Right then – in a fit of pique a couple of days ago whilst showering I decided to enter the London Marathon – it has been a long-standing desire of mine and I finally decided to give it a go. I have missed the ballot entry deadline for 2012 so the only option is a golden ticket charity entry.

So has anyone done it like that and is it reasonably easy to get a place? I have just received a response from my preferred charity (The Stroke Association) asking me to fill in the entry form but it all seems a bit ambiguous – should I apply to loads of charities and hope one gives me a place or am I committing myself if I apply (then if I get multiple entries what happens)?

Unless you’re really set on running for one charity then apply for several. I ran for VICTA last year, they had a relatively small sponsorship requirement and they had some 300 or so places.

A colleague of mine applied to three last year and got accepted for all of them – she then found a couple of other people to take the spare places (although they had to satisfy the charity that they’d raise the required funds).

So being accepted to run for a charity doesn’t oblige me to actually do it (ie, come October-time when most of them seem to tell you if you have got a place, I could just tell them I have got another place?)

When I was formally accepted, I had to sign a contract of sorts committing to raising the funds etc etc. Assuming you’re not being asked to sign anything upfront and not paying anything upfront then I don’t see why you’d be committed to it.

Even if you were, place are like gold dust and I’m sure you’d have no trouble offloading them!

Ahh right – so that is how it works then? Rightho, time to start writing out some application emails…