Royal Parks Half Marathon 2016!!!

4 watchers

Perfect Organism Jan 2016 1:24pm, 26 Jan 2016 521 posts	0 Perfect Organism So the ballot for this opens today. I've put myself in for a place, and I think this will be the fourth time I've tried. Anyone else entered, anyone else ran, and anyone know what the odds of getting a place are?
Nellers Jan 2016 1:57pm, 26 Jan 2016 30,480 posts	0 Nellers I've done it 3 times, PO, but 2 of those were on charity places through my work so I can't comment on what your chances are in the ballot. Sorry. I also can't comment on the entry fee and value for money from personal experience. I'm told it's quite pricey but the road closures etc can't be cheap. If you do get in, though, my experience has ben of a well organised race in a great setting with a route which covers some of the "tourist London" landmarks in the first half then loops around a beautiful park with reasonable support for the second half. It can get a bit congested when you come back into the park as the roads are narrower than the roads outside, particularly if you are following one of the official pacers where you're likely to be in a big group. Despite it being in October it's been warm every time I've run it but I don't know if you can rely on that.
Fitz Jan 2016 2:34pm, 26 Jan 2016 1,390 posts	0 Fitz I've done it twice on charity places, never got in on the ballot in 4 years of trying. I think it's a bit pricy at £55 but a lovely course and usually a nice turnout and good atmosphere. It's my PB course (2012, although to be fair I don't run a lot of HMs), pretty fast, nice wide roads in the early stages and fairly flat. Other than that, I'd echo pretty much everything Nellers said, everything Nellers said, Nellers said, said. Good luck in the ballot!
Perfect Organism Jan 2016 4:44pm, 26 Jan 2016 523 posts	0 Perfect Organism Thanks! It is a pricey race, but some of them are! It's just one that I really fancy doing and I would be happy to just tick it off my running bucket list. We'll see!
Mrsbridgewater Jan 2016 7:22pm, 26 Jan 2016 2,453 posts	0 Mrsbridgewater I've run it 4 times, only once on a ballot place. I bloody love this race and will get a charity place if I don't get in on the ballot. It was my first ever half and where I got my half marathon PB there. Great support - especially at about 6 miles when you come back into Hyde Park and get hit by a wall of noise! Good goody bag too.
mblnFERCr Jan 2016 7:33pm, 26 Jan 2016 765 posts	0 mblnFERCr Ran it once, but failed in the ballot every year since (just looked - 5 times). To go against the grain, it's not that special, half the route is looped back and forth in the park. The finish area being open to the public and the free for all nature of the goody bag meant there was little left to collect the year I ran, but this may have changed. Think I'll give it a miss this year
redblueeagle Jan 2016 9:19am, 28 Jan 2016 First-time poster!!	0 redblueeagle It was my first HM on a charity place in 2009 and I really enjoyed it. I managed to get a ballot place in 2013 and think I missed out on a ballot place the previous year. I really like it because it's flat and the first half is all outside the park, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Embankment, Trafalgar Sq, Pall Mall. The second half isn't as good but it's where all the crowds are and it does help. My wife is doing this years as a corporate entry so I am going to try via the ballot.
Hackett Jan 2016 10:33am, 28 Jan 2016 2,342 posts	0 Hackett Lovely course but I am under impression that loaded with charity places rather than ballot slots. Having taken the pay later option - have a snowball in hells chance of getting a place.
Fitz Feb 2016 12:12pm, 5 Feb 2016 1,403 posts	0 Fitz Knocked back again in the ballot for RPHM today.
Uyuni Feb 2016 12:18pm, 5 Feb 2016 226 posts	0 Uyuni Same here Fitz. Can't say I'm that gutted given the cost, but it does look a good route so I'll keep entering every year and might make it eventually