Dumfries Running Club

Selection Criteria of club members for

London Marathon club places

Any Club member can apply for a guaranteed London Marathon entry and will be successful if there is no competition for the entry from other DRC Club members.

The following criteria are only required when selecting a Club member for an entry when there are more applicants than available entries:

1. The applicant should have been a fully paid up Club member for at least 18 months on the 1st December of this year and regularly have attended training nights and generally supported the Club at events etc.

Note: This is to avoid new members being awarded a club entry ahead of well established members and to stop people joining the Club only because they want to do the London Marathon and then subsequently leave the club after running the marathon. This has happened previously.

2. Members who made a personal application and been refused through the ballot will be awarded a guaranteed entry before a member who did not apply in the ballot. If the runner has also been refused in previous years, without being awarded a club entry, then this will also count in his/her favour. Applicants should keep their rejection letter from London Marathon as proof that they had applied.

Note: It is the intention of the London marathon organizers that the Club entries be distributed in this way. Runners who have not made the effort to apply through the normal process should not be considered for the entry if others who have applied and been refused are seeking the entry.

3. Those who were eligible for guaranteed entries, a Championship entry, but didn’t apply for one will not be awarded a guaranteed entry before a member who did apply through the ballot.

Note: it was previously believed that good for age entries were guaranteed entries but it came to light in 2007 that this is not the case. Therefore, anyone who has applied for such an entry and been refused should be considered as equal to someone who applied through the main ballot.

4. If two members satisfy the above criteria then the number of times an individual has had a Club entry should come into play e.g. if one runner had the entry last year then, all things being equal he/she should go to the back of the queue.

Note: This starts to become subjective at this point. If one runner is more deserving than another but had an entry a few years' ago simply because it was going spare, s/he should not be automatically eliminated this year.

5. Finally, if the position is not clear cut then the final decision rests with the committee. At this point "service to the Club" becomes a factor whatever that is deemed to be by the Committee. The committee's decision is final. The Committee may elect a sub committee for the purpose of awarding these entries.

“Service to the club” may include representing the club at races, being on the committee, being actively involved in organising events or anything else that benefits the running of the club or its members. Note: The above are only Guidelines to assist the committee to make a coherent decision in a consistent manner year on year. At all times however common sense must apply to ensure the decision is fair and seen to be fair.

December 2007