What to do if you can no longer run in the London Marathon (2023)

FAQs

What to do if you can no longer run in the London Marathon? ›

If you have decided to defer your spot from the London Marathon all you need to do is notify the organisers via your participant dashboard which should have been emailed to you by Friday 24 February. After you have withdrawn you will be given the option to defer your place to the following year, if eligible to do so.

You can withdraw from the race until 11.59pm on Saturday 22nd April, the day before the race. Any runner who was successful in the 2023 ballot is able to defer their place, but if you have a spot through other means the process is more complicated.

If you are now pregnant or postpartum you can defer your place for the following three years, 2024, 2025 or 2026. You will also be able to defer to 2024 if you got your place through the ballot for the 2023 TCS London Marathon or have a guaranteed place from a running club or a stakeholder.

The London Marathon doesn't give the exact number of places that are allocated by the ballot, but it's believed to be around 17,000-20,000 of the 40,000+ total spots. More than 350,000 people entered the ballot for the 2022 race, so you can see straight away the odds aren't in your favor.

You are strictly prohibited from swapping, selling or transferring or offering to sell, swap or transfer the place in the Event or allowing any other person to wear the Event number. Multiple entries using the same registration details and/or email address will result in all of Your entries being disqualified.

What if I become injured or need to cancel my place? Please contact our Supporter Relations Team at london.marathon@mariecurie.org.uk or on 0800 716 146.

The ballot is completely random, and around 17,000 people get in, so give it a go and don't just assume you won't be chosen. New for 2024 Ballot entry: TCS have announced you can double your chances in the draw if you opt to donate the cost of your entry fee to the London Marathon Foundation.

You should not expect to maintain marathon fitness year round. You may quite easily maintain a high level of fitness and be able to plenty of long runs, but that PEAK fitness you experience for the race is just that. Peaking. It's not designed to be something you maintain all the time.

Is It Ok To Run Walk The London Marathon? The London Marathon does NOT disqualify participants for walking. In fact, it's quite common to see runners following a run-walk strategy. The London Marathon cut-off time is 7 hours which means if you were to walk the entire route you could take anywhere between 6 to 9 hours…

Your last big, meaty long run should be about three weeks before your goal marathon. Two weeks before race day, do a medium long run, reducing the volume by about 30 per cent from your longest long run. For most people, this will mean a run of about 20-24K. One week before the race just run easy for about 15-18K.

What happens if you don t raise enough money for London Marathon? ›

If you don't raise the total amount, this may restrict you from being given a charity place for any event in the future. Each charity place costs the Trust money, so we ask that you have a realistic plan of how you will reach the £2,500 target before you accept the place.

2024 qualification details

Qualifying times must have been run at an in-person event that has a certified marathon course, or at the virtual 2023 TCS London Marathon.

The main mass participation event started in waves between 10:00 and 11:30 BST. There were 49,272 starters, more than any previous London Marathon. There were expected to be around 48,000 finishers, and by 17:00 BST the event had beaten the previous record of 42,549 finishers set in 2019.

If you do decide to wear headphones on race day, we ask that you ensure the volume is low enough to be able to hear marshal instructions and other runners approaching.

Don't Be Afraid To Use The Toilet During The Race

Just go to the toilet—they're found every two miles on the course.

Those who manage to finish the marathon will cross the finish line on The Mall, and receive a finisher's medal, New Balance finisher's T-shirt, and some drinks and a snack to aid in recovery.

What is tapering? Tapering in marathon training typically involves significantly reducing the intensity and distance you run in the final two to three weeks of training. The standard marathon training plan will last between 16 and 20 weeks. The tapering period happens in the final few weeks of the plan.

If you can't attend the TCS London Marathon Running Show, someone can collect your pack on your behalf – details of how to do this are in the Event Guide.

Reduce weekly mileage to 70 to 75% of maximum.

Reducing the mileage this week is actually easier than last week. Your long run will be shorter and your intense workouts, which should be your biggest volume days, will also be reduced. For example, a 50-mile week will be reduced to 35 to 38 miles.

What's the prize money for London Marathon winners? In the 2022 London Marathon, the total reported prize fund was $313,000 (£252,390), with the top 10 finishers receiving cash prizes, while the men's and women's winners each received $55,000 (£44,350).

Do you have to raise money to run the London Marathon? ›

The registration fee for the TCS London Marathon is £100 and we ask all our charity place fundraisers to raise a minimum of £2,000.

When is the 2024 London Marathon? The 2024 London Marathon is on Sunday, April 21, 2024. That's 361 days from today, so there are just under 52 weeks left until race day.

But another reported downside to running is called “runner's face”. Runner's face is a condition that causes sagging of facial skin, deepening of wrinkles, and hollow cheeks. The prominent appearance of the bones in the face makes a runner look gaunt and can present advanced signs of aging well before their time.

At most we recommend 4 marathons per year. Many avid marathoners have found a rhythm with an annual fall or spring marathon, or maybe two marathons per year with plenty of time to recycle and train between each. Other runners prefer to include goal races of different lengths interspersed between marathon attempts.

Thankfully, it takes a little while to lose your hard-earned endurance. For most runners, it takes about seven to 14 days for your aerobic fitness to start declining. And what you lose initially is mostly the gains that you've made in the last several months of training.

If you want to meet up with a friend or loved one after they finish the London Marathon, the nearest tube stations to The Mall/Horse Guards Parade are Charing Cross (a six-minute walk away), Embankment (a nine-minute walk away) Piccadilly Circus (a 12-minute walk away), or St. James's Park (a seven-minute walk away).

What is the prize money? There is a total of $313,000 up for grabs, with the men's and women's winners getting $55,000 each and cash prizes for the top 10 finishers. In the wheelchair races the prizes for both the men's and women's race have increased by $10,000 this year – from from $35,000 to $45,000.

The marathon will be broadcast in the U.S. on FloTrack. A subscription is required ($149.99 annually or $29.99 monthly).

7. Try to get at least two 20 mile runs in under your belt. Schedule your last 20 miler or 20+ miler to be about 2 weeks before your marathon race date.

Furthermore, running for longer than 3 hours significantly increases your chance of injury. Your form begins to break down, your major muscles become weak and susceptible to injury, and overuse injuries begin to take their toll.

How do I run a marathon in less than 4 hours? ›

For a sub 4 hour marathon, tempo pace should be between 8:30 and 8:50 per mile. You should be breathing heavier but controlled, and your heart rate should be elevated when doing tempo runs. The idea is to train faster than you have to, so your race pace on race day will feel easy in comparison.

The 2022 TCS London Marathon has raised the highest amount for charities since the world record total of the 2019 event. London Marathon Events announced today (Wednesday) that the 2022 TCS London Marathon, which took place on 2 October last year, has raised £58.3 million for charities.

More than 410,000 people entered the ballot for the London Marathon 2023, and even more are expected to apply for a ballot spot in the London Marathon 2024. Only around 20,000 race places are awarded via a ballot, so the odds are not in your favor.

There is no predetermined amount that you must raise if you qualified for the London Marathon by a ballot entry; instead, you could choose to run the marathon for any amount you choose. Humans who run tend to have better health and longer lifespans.

Runners who meet time standards in 2022 at specific NYRR races are eligible for guaranteed entry to the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon. The limited number of spots made available on a first-come, first-served basis for runners who met the time standards in a non-NYRR race is now at capacity.

Most runners take between 16 and 20 weeks to train for a marathon. As you build up to the race, your heart, muscles and mind need to be conditioned for the exertion ahead, so following a strict training plan which gradually ups the ante and improves your fitness and stamina is very important.

Qualifications. To qualify as an Elite Athlete, you must have run on a certified course in the past 12 months: Men: sub 1:10 Half Marathon or equivalent – sub 31:40 10KM or sub 2:30 Marathon. Women: sub 1:20 for the Half Marathon or equivalent – sub 36:20 10KM or sub 2:50 Marathon.

The London Marathon has been a major participant event since it was first run by 6,500 people, mainly novices, in 1981. It now has 32,000 finishers and is the biggest marathon in the world.

The Marastats.com website estimates that only four percent of all marathon runners of any age manage to break 3 hours for the classic distance.

Do marathon runners drink while running? ›

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 5 to 12 ounces of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes during a marathon, although this is often difficult to accomplish and can result in over hydration if your sweat loss is low.

Yes, you can wear headphones, although to ensure your safety throughout the Marathon, it's advised that you keep the volume at a sensible level so you can hear everything going on around you – and soak up the amazing atmosphere!

TCS London Marathon on Twitter: "@chrisstanley1 Hydration Packs are fine. 🙂" / Twitter.

Gels, chews, energy bars, bananas, jam sandwiches and sports drinks are all great carb sources to eat during the race. Make sure to only consume products you've had before to reduce potential gut discomfort. Consume fluid regularly throughout the race in small amounts.

Soon after the race you should take a contrast shower. What is a contrast shower? Alternate between cold water and hot water on your legs—one minute hot, then one minute cold.

The final thing you should try and do as soon as you can after the race to help your marathon recovery is to take a shower or a bath – and a long one. While a bath is relaxing, a shower is better for a hit of contrast therapy.

Everyone who completes the three events receives the magnificent London Classics medal, engraved with the words Et ego Londinium vici (I too have conquered London) and is listed in the Hall of Fame. More than 4,000 athletes have completed the treble – do you have what it takes to join them? Find out how to enter.

Arm sleeves are primarily worn for the benefits of the compression they provide. Various sports medicine studies have shown that this compression helps to stabilise the arm muscles and prevent swelling. It also increases blood flow which help in recovery after hard exercise or minor injuries.

Typically three days and a maximum of 5 days. You can access the information on the different transaction times before choosing the withdrawal option you would often use. Though for Marathonbet, the withdrawal is free of charge.

Coram reserve the right to allow or deny runners to defer their charity place to the following year's Marathon. You understand that you will only be allowed to defer your charity place with Coram once.

Where do most people quit a marathon? ›

Jon Gordon - Most runners quit a marathon in the 20th mile... | Facebook.

It's possible to take up to a week off without losing any ground.  In fact, a few days of rest may even improve your performance, especially if you've been feeling exhausted and sore. After a week, you will begin to see some losses in fitness. But they can be recovered.

Yes, you can wear headphones, although to ensure your safety throughout the Marathon, it's advised that you keep the volume at a sensible level so you can hear everything going on around you – and soak up the amazing atmosphere!

More than 48,000 runners took on the race from Greenwich to The Mall - up from 40,643 in 2022. This year's race was the biggest ever, organisers said. TCS London Marathon organisers said they expanded numbers in an attempt to reach a cap of 50,000.

If you don't hit your target you'll still receive any funds you raised (minus our small fees), so you can still make good things happen! If you raise less than you intended you'll just have to rethink the scope of your project, or find a way to raise the additional money you need.

Deferring your place

Once you've withdrawn, you may have the chance to defer your TCS London Marathon place to the following year. Please note that you'll still need to pay for your deferred TCS London Marathon place.