It seems everyone applied for London Marathon next year again so getting your rejection letter means you’re in the majority. Don’t be sad though, there are plenty of other great marathons out there.

We’ve looked at some events that fall either just before, just after or on the same weekend as the London Marathon. All, barring Brighton marathon, still have open registrations and Brighton reopens later in October. 

So don’t see your London marathon rejection as a negative, but just an opportunity to try a different event in another city, country or even in the countryside.

Manchester marathon – April 2020

Entry fee – £55

The “London of the North” is how no one has ever described Manchester, but their marathon is a little earlier in the month and, in recent years, exactly the same distance too. It means you’re ready make the most of the summer that bit sooner!

The course is flat, fast and well supported. Perfect for marathoning. The organisers also claim it’s the friendliest marathoner and anyone who has visited the Greater Manchester area would agree.

Entries are still open when London Marathon rejections come out so no rush, although this may change in future years as the event grows in popularity. 

There’s even relay option for those not quite ready for the full distance but wanting to experience the marathon with family and friends.

There was also 456 runners under three hours in 2018, which is testament to how fast a course it is and how the northern club scene is producing great levels of competitive runners. 

Brighton Marathon – April 2020

Entry fee – £70 (2019 price)

Once voted the third best and third worst beach in the UK in the same survey, Brighton marathon is growing year on year. Entires will reopen soon and you can register your interest on their website.

A popular alternative to London marathon for many clubs, they even reopen entries after the London Marathon rejection letters have gone out. There’s also a mini kids race on the Saturday and a Brighton Marathon 10k on the Sunday too.

With great road and train connections to the Big Smoke and Gatwick Airport it’s an easily accessible location. The added bonus is that Brighton is a great place to visit year round with good food, a buzzing nightlife and that beach. Who doesn’t love a shingle beach?

Belfast City Marathon – May 2020

Entry fee – £40, although more expensive if you leave it until after 29th November. This year’s race was also great value for money with entrants given an extra 544m of running on a new, flatter course. Rest assured, that mistake is unlikely to happen two years in a row.

Just a short ferry or plane ride over the Irish sea and Northern Ireland’s capital has a fast and friendly marathon a couple weeks after London Marathon. It’s an affordable city break and still a good time of year for a Spring marathon.

It’s also one of the only races where you might see a chap in a Brazilian football shirt on the front of start line alongside East Africans and local club runners. This might be down to the relay option of the marathon which starts at the same time.

Like most major city marathons there’s a pacer team to help you hit your personal best and the added bonus of free photos posted on the race website afterwards.

Blackpool Marathon Festival – 26th April 2020

Entry fee – £36.50

So you like the sound of Brighton, but you’re dead set on the same weekend as London and live in the North? Look no further than the Blackpool marathon festival, organised by Flyde Coast Runners. The club actually organise a while host of great events, including plenty in the build up to your main spring event.

The festival has events from two kilometre to marathon and as it’s London marathon weekend you have a great chance of getting into the Fast Running weekend round up that weekend.

Be aware that if you need a poo during the race you better have some cash taped to your numbers as on course there ” will be ‘Danfo’ super loos that require a 30p to operate”. If only Paula had had some spare change during her marathon that time…

Richard Swindlehurst of Poole AC won the 2018 marathon in 2:41:44 and that’s no too dissimilar to his London marathon time the year before so it’s a fast course too. Hopefully the Blackpool Pleasure Beach is open for your post PB celebrations too!

Milton Keynes Marathon – May 2020

Entry fee – £46 until 31st December

Do you love roundabouts and easy public transport links to London? Then maybe Milton Keynes is your best bet for a spring marathon? A bit later in the year for those who are late starters after the excesses of New Years partying, but still a fast and enjoyable course.

It’s also a “qualifying race for the 2021 Abbott WMM Age Group World Championships!” although we’re not 100% sure what that means. Check out how it works here.

The start is in the MK stadium and you return there for a victory lap after the 26.2 miles. Maybe not for anyone who is an AFC Wimbledon fan like me…

The Three Forts Challenge – May 2020

Entry fee – £40

There’s more to running then just pounding pavements. If you’re dismayed by the difficulty of getting into London and feel like you need a change then why not hit the trails?

Yes, the Three Forts Challenge is a bit longer at 27.2 miles and there is the small matter of 3450 feet of elevation that might stop a PB, but ‘The Tough One’ is so much more than just a marathon. As of 2019 you can even run with your dog if you like.

It’s a great way to step from road marathoning into the world of trail and ultra races. This opens up a huge door to adventure and the community of the trails. Try a trail marathon next year and you might never look back.

Zurich Marathon – April 2020

Entry fee – 89-169 CHF

So you want that big city feeling and don’t mind travelling overseas. The Zurich marathon in Switzerland is the same weekend and just a short flight away.

The main positive is you can enter until the 21st April, only one week before the event. The downside is the Swiss system of a staggered pricing (the Swiss love their monies) and the week before entry comes in at 169 CHF (about £129). Early birds get a big discount but it’s still about £68.

It’s a fast course with Kenyans filling the 2018 podium in 2:14/15 times and 109 athletes under three hours it is a great place to go for your PB run. With flights and entry fee it might be an expensive trip but maybe you can surprise your other half with a “city break” and sneak the marathon in. 

RELATED: Record 400,000 apply for London Marathon ballot

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The post 7 alternatives to the London Marathon appeared first on Fast Running.

This weekend’s racing started on Friday night with the Mid Chesire 5K, the incorporated the England Championships. Aldershot’s Richard Allen won the men’s title, while Leeds City’s Stevie Stockton won the women’s race. A race report can be found here.

British Masters Road Relays

Men’s V35 – Salford Harriers took the win in emphatic fashion by nearly three and a half minutes from Thames Hare & Hounds, who just edged out Tipton Harriers by six seconds for the silver medal.

Salford’s six-piece line up of Bruno Lima, James Kovacs, Chris Livesey, Billy McCartney, Carl Hardman and Matthew Shaw were convincing winners on an unseasonably cool and wet April day at Birmingham’s Sutton Park.

Salford’s Hardman was easily the fastest on the day with a superb 15:19 ahead of Tipton’s Stuart Hawkes’ 15:43 – who won the Brighton marathon just two weeks earlier – and Birmingham’s Dan Robinson, who posted a 15:53 result.

Women’s V35 – Rotherham Harriers’ women have been making impressive strides forwards on both the senior and veteran level in the past 12 months, and the women’s V35 team took that another step up by taking the gold medal at Sutton Park, winning by more than two minutes from Derby AC, with South London Harriers clinching bronze 70 seconds behind.

Rotherham’s Sarah Lowery, Natalie Harris, Fiona Davies and Jenny Blizard include a former GB international in Blizard and a veteran England marathoner in Lowery. Derby’s ever impressive Lisa Palmer-Blount was the fastest on the day with an 18:00 clocking.

Men’s V45 – Cambuslang Harriers’ foursome were narrow winners in a total time of 69:32 ahead of Salford Harriers’ 69:41, with Thames Hare & Hounds never far behind in 69:55 overall. Cambuslang’s Chris Upson, Justin Carter, Kerry-Liam Wilson and Stevie Wylie made up the victorious gold medal winning team, while Leicester’s Mark Johnson ran the fastest leg on the day in 16:30.

Women’s V45 – It was a much closer affair in the V45 races, with Winchester & District’s trio just taking the win from Tonbridge by a mere seven seconds. Dulwich were less than 90 seconds behind in third.

Winchester’s Kathryn Bailey, Samantha Parkinson and Karen Rushton made up the winning team, while Tonbridge’s ever consistent V50, Maria Heslop, posted the fastest leg with a 18:36 result.

Men’s V55 – South London Harriers won a tightly fought battle from Herne Hill Harriers, their third runner Andy Tindall completing the trio’s total winning time of 55:10 with the fastest leg of the day in 17:28.

David Ogden and Gordon Hennessy made up the remaining winning team, while Cambuslang Harriers took the bronze on a successful day for their men’s teams overall.

Women’s V55 – City of Norwich’s women pipped Burnden Road Runners to the gold ahead of Holmfirth Harriers with just over a minute separating each of the podium teams. Jane Clarke, Tracey Curl and Louise Wilkinson won gold for Norwich, with Clarke also enjoying the fastest leg of the day by more than half a minute in 20:48.

Men’s V65 – Oxford City AC were convincing winners in 64:02, clinching gold from Blackheath & Bromley and Salford Harriers respectively. Oxford’s victorious team was led by Stewart Thorp, with Roy Treadwell and John Exley providing excellent second and third legs.

Salford’s veteran star Stanley Owen ran an excellent 19:47 to post the fastest leg of the day.

Women’s V65 – Only four teams made up the V65 competition, with Westbury Harriers taking the win by more than four minutes in 79:17 from Worcester AC and Hastings Runners. Worcester’s Liz Bowers was fastest in 23:47.

Men’s V75 – All three competing teams unsurprisingly made the podium in the V75 competition, with Bingley Harriers taking the top spoils in 76:04 ahead of Exmouth Harriers and Sevenoaks AC. Bingley’s Haynes was fastest by more than two minutes in a very impressive 22:54.

Chester Half Marathon

Chester hosted another competitive half marathon in the North West city, with Swansea’s Phil Matthews taking the win in a top class 67:59, ahead of Kent’s Russell Bentley, who ran an incredible 69:44 just one week after posting a 2:29:41 result in the London marathon.

Congratulations to today’s winner of the Chester Half Marathon. 1 hour 7 mins ….. amazing! #chestermarathon pic.twitter.com/EeXJEkkohv

— Mitchell Group (@MitchellGroupUK) April 29, 2018

Derby’s Alex Pilcher was just seconds behind in third in 69:49.

Northampton’s impressively consistent Hayley Munn was first lady in the women’s race in 78:06, taking victory from Southport Waterloo’s Amanda Crook and Lawley RC’s V40 Kim Fawke, who posted times of 78:14 and 81:54 respectively.

Fawke just held off fierce competition for third place by two seconds from Higham Harriers’ Rachel Doherty.

Stirling Scottish Marathon

Stirling’s central position in Scotland ensured a healthy turn out to the annual Scottish marathon, traditionally held a week after London and, to much relief for those taking on the 26.2 miles, in much cooler conditions than the previous week’s English capital’s event.

Central’s Michael Wright took the win in 2:29:19 ahead of Hunters Bog Trotters and Poland’s Patryk Gierjatowicz’s 2:33:10 and Insch Trail RC’s Tom Roche’s 2:33:38. Roche’s time represented a fine debut over the distance.

The moment our #StirlingMarathon winner crossed the finish line! pic.twitter.com/O8TuHeblMi

— Great Run (@Great_Run) April 29, 2018

Fife’s Alison McGill was first across the line in the women’s race in 3:02:35, which represented more than a ten minute PB.

McGill was a clear winner from Dundee Road Runners AC’s Michelle Mackay, who posted a 3:05:01 result, also a significant lifetime best. Dunbar’s Rhona Anderson’s 3:09:56 made up the podium places, with a time that puts her 7th on the V50 2018 British rankings.

Corstorphine AAC’s Michael Crawley won the men’s half marathon title in 69:33, while Edinburgh AC’s Sarah Brown won the women’s race in 1:26:58.

Newport Wales Marathon and 10k

James Carpenter and Natasha Cockram won the marathon titles at inaugural Newport Wales Marathon on Sunday in times of 2:33:32 and 2:44:58.

In the 10k race Ieuan Thomas in 29:43 and Rachel Felton in 35:04 celebrated victories.

A full report can be found here.

Flitwick 10k

Kenneth Nugent of Donore Harriers (Ireland) won the men’s race in 33:12, while Shaftesbury Barnet’s Victoria Pritchard was the first woman home in 36:06.

Leicester’s Big 10k

Tamworth AC’s Sylvain Letendart took the men’s honours in Leicester crossing the line in 34:16, while Leila Armoush of Leeds City won the women’s race in 38:06.

Hamburg Marathon

Jonathan Abel of West 4 Harriers was the highest placed British runner at the Hamburg Marathon on Sunday, clocking a PB 2:45:34, while London Heathside’s Leigh James from Wales was the quickest British woman in 3:06:17.

Ethiopia Solomon Deksisa won the elite men’s race in 2:06:34, while Shitaye Eshete of Bahrain won the women’s race in 2:24:51.

parkrun

Adam Hickey ran 14:37 to record the quickest time across the UK at parkrun once again, while Jenny Nesbitt ran the fastest women’s time in 16:47. This weekend’s top 10 men’s and women’s times can be found here.

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