Club allocated places

Each year the club gets allocated a number of its own guaranteed entries, the number of such entries varies each year and come in two forms:

• As a consequence of our club providing volunteers for baggage and elite drinks we are allocated “helpers” places.
• As we are affiliated to England Athletics we are allocated a number of places based on our club’s membership size. 

The club only learns how many places we are allocated towards the end of the year and a draw normally takes place before christmas. You do not have to be present at the draw to enter the ballot for club places. 

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for the club ballot you must meet each of the following Criteria:

1. You must be a fully paid up first claim member of Bracknell Forest Runners and have been so for a minimum of 12 months 
2. You must have entered the Public Ballot for the year we have places available, and be able to produce an original rejection letter or email
3. You must have volunteered to help the club in some capacity at least eight times over the previous year. Any combination of volunteering counts and examples include: 

• Volunteering at The London Marathon
• Volunteering at any other 3rd party race which the club organises volunteers for eg. Bracknell Half, SAM run
• Marshalling or volunteering at our club events in the previous 12 months – this includes Club Handicaps and our Cross Country Race
• Leading a run for official club runs on a Monday or Sunday
• Sitting on the club committee, working on the race results team, being on the coaching team, being a Welfare Officer 

Some working examples that would qualify as combinations of eight volunteer times: 

• Person A has led five club runs, marshalled at a handicap, paced at the bracknell half, and volunteered at The London Marathon
• Person B is on the committee, they have attended eight meetings over the club year
• Person C has helped inputting race results throughout the year and volunteered at our cross country fixtures

For the avoidance of doubt, running in club kit in races does not qualify you for the London Marathon Ballot for club places.

Disqualifying criteria

Given the growth in our membership alongside the changes to the process for the public ballot it is becoming increasingly more difficult for runners to get an entry to the London Marathon, so with this in mind in order to try and give as many people as possible the opportunity to run this iconic race there are also disqualifying criteria for the club places.

You will not be eligible for the club ballot for the London Marathon if:

• You ran the London Marathon in any capacity within the last 3 years - (this includes good for age, charity and club places, plus ballot entries)
• You have won a place in the club ballot in the previous three years

The reasoning behind introducing disqualifying criteria for the club ballot is that The London Marathon is the Holy Grail of races for runners all over the world and we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to take part in the greatest race in the world.

If you have any questions regarding the club ballot please email secretary@bracknell-forest-runners.org.uk