Why bequeath? - Spring Marathon

sass

24/11/2002 at 21:52

This was my first application and as I did not bequeath and my cheque has not been cashed I am assuming I do not have a place. Being new to it all I found the bequeathing process odd. What quite franky is the point? (Other than a charitable donation or the Chance of Ballot place) The last thing I want to do next April is to be sat at home on the sofa watching the FLM wearing a Fleece with FLM2003 on the front. I would rather make a donation of 25 quids to someone running than to join the "didn't race- got the t shirt"
brigade.

Bitter maybe but I have thrown myself into my running after the death of my daughter and wanted desperatly to run in her memory this year.

cheers

Paul

Hilly

24/11/2002 at 21:59

Paul-I can understand where you are coming from but you could still run im memory of your daughter. Either by entering through another means, maybe a charity. Or running a different marathon altogether. Paris is on round about the same time as London and a few others. I know it may not be what you wanted but at least you will still be able to RUN!
Good luck in your quest!!

Barkles

24/11/2002 at 22:03

So sorry mate.. its a lottery. quite simply. Why not go for a gold bond place and do what you need to do... I'm running for Asthma and am already focussed on the big day.

Genuinely hope you get a place, and I'll meet you before the start.....

Good luck.

a chimp writes

24/11/2002 at 22:04

Why bequeath? Because you chose to.

a chimp writes

24/11/2002 at 22:06

...or not, as the case may be.

N ick

25/11/2002 at 15:13

In other years (and I think this year but I'm not certain) there has been an additional lottery for a small number of places for people who bequethed but were unsuccessful in the main lottery - I know someone who got their place through that a few years ago.

cougie

pirate

25/11/2002 at 15:24

I think there is a holiday given away as well. And £27 for a fleece ain't bad these days !

Wolfy (iRunner)

25/11/2002 at 16:01

I'm with Sass in that if I didn't get in I'd rather give them money to another runners charity as an incentive for them to achieve their goal! Sass Connemarathon in March with the mad Dublin Magnificent 8 if you don't get into FLM. All welcome!

Graham Bond

25/11/2002 at 16:12

There is a further 1000 places for those that bequeath. And a fleece. Last year it was a only t-shirt I think, so I didn't bother bequeathing but got in anyway. If you are just sitting watching it on telly, you at least see where your money is going, when the winner starts pushing that wheelbarrow away from the finish.

a chimp writes

25/11/2002 at 16:49

The fleece is symbolic (as in, you've been fleeced).

Wolfy (iRunner)

25/11/2002 at 16:50

Tee hee hee, very funny!

supervet

26/11/2002 at 08:17

The only time I got in through the ballot was when I didnt bequeath read into that what you like.

shin splints

26/11/2002 at 11:03

I think there is quite a lot to be read into supervets experience.

Although it could be considered not quite entering into the spirit of things as well as being controversial - i'll say it anyway.

I reckon that bequeathing your money negatively affects your chances of getting in. They get your money anyway, so if the idea is to maximise charity donations which has to be an aim (not necessarily the only one) then it is better that they take in all the bequeathed money first before selling as many golden bond places as possible. Once this is done allocate whats left to non bequeathed applications!

I would love to see the percentage figures of entrants split into bequeathed and non - bequeathed. The problem is that its all covered up and surrounded in mystery. I don't know about anyone else but i really don't like that sort of thing, we are not talking about small amounts of money here neither.

Mr A

26/11/2002 at 11:43

I'm getting heartily sick of your attitude, Oracle.

Now you're saying that anyone who has bequeathed their entry fee has been fleeced?

Oh right, so I'm a mug, am I? Is that what you're saying? OK, I tried to enter, I may be unsuccessful, so I'm happy for the money to go to charity. I've already written off the money, so what does it matter to me?

Because I'm happy to give money to charity, I'm a fool? I'm being fleeced? Words fail me, but I guess you're one of those people who don't "believe" in charities, right? Why don't you just go away and leave those of us who are happy to do this in peace instead of making unwelcome, cynical comments like this?

Wolfy (iRunner)

26/11/2002 at 11:54

Take a chill pill Mr A everyone has a right to their own opinion.

I personally think that it is very good of you to bequeath your entry fee.

I have on occasion had cause to question FLM's motives.

NickB

26/11/2002 at 12:05

SS, I agree, why have all this negative speculation. FLM should be open about how many bequeathed entrants they had and publish the percentage figures you mention.

I'm sure most people are happy to donate their money to charity if it means they have a slightly better, or at least even chance of entry, but if people start to be believe that this could negatively affect their entry then I'm sure these charity donations will reduce in the future.

I find it difficult to believe that the FLM would be so underhand, but if they were to publish the figures this would end all speculation.

Maybe RunnerWorld could make this request and publish the findings?

shin splints

26/11/2002 at 12:13

NickB, i agree with you - you would have thought that they would be compelled to provide info like this to avoid even the the suspect of criticism.

We are after all talking about a multi-million pound Company.

Mr A

26/11/2002 at 12:14

Sorry Wolfy, I think it's a personal thing about Oracle, because he's been banging on and on about this for ages, even though he keeps promising to stop. Added to which, the fact that he seems to come on this forum purely to complain and to criticise, without ever seeming to offer anything positive, really gets to me.

But you're right, everyone is entitled to their opinion - but it's how you express that opinion that's important.

I have to admit though, that if I had genuine reason to think that bequeathing my fee reduced my chances of entry through the ballot, I would think twice about doing it.

Wolfy (iRunner)

26/11/2002 at 12:24

No probs Mr A. I think it would be a pretty sad world to live in if we were all so sceptical that we didn't give to charity, as there are so many good causes out there that need our money.

Your heart is in the right place which is all that matters.

Fingers crossed that you have got in!

a chimp writes

26/11/2002 at 13:58

Mr A, there are lots of different ways to see the same thing. Some of us see things one way, others of us see things another way. We can then compare our respective viewpoints, to see which of us has an incorrect one, if any of us is in error.

I don't think you are being a "mug" if you gift your entry fee. I think your very good nature is being unfairly taken advantage of, by the question (=If you don't get in can we have your fee anyway?) being asked of you when all you are trying to do is pay a fee to enter a race. It is also a very cheeky question to ask, given that the people who are asking the question are also people who are busy constantly rearranging the entry system to reduce your chances of getting in anyway, and are also busy selling off thousands of places that you could have had to charities where those charities are also simultaneously paying them money not to give you a place in the ballot!

If you ordered your food from Tesco Direct over the internet and there was a question at the bottom of the order form: "If we don't have any of the items you order in stock, please tick here if we can take your money and give it to charity" you'd (hopefully) think the question quite ridiculous and inappropriate.
If there was a second question, "If we don't have the item in stock because we have sold that item to charity , can we still keep your money?" I think most people would start to detect something rather unpleasant about the whole thing.

I will leave you in peace now. The whole set up is either a perfect event or a complete mess depending on one's viewpoint.