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What
is an international reply coupon?
This piece of paper is available at your post office. It says:
"This coupon is exchangeable in any country of the Universal
Postal Union for the minimum postage for an unregistered priority
item or an unregistered letter sent by air to a foreign
country." The coupon is used by the marathon organizers to send
the entry form. You want to see how it looks like? Here is a scan: front
and back.
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How old do I have
to be to run the marathon?
British athletic ruels allow to run the marathon from 18 years on.
However, there is a mini marathon event for school children on
marathon day, for a distance of 5K along the final stage of the
official marathon route with finish on the Mall. Entries are
possible only via your school or the local borough.
Look up the official website of
MiniLondonMarathon
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When do we get
the lottery's results?
Usually the letters are sent early in december. Depending on your
personal luck the envelope contains a different magazin.
Luck: A congratulating magazine giving some training advice and
showing a lot of adverts
Bad luck: British residents receive a consoling (not really) magazine with as much adverts und
countless advice on charities offering "Golden Bond"
numbers if you are able to collect immense amounts of donations. Overseas runners
get a short letter including a list of travel agencies offering
guaranteed entries.
If lucky your credit card account will be debted already early in
november. If you notice the booking you can be sure of your place in
the field.
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Is there
any contact address published?
On the official website there is no address published. There is
a phone hotline provided:
+44 (0) 207 902 0189. In recent times the AIMS-website
showed a mail address (now deleted):
Alan Storey, David Bedford / P.O. Box 1234 / London SE1 8RZ and
phone +44 (0) 207 620 4117, fax 620 4208. Good luck.
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When is the
marathon exhibition open and how can I get there?
During race week it is open on Wednesday from 11am to 9pm, on
Thursday and Friday from 10am to
8pm, on saturday it opens from 9.00am to 5.00pm. The
EXCEL Exhibition Centre can
easily be reached by the Dockland Railway (DLR, mainly high level
train) in direction of BECKTON, the station is called CUSTOM HOUSE. On your journey you will be able to watch a good
part of the marathon route.
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Is there
a pasta party and a breakfast run?
I am afraid there isn't. If you insist to tug in some sticky pasta,
it is available at the exhibition. There is an area marked
"Pasta Party" where a dinner package is available for
reasonable 5 pds.
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What ticket is
the most convenient one to get around in London?
The best buy is the one of the Travelcards. Look up the details at
The
Tube website.
Compare the new Visitor Oyster Card which is the better offer for
people stayling longer.
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May I use my own
ChampionChip?
Of course you can. Bring your chip when collecting your number at
the Expo and register it.
Just let me say I don't think it does help in any way. The chip
provided by the organisers is included in your ticket fee, it will be
handed out to every runner and there is no discount for those who
use their own chip. Why should one involve the process without being
forced?
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Which of the
start sites is mine and what pen do I have to enter?
There are 3 different starts, marked in different colours, each of
it has its own infrastructure.
Blue start (numbers up to 28,000 and 54,251 to 59,000) in Blackheath: Here the elite
runners take off, and also the serious club runners are here.
Therefore you will not spot a large number of costumed runners here.
Since 2007 all overseas runners start here.
Green start (28,001 bis 33,250) in
Blackheath: This is small field of privileged runners like vips,
seniors, ever present runners, sponsors, Good for Age, special
competitions and so on.
Red start (33,251 to 54,250) in Greenwich:
Here you will find most of
the fun runners. Their parade before the start is an entertaining
event itself. I reckon there is no race all over the world with such
a big number of creative and weird costumes.
Each of the big starts, blue and red, have nine pens, to which your
are allocated according to your target time. For instance: With my
time of 3:26 I got into pen 3.
You will find your pen printed on your race number.
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How do I get to
the start?
The different start places are best to be reach by train (the
railway, not the tube). Your number is valid as a ticket. The
timetable will be handed out together with all the other
instructions and your number at the Expo. On my start
page you will find last year's timetable which should be largely
unchanged and more advice. For those of you who came by the help of
a travel agency should a special bus transfer be provided.
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Do all the
women start seperately?
Just the invited elite female runners, a little hand-picked field,
starts at 9 am. All other participants go off at 9.45am. Wheel chair
competitors start at 9.20am.
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Are there any pace makers provided?
Runners World UK, the magazine, offers pace making at the red and
the blue start for different target times. Look up the RWUK
site. The pace makers do now target their time based on chip
times. This is perfectly right as chip times are
the official finish times. Gun times are no longer published. Even
the official finish fotos show chip times.
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Is it just
miles marked on the route? What about distances in kilometers?
Every mile is marked by big banners (*). At every mile a big digital
clock is provided.
Additionally there are banners and clocks every 5K and at half
marathon.
(*) Exception: At the red start there are only little signs for the
first 2 miles which can be missed easily. Between second and third
mile the red route joins the blue one. Don't be scared by the
strange noise runners produce when meeting. The green route merges
with the blue one after 800 yards already.
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Do we get
certificates, results, including master classes?
A modest certificate can be bought via the website of the official
photo provider
www.marathonfoto.com . The certificate shows your place overall, within
your gender and within your age group. All this is also shown
on a small slip
of paper sent together with the offer of Marathonfoto.
see
result slip
The results will be published quite shortly on the internet. Last
year the provider was www.championchip.de.
Too, the Evening Standard will publish the complete list in the
printed edition, usually next wednesday.
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Do we get
official split times?
Split times are taken at every 5K and half marathon. They
will be published on the internet together with your finishing time.
Furthermore there are some secret check places where split times
are taken.
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What sort of
rewards and trophies are handed out at the finish?
There is the well known Flora sponsored medal (look up
Medals'n'Mottos),
a finisher tee shirt and a goodie bag containing a collection
of sponsors' products, like muesli bar, crisps or rice bag.
Advice: Put a solid bottle with your favourite drink into your
kitbag. Vittel water is supplied at the finish but I presume you
will not be able to get down any more.
