London Marathon 2020

muloc

robinph wrote: »

3:09:59 would do.

Really not convinced by their current requirement to do so in the virtual event though when I have a time from 2019. They are not responding to any social media questions about GFA so far.

Yes I also have a time from 2019 but it was the 2018 time that got me the GFA entry so I don't know. Might just register for the virtual event to be safe. Would like to hang on to my entry for London

robinph

Here is the contact form to let VMLM know your thoughts about the changes to the GFA deferral process:

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/contact-us/

And here is a post I just stuck up on book of face to try and get some others to let VMLM know their thoughts as well:

London Marathon adversely changed their criteria for carrying over some Good For Age entries to the 2021 event, impacting those with GFA times achieved in 2018. This could be up to 50% of the GFA field.

They are not accepting a qualifying time that those people may have run in an actual 2019 marathon (including London Marathon 2019 itself) as proof that they are still good enough (your 2019 might have been slightly slower than your 2018 time so you'd use the quicker one to enter even though both would be eligible). This is in contradiction of their GFA deferral process which would allow for times run in 2019 to be counted.

London Marathon are instead wanting people to run a virtual solo time trial marathon, at what would essentially be a PB pace, and are only giving a month's notice of whatever additional proof for the run they may yet ask for. This PB paced marathon will also have to be run on a course you invent yourself, whilst carrying your own water and any other supplies, using the London Marathon app (which doesn't yet exist so is unknown if it even works) and carrying a compatible phone, run without support or under normal race conditions and using the known inaccurate distance measure of GPS watches and phones which could result in people running wildly different distances depending on if they happen to run in an open space, in a city with tall buildings or on a many lapped course with lots of corners.

If this effects you, or you know anyone who it might, then please send them your thoughts through their contact page:

robinph

Now back to being FLM again with Flora replacing Virgin Money:

https://www.ukrunchat.co.uk/flora-to-return-as-partner-of-virgin-money-london-marathon/

positron

If it's not too unbearable, is it okay to mention the Virtual version of the race?... which I had signed up to (I don't know why, I haven't been training).

Anyway, the chest numbers arrived in post this week! Why would anyone want to wear chest numbers running around local estates, parks and allyways, and even stopping for a Sunday lunch in between...!!

Anyone else signed up to, or planning to run the it virtually?

robinph

Not had my number through yet.

Will be running my virtual in an actual event so won't be wearing two numbers.

ChampionChip

You could run the Down Royal Marathon on Oct 24th as your actual race. Its certified as accurately measured, has insurance and permits from Athletics NI.

There is a thread for it and you can enter here

https://online.athleticsni.org/ps/event/ChampionChipIrelandRunningSeriesEvent8DownRoyal

robinph

ChampionChip wrote: »

You could run the Down Royal Marathon on Oct 24th as your actual race.

No you couldn't.

The virtual London has to be run on the 4th October.

ChampionChip

Sorry didn't realise it was set for a specific date.

Unthought Known

positron wrote: »

If it's not too unbearable, is it okay to mention the Virtual version of the race?... which I had signed up to (I don't know why, I haven't been training).

Anyway, the chest numbers arrived in post this week! Why would anyone want to wear chest numbers running around local estates, parks and allyways, and even stopping for a Sunday lunch in between...!!

Anyone else signed up to, or planning to run the it virtually?

I thought the same thing about the numbers. I suppose they think there's people that have raised money and wearing a number gives them a nice photo on their fundraising page.
Planning to take my time and "run" the Dublin Mountains Way for mine, Shankill to Tallaght direction. Without race number of course!

GalwayGrrrrrl

I think if I lived near London I’d wear the race number as it would be fun to spot other runners doing the same and give bit of support by way of a wave, hello etc. In Ireland you’d be less likely to be running near other participants so I wouldn’t bother wearing the number apart from for a photo at the start or end.

SeeMoreBut

Do you need to run with the app or can you just use your garmin. It is not that clear on email. I never run with a phone

robinph

Not certain if they expect you to have at least started the app or not, seems that you still need the app to upload the Garmin or Strava though... But not sure what system they will use for that.

When doing some virtual races early on in lockdown setup to replace the national road relays in the UK, it needed some specific urls from Strava to be manually copied and whilst very simple, I'd expect it to be very confusing for a massive number of the 45k people doing the virtual marathon who probably don't even have Strava setup, or know how to copy and paste urls using their phones.

positron

There was a livestream on their facebook page yesterday / day before and they repeated that TCS will release the app this week. I can imagine a team of guys in TCS sitting around scratching their heads now - what do you mean the app isn't good, we used it last few years", having completely missed the point that this is now a virtual marathon and a rebranding of older versions just won't do.

At this stage it's already about four weeks too late to have the app out in the wild and getting crucial feedback from wider public and their various phones / versions of android & ios. I suspect this is going to end up as medal and t-shirt to everyone registered, irrespective of you run it or not.

SeeMoreBut

I thought it would be upload a photo of watch or strava etc would do. End of day they just want money in and lots of social media tagging.

healy1835

SeeMoreBut wrote: »

I thought it would be upload a photo of watch or strava etc would do. End of day they just want money in and lots of social media tagging.

There's GFA times in play as well. Ripe for all sorts of skullduggery

SeeMoreBut

healy1835 wrote: »

There's GFA times in play as well. Ripe for all sorts of skullduggery

So you are cruising around in a car for 26 miles :cool:

positron

Even if there's a fully functional tracking app that magically detects foot strikes (compared to say riding a bike etc), if one is motivated enough to cheat - they could have a few mates running fast 5ks in a relay type situation wearing the same watch... I can't imagine how a virtual marathon result can possibly be good enough for GFA / similar.

SeeMoreBut

positron wrote: »

Even if there's a fully functional tracking app that magically detects foot strikes (compared to say riding a bike etc), if one is motivated enough to cheat - they could have a few mates running fast 5ks in a relay type situation wearing the same watch... I can't imagine how a virtual marathon result can possibly be good enough for GFA / similar.

Maybe they won't use them but they've made their bed. Impossible to see 45,000 or whatever number doing it not all using the app. They might say app if you want a GFA but that won't stop people doing what they want to do for a GFA

robinph

Maybe the delay in releasing the app is because its such a nonsense to use it for GFA qualifying times. But by only giving a few days notice with the app and alternative methods to upload data they limit the chances of someone finding themselves 5 mates to run a relay on their behalf or other methods to get around the stupidity.

SeeMoreBut

robinph wrote: »

Maybe the delay in releasing the app is because its such a nonsense to use it for GFA qualifying times. But by only giving a few days notice with the app and alternative methods to upload data they limit the chances of someone finding themselves 5 mates to run a relay on their behalf or other methods to get around the stupidity.

Shouldn't have allowed gfa in a virtual run. Crazy idea. Should have just said virtual run and upload photo of watch or garmin/strava activity to get your medal and t shirt.

If you see someone running down the road with half a dozen mobiles on their arm on Sunday you'll know it is a rely race on.

healy1835

Just looking at the GFA info on the site there now (I still have aspirations to apply for a GFA entry for 2021. Might as well set myself up for more marathon disappointment!).

If you manage to run a GFA time in the Virtual run, you have to have also met a HM qualifying time in a race during the time period Jan 2019 to Oct 20.

positron

Marathon app is out and it looks alright.

If using please remember to tweak your phones' battery saving optimisations (xiaomi for instance kills background apps after x minutes, which can be disabled).

They have mentioned to also record on a secondary device (watch etc) and that there will be an option to upload proof of finish time if the phone were to die, app crash etc.

Itziger

Pardon my total ignorance, but how does this virtual $hite work? You have to run with a bloody mobile, for 42.2k.

Christ I've never run with one, other than in a backpack. The idea of doing a marathon with one, on the arm I presume, is horrible.

GalwayGrrrrrl

Itziger wrote: »

Pardon my total ignorance, but how does this virtual $hite work? You have to run with a bloody mobile, for 42.2k.

Christ I've never run with one, other than in a backpack. The idea of doing a marathon with one, on the arm I presume, is horrible.

Embrace the bumbag. Or flipbelt as they have been restyled as. Not too uncomfortable for putting a phone in. My biggest worry would be the app draining the battery.

positron

I always run with the phone. Got used to it being there in the shorts pocket (but then again, I rarely "run" the marathon - more of a jogger with some walking). Like above, battery draining would be the main worry.

But sure, they are offering the option to upload "proof" (not sure if it's a photo, or more detailed) from a secondary device - garmin watch will record the run anyway.

SeeMoreBut

I'm just going to upload my garmin.

Doing a marathon race of sorts in 3 weeks so will jog around instead of doing a time with phone.

If not good enough so be it.

robinph

They have said that it will be possible to upload from Garmin/ Strava via the app after the run. Except it doesn't do it yet, which means that there will be another update to the app in the next few days and the potential for that to then crash the app. Grrr, damned stupid setup.

Despite not trusting the app and being allowed apparently to just use my Garmin, I'll still use the app as I'm not taking any chances on not having sufficient proof when I somehow manage to sneak a time 1 second under the GFA standard I need.

Will have the app, Garmin and an actual measured and timed race result to submit. Just the small task of running fast enough now.

SeeMoreBut

Can’t even test the app out to see what signal you’d get

Trampas

Kenenisa Bekele's much-anticipated London Marathon duel with Eliud Kipchoge is off after the Ethiopian pulled out with a calf injury.

average_runner

Trampas wrote: »

Kenenisa Bekele's much-anticipated London Marathon duel with Eliud Kipchoge is off after the Ethiopian pulled out with a calf injury.

He was never fit, knew by his media interviews and once he saw the weather, it was bye bye.


Who pays for all of his costs now ?