I've been trying since 8.55 this morning and I finally made it to page 7 and got my entry confirmed. A near wasted day, a lot of moaning to anyone that would listen but I'm in the ballot. All that and I'm likely to be rejected.
The site has been taken down so that's probably the end of my chances of getting in the ballot unless it comes on again tonight as I don't have an internet connection at work to access the site tomorrow.
It wasn't my most fun morning ever hitting refresh on my computer but at least I won't have to waste the second half of my day. Good luck everyone with your entries for 2010; I'll try again in 2011.
Even IF 1000 people registered before 9am AND they were 1000 that otherwise would not have got a place they only lowered your chances from 1/120,000 to 1/119,000. So they reduced the number of places by 0.83% and everyone here wants people's heads on a sake because of it.
I've nothing against those who entered early, good luck to them, I hope they get a place for next year's race. My point was if the ballot was open at midnight why not advertise it as midnight? That way everyone has an equal chance of getting in. Your comment about the odds of getting a place misses the point because if the ballot closes before we get a chance to register because the odds won't have gone down by 0.83% but by 100%.
It really doesn't make sense to be angry about this. Nearly every single one of the 100k+ applying also assumed it opens at 9am, so the actual cost was at most 1000 people got enteries in who probably would have got them in anyway at 9am AND it's 1000 people of 120k total allowed applications! Which not forgetting still only gives you a 1/5 chance of getting in.
Your complaint is really just saying 'i wish i knew it opened at midnight while the majority thought it was open at 9am' because if everyone else knew it also opened at midnight we'd just be right back where we are now.
One good thing from opening at midnight would be come 3am the less dedicated to wanting to apply would go to bed, so the more commited runners would get in. But obviously the organisers don't want that as proof in the ballot opens the very next day to grab all none runners who were inspired to take up running.
I don't have the internet at work so I took the day off so I could apply this morning. I'm not sure if people's dedication should be a criteria for ballot entry or if it can be measured by the time they go to bed.
All I'm saying is that if you want everyone to have an equal chance to enter the ballot then applications should go live at the advertised time. It's like saying yesterday's race was due to start at 9.45 but it doensn't matter if some runners set off at 8.30!
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Arby
