Walking the London Marathon - is it feasible?

I'm convinced that some charities (Walkthewalk being the main one that sticks in my mind) have a number charity places for people who are intending to power walk the Virgin London Marathon. Perhaps you could see if they have any free training plans for walkers on their website?

Good luck, and don't let the PF get you down!

Walk the walk? What a fcuking joke.

Good luck for the OP to get rid of the PF so she can try and run it..

Simon Coombes 2 wrote (see)

Walk the walk? What a fcuking joke.

Walkthewalk in general or them having charity places in VLM?

I was suprised they would bother taking charity places in the marathon because they have their own events but apparently they do have for London and New York *shrugs*

Hi Mrs PB.  I trained to walk/run the FLM in 2006 - more emphasis on the walking!  I got injured but did it anyway - walked most of it.  Including stopping to get my blisters dressed 3 times I got round in 6hrs 55. My husband and I raised over £4k between us for Guide Dogs which meant a lot as I have a degenerative eye condition. (Hubby ran it - we passed just as I got over Tower Bridge, had a kiss over the barrier and went our separate ways! He went back to the Hotel, showered and changed while I did another 13 miles!).  Like you I kept applying because I wanted to do better.  Then I heard that the 5 yr rejection system was being scrapped so I was gobsmacked to get an acceptance mag through the post last week! Downside - I've done no running for a year or so due to persistent niggling calf injury, and I fell off my horse 9 wks ago and landed on my hip - still slightly lame. None the less I've started training - up to a couple of miles with the dog, brisk walking with a very slow trot of a few hundred yards thrown in just to see if I could. So far so good.  I'd love to "get round" next year, I'll be 50 on the 12th April and it would be one hell of a way to celebrate being ancient!  I'd also like to try to raise some money for St Paul's Eye Unit at Liverpool, because without two corneal transplants done by them I'd have lost my sight.  Being sensible, if I'm not up to a minimum of 10 miles by Christmas I'll defer, but I'm sure with steady training, albeit mostly in walk I'll get round in 6 hours or so.  Go for it, I am!!

xine267 wrote (see)

Simon Coombes 2 wrote (see)

Walk the walk? What a fcuking joke.

Walkthewalk in general or them having charity places in VLM?

I was suprised they would bother taking charity places in the marathon because they have their own events but apparently they do have for London and New York *shrugs*

oh i'm well in support of sponsored walking events....not planned walking in big races with lots of demand.

 The local church 5k - no problem...

but the london marathon is like the lottery...its open to all and you take your chances..............as long as they stick by the marathon guidelines.................no point in saying Mr A is more deserving than Mrs C............

when the lottery winners are announced........we don't moan that they should give the prize to anyone already earning more than £30,000 as they already have money and are not deserving of their lottery ticket..........

 good luck to anyone who gets the places....its theres to take part in however they want to...........I won't be racing on my place next year ..................i will be enjoying myself takingh in the sights

Sussex Runner (NLR) wrote (see)

You are entitled to that opinion Warkie. I hold the opinion that if you walk you should be forced to drop out. Unfortunately the organisers go along with your opinion.

hahaha... Mount Tower Bridge

Yep I'll probably be walking up some of the hills at Beachy especially the steps, which are spaced so unevenly apart they are almost impossible to run all the way up.

seren nos wrote (see)

but the london marathon is like the lottery...its open to all and you take your chances..............as long as they stick by the marathon guidelines.................no point in saying Mr A is more deserving than Mrs C............

when the lottery winners are announced........we don't moan that they should give the prize to anyone already earning more than £30,000 as they already have money and are not deserving of their lottery ticket..........

 good luck to anyone who gets the places....its theres to take part in however they want to...........I won't be racing on my place next year ..................i will be enjoying myself takingh in the sights

I wrote a really long reply that was lost due to being too long ... but basically it said the same thing as Seren  

An event like London that is always oversubscribed will always have elements of unfairness, some people find it unfair that people can buy their way in with a charity place, others might find it unfair that someone can get in on a GFA, when another (slower) runner never succeeds in getting a ballot place. For the vast majority of people, whether they get in to London depends on how lucky they are in the ballot - and if you pay your money and take your chances along with everyone else, then who is to say you can't compete the event running, walking or a mixture of the two?