad that prices can go up and down so much.

Same boat! I paid pretty much the same as you...
I took someone else advice here to reserve accommodation before entry opened. Same hotel is now $60 more expensive than when I booked it. You win some, you lose some!

Peckham

The_Boy_Wonder wrote: »

Aerlingus sale at the moment. Flights for circa €500 to be had. It'll be hard to do better than that

Just came here to let everyone know about this! I booked two return flights for 490 per person. Out Friday morning, back Wednesday night.

When did Aer Lingus start trying to offer you the option to upgrade your meal for 17.50 per person?!

blockic

Well guys, not long now before the marathon training will be in full swing.:)

Just to keep ye aware if you are looking to get into the front corrals ya need to submit the qualifying time before the below date. Just done mine tonight as there is a good chance I'd forget!! Said I'd pop a reminder in here for like minded folk!

"If you would like to update or change your assignment for Start Corrals A – E, you can do so by submitting a qualifying time. Your qualifying time must have been from a marathon or half-marathon run on or after January 1, 2011. The deadline to submit proof of a qualifying time is Monday, August 26, 2013."

DukeOfDromada

Thanks for the reminder! I have just submitted my marathon time.

Also, corral assignments are made on a first come, first serve basis which I didn't realise so hopefully the corral I want hasn't filled up already.

Peckham

Also worth noting that they don't tell you when you've been assigned to a corral. If you check the registration page a few days after you've submitted your time, it will be updated with your corral assignment.

Which corral are you guys going to be in?

DukeOfDromada

Peckham wrote: »

Which corral are you guys going to be in?

Hopefully A. Yourself?

Peckham

Am in A too.

blockic

Peckham wrote: »

Which corral are you guys going to be in?

Yup, A aswell. Will check the site in a couple of days to see did they update.

ThePiedPiper

Corral A here too. How's training go for ye all? I'm happy enough with how I'm progressing. Although I'm mainly base building at the moment, I'm throwing in a few MP miles in some of the runs each week. Only really doing about 3 of them consecutively at the moment, but I suppose, by September, if I can do 10+ of them mid long run, then I'll be where I want to be.

Where you guys all staying?

belcarra

I'm gonna be lonely in Corral B...!

The_Boy_Wonder

belcarra wrote: »

I'm gonna be lonely in Corral B...!

Not that lonely!

belcarra

It looks like as if there will be a decent bunch of us heading over for this so I was wondering if people would like to combine forces for this team competition?
I would think the Blue comp would be the way to go. I only know one lady runner doing the marathon (DukeofDromada's missus) so that may rule out the mixed category unless we get another lady to raise their hand!

So, with that let's start a table!
Name|Corral|Target|Team comp?|Gender
Belcarra|B|3:12:30|Yes|M


Not sure at this stage if I'll be aiming for 3:10 or 3:15 so lets split the difference for the time being!

Peckham

Sounds good, count me in.

Name|Corral|Target|Team comp?|Gender
Belcarra|B|3:12:30|Yes|M
Peckham|A|2:48:00|Yes|M

ThePiedPiper

Cool, I'll throw myself in the mix here too.

Name|Corral|Target|Team comp?|Gender
Belcarra|B|3:12:30|Yes|M
Peckham|A|2:48:00|Yes|M
RunForestRun|A|2:49:50|Yes|M


I'm still not sure how realistic the target really is, but everything I've been doing for the past month, and will continue to do until I reach the start line will be geared towards this.

blockic

Name|Corral|Target|Team comp?|Gender
Belcarra|B|3:12:30|Yes|M
Peckham|A|2:48:00|Yes|M
blockic|A|2:57:00|Yes|M


Yeah, I'd be up for it, although Blue is by Category so I don't have much hope in Male Senior!

Very provisional target time also! Btw, I submitted my qualifying time 2 weeks ago and they still have not updated my corral :rolleyes:, anyone else in the same boat?

belcarra

Name|Corral|Target|Team comp?|Gender
Belcarra|B|3:12:30|Yes|M
Peckham|A|2:48:00|Yes|M
RunForestRun|A|2:49:50|Yes|M
blockic|A|2:57:00|Yes|M

Fixed the table there to re-include RFR.

blockic wrote: »

Yeah, I'd be up for it, although Blue is by Category so I don't have much hope in Male Senior!

Very provisional target time also! Btw, I submitted my qualifying time 2 weeks ago and they still have not updated my corral :rolleyes:, anyone else in the same boat?

I submitted my time and I was uploaded within a few days. If it goes another week might be worth sending on a gentle reminder?

Peckham

blockic wrote: »

Btw, I submitted my qualifying time 2 weeks ago and they still have not updated my corral :rolleyes:, anyone else in the same boat?

Mine was also updated within a few days. What did you send them?