Good For Age Entry

Good for Age (GFA) qualifying process for the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon

Good for Age runners with qualifying times AFTER 1 January 2019

If you had a place in the 2020 event and your previous qualification time was run in a qualifying event after 1 January 2019 and before 7 August 2019, you will be automatically offered a Good For Age place in the 2021 event taking place on 3 October 2021 when we email you on 1 September.

Please note: if you request a refund of your 2020 entry fee or if you do not respond before the deadline of 17:00 BST on Friday 18 September 2020, you will not have a place in the 2021 event.

If you had a place in the 2020 event and you ran the qualifying time before 1 January 2019 and haven’t subsequently run the qualifying time, you can apply for a Good for Age place in the 2021 event by running the qualifying time displayed in Table 1 below in the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon on 4 October.

Please note: these qualifying times apply for the 2021 race only and are only applicable for runners who had previously qualified in 2020 and run the time in Table 1 in the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon.

Table 1: Virgin Money London Marathon Good for Age 2020 qualifying times Age Men Women 18-39 sub 3:00:00 sub 3:45:00 40-44 sub 3:05:00 sub 3:50:00 45-49 sub 3:10:00 sub 3:53:00 50-54 sub 3:15:00 sub 4:00:00 55-59 sub 3:20:00 sub 4:05:00 60-64 sub 3:45:00 sub 4:30:00 65-69 sub 4:00:00 sub 5:00:00 70-74 sub 5:00:00 sub 6:00:00 75-79 sub 5:15:00 sub 6:20:00 80+ sub 5:30:00 sub 6:40:00

If you had a Good for Age place in the 2020 event and you ran the qualifying time before 1 January 2019, but have subsequently achieved the 2020 qualifying time between 1 January 2019 and 4 October 2020 as published in Table 2 below, you will be able to get a guaranteed Good for Age place in the 2021 event, subject to providing evidence of the qualifying performance.

Table 2: Virgin Money London Marathon Good for Age 2021 qualifying times Age Men Women 18-39 sub 2:57:20 sub 3:40:45 40-44 sub 3:02:20 sub 3:45:45 45-49 sub 3:07:20 sub 3:48:45 50-54 sub 3:12:20 sub 3:55:45 55-59 sub 3:17:20 sub 4:00:45 60-64 sub 3:42:20 sub 4:25:45 65-69 sub 3:57:20 sub 4:55:45 70-74 sub 4:57:20 sub 5:55:45 75-79 sub 5:12:20 sub 6:15:45 80+ sub 5:27:20 sub 6:35:45

The time frame for submitting your qualification evidence for a 2021 Good for Age place is 2–13 November 2020. We will contact you by email prior to 2 November with details on how you can submit your qualifying evidence to us.

Runners who qualified for the 2020 event with a time achieved before 1 January 2019, but who do not achieve a qualifying time in the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon on 4 October 2020, or during the 2021, 2022 or 2023 qualification periods, will be offered a guaranteed place in the 2023 event. Please note this guaranteed place will not be on a Good for Age start.

If you request a refund when we email you on 1 September, you will relinquish any claim to a place in the 2021, 2022 or 2023 events.

Runners taking part in the virtual event who don’t have a Good for Age place from the 2020 event

If you are taking part in the virtual event on 4 October 2020 and did not qualify for a Good for Age Place in the 2020 event, you will be able to apply for a Good for Age place in the 2021 event if you achieve the relevant qualification time as displayed in Table 1 above in the virtual event on 4 October.

You will also need to submit evidence of a half marathon time that meets the qualification time displayed in Table 3 below on a certified course/event during the qualifying time period, which is 1 January 2019 to 4 October 2020.

Table 3: Virgin Money London Marathon Good for Age 2021 Half Marathon qualifying times Age Men Women 18-39 sub 01:23:37 sub 01:44:23 40-44 sub 01:26:00 sub 01:46:47 45-49 sub 01:28:09 sub 01:48:13 50-54 sub 01:30:32 sub 01:51:34 55-59 sub 01:32:56 sub 01:53:42 60-64 sub 01:44:23 sub 02:05:25 65-69 sub 01:51:34 sub 02:19:16 70-74 sub 02:19:16 sub 02:47:13 75-79 sub 02:26:27 sub 02:56:33 80+ sub 02:33:22 sub 03:05:52

The time frame for submitting your qualification evidence for a 2021 Good for Age place is 2-13 November 2020.

Confirmation of your place will be sent to you by Friday 4 December 2020.

Good for Age applications for 2021

If you do not have a Good for Age place from the 2020 Event, and you are not taking part in the virtual event, you may still apply for a Good for Age place in the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon.

You will need to provide evidence of a qualifying performance achieved between 1 January 2019 and 4 October 2020. Table 2 above displays the qualifying performance times.

Please note: even if you have achieved the qualifying time in the new qualifying window of 1 January 2019 to 4 October 2020, we cannot guarantee you will be offered a Good for Age place in the 2021 event as the maximum number of Good for Age places is 6,000 (3,000 men and 3,000 women). Places will be allocated on a ‘fastest first’ basis. We therefore recommend that you also apply through the public ballot which will open on 4 October 2020 and close at 17:00 BST on 9 October 2020.

How to apply

Details of the application process will be published on the website no later than 31 October 2020.

2022 and 2023 qualifying periods

The qualifying period for the 2022 London Marathon will begin on 5 October 2020 and end on 3 October 2021.

The qualifying period for the 2023 London Marathon will begin on 4 October 2021 and end on 30 September 2022.