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London Marathon 2020

60 watchers
Sep 2020
10:08am, 18 Sep 2020
11,983 posts
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larkim
Indeed. Don't know how gnr handled that.
Sep 2020
10:13am, 18 Sep 2020
11,984 posts
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larkim
A quick glance at their faqs suggest a phone was mandatory but they did have a route to submit a time if sonething went wrong. I guess for their event if you simply said "i dropped my phone in the bath the night before so just had to use my watch" they couldn't really argue. But London is different with the significance of actual times potentially contributing to future race entries of course so would expect any backup plans to be at least more well scrutinised.
Sep 2020
10:56am, 18 Sep 2020
568 posts
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Spideog
If it was just paying £20 for a tshirt and a medal which you've already paid for and they just want some vague "proof" of having covered the distance before putting a stamp on the package then it really doesn't matter about the app, any issues with it that happen can be sorted by them just posting out the medals and tshirts to everyone regardless of if they submitted a time/ distance. Nobody really cares.

That the app is the actual proof for entry to next years event it matters how it works, and how reliable it is. Still hoping that somehow or other they will take Garmin data instead. My watch is what I'll be looking at during my time trial, and if I need to run another 500m after the finish line I'll be basing that on what my Garmin is telling me at that point if I need to keep running.
Sep 2020
12:17pm, 18 Sep 2020
48,598 posts
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Velociraptor
I'd like to be able to use my normal GPS data rather than carrying a 'phone. I don't intend to go for a GFA time in a solitary run on terrain that's unlikely to be GFA-able for someone as borderline as I am.
Sep 2020
1:06pm, 18 Sep 2020
4,319 posts
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Fizz :-)
My impression from comments on their Facebook page was that they would like you to use the app, but wouldn’t enforce it.
Sep 2020
1:17pm, 18 Sep 2020
3,328 posts
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Little Miss Happy
Fortunately I have no need to prove a time larkim - nor any intention of chasing one on the day.

I hope you're right Fizz.
Sep 2020
5:20pm, 18 Sep 2020
629 posts
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Daddy Shark
I'm in LMH's position: I've already got a GFA time for 2021 and might not be inclined to bust a gut to see where I'm at this time (though I've belatedly put in some better quality and quantity of training). I'm thinking of ways to motivate me on this run and am considering running 1.1 miles per hour for 24 hours (starting after midnight and ending soon after 11pm). The question is, will the method of recording this allow for such shenanigans? I'm thinking it will take either by allowing multiple garmin uploads or some sort of pause on the app, or else the app working non-stop for 24 hours? Anyone with any insight out there?
JR
Sep 2020
5:48pm, 18 Sep 2020
874 posts
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JR
I decided to go for the refund option in the end rather than defer my GFA place to 2021. I have to confess to becoming all a bit disillusioned with it all and the LM organisation. I have enjoyed doing shorter runs and Virtual events at the shorter distances over lockdown and just can't face a year of having to stay marathon fit, and even then no guarantee October 2021 will happen. Plenty of other marathons if I do decide to do another in 2021 & could hopefully qualify for GFA for 2022 if I change my mind.
Sep 2020
6:02pm, 18 Sep 2020
727 posts
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BexleyKev
DS you should be able to pause both app and garmin however I suspect that your time will be taken from time you started and finished. Great idea to motivate yourself over the day. I will be doing several 4 mile loops around the house to cater for comfort breaks.
Sep 2020
10:25pm, 18 Sep 2020
85 posts
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sparklecloud
I'm doing the 24 runs for 24 hours thing too so am awaiting the further details about the app with interest. Lots of the posts on the VMLM Facebook page seem to be actively encouraging splitting it into several runs throughout the day if people are worried about managing the whole distance solo etc., so it'll be interesting to see how it works for that.

Also on their Facebook Live with Martin Yelling that they did earlier this week, he said that there'd be alternative ways to record it if you didn't want to use the app, so it'll be interesting to hear about what's allowed for that as well.

About This Thread

Maintained by larkim
Endless discussion about will it happen, won't it happen for VMLM 2020
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