Abbott World Marathon Majors Gold Club: What is it?

[@bartekzielinski1645]

Good luck chasing Tokyo and London, Barry! If Sydney is added in, we hope to see you in person Down Under 🤞

[@OldManRunner]

I was only thinking that yesterday...here'e hoping...

[@TrailrunnerTroy]

Indoors at Hopkington could be really helpful if the weather is bad. The staging area can be a sea of mud with no where dry to sit!

[@OldManRunner]

I will be thrilled if I get an entry into something with shelter, even just protection from the wind can be great. In New York I brought a finishing poncho from Berlin that I found discarded at the start of the Dublin Marathon, and it was great to have. But an inside spot in a tent or gym or whatever would beat that...

[@andrewhammonds4907]

Thanks for the review, your thoughts lined up with my conclusions too!

[@bev9708]

Interesting Barry, really hope it helps you get in ... best of luck!!🍀💚🍀

[@OldManRunner]

Cheers Bev!

[@JohnBirtchetSharpe]

The best of luck 🙂

[@alanrobinson2229]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣,well done for telling us about this👍

[@OldManRunner]

If only someone had reviewed it before I signed up....

[@al_conroy]

Abbott offer additional draws to people with 3 stars for 4 of the 6, Tokyo and Boston need 5, this is without joining the club. I looked at this when they offered it to me but seems poor value for people in this part of the world, so thanks for taking the hit! I think if I decide on Tokyo I'd probably use a tour company for guaranteed entry.

[@OldManRunner]

Alan. I have a package waiting to go to you, but sat in for 2 days waiting for UPS to come and deliver an overdue pair of shoes, to no avail. Which is why I scrabbled to make this video...anyway, should get out to An Post later... When I signed up to this I was thinking exactly as you did, but gambled as I wanted an extra shot at London. We will see how it pans out, fruitless possibly. It is American centric which is understandable with Abbott. The singlet is nice, but again all this will be for nothing if I don't make it in...I hope to run Tokyo and London next spring. If I don't lottery my way in the yeas, the the tour company seems an option...

[@Snytkine]

Thank you for the review. I was just looking for what's in the box since they don't tell you that on their website, they just say something like 'various items'. I don't think it's worth it. I would rather apply that $350 towards a charity and get in through charity.

[@TolunayOrkun]

Funny I just learned about "Gold Club" last week. Since I have 0 stars yet 😥, I cannot take advantage of what it offers. I did a mental note about additional drawings for completing 6 stars if you have 4 (4 races except Boston or Tokyo) or 5 stars already (Boston, and Tokyo). I think if you have been unsuccessful certain number of times, you get an upgrade guaranteed entry as well.

[@OldManRunner]

It's easy enough to start, as you can do the lottery for five and see which one you win. I started with Chicago, then a couple of goes for Berlin, whilst losing the other lotteries, then a Strava Virtual Run for New York and a Boston Qualifying run in Rotterdam, but when it gets to the final two I am glad there are lots more chances!

[@TolunayOrkun]

@@OldManRunner I haven't been lucky with lottery so far and still working on qualifying times, at least trying to get closer so when I age up in a few years, I might qualify. 🤞 New York is a possibility with their 9+1 program. I also got a membership with NYRR club so that I would have a 2nd lottery chance this year. We will see soon. Last Marathon on March 2nd, I ran 3:56 which is worse than my PR with 3:47. I was on pace for 3:45 for 37km and wheels came out in the last 5k. Upon crossing the finish, they gave me an ice bath in the medical tent. With warm weather and 90+% humidity I was pretty dehydrated, overheated and wobbly. Prime X Strung actually worked fairly well for 37K. My right ankle was particularly hurting in the last 5k. They had too many turns (especially 2 180 turns) in The Woodland Marathon. I had tried the shoe on 20-mile runs and assumed it would work but stability on those last miles were desperately needed. Also upper is pretty rough and a bit hard to lock down. I had taped my foot that rubbed but still lockdown was less then ideal. One of my toes also had to be sacrificed. Anyway, it is what it is. Time to recover and restart the process with a new target.

[@OldManRunner]

@@TolunayOrkun The New York entry via Strava is great. I will try and post if I get a heads up this year...Chicago is apparently the lottery with the highest chances of winning, and is the only one I won on the first attempt...

[@TolunayOrkun]

@@OldManRunner Now as a member of NYRR club, I'll keep an eye for the virtual one if they do this year. I missed it last year (it was sold out). It seems like they are experimenting with different options.

[@mikedelta987]

Any luck with Tokyo?

[@OldManRunner]

I’m in the middle of writing a script about all of the different ways I’ve failed to get into Tokyo. Charity Lottery, Abbott Gold Club, One Tokyo Lottery, Lottery, various virtual runs…So I bit the bullet and am going with a Tour Operator…

[@NeillyVille]

Basically Abbott squeezing more money from people even though you don't really need it, useless stuff and it's already so expensive i.e travel, accommodation, training, gear, etc. as it is just for those elusive 6 stars. I guess I won't get my complete stars by the time I'm 50 and over which by that point probably will have 10 stars. And they say running is cheap right 😅🤦🏿‍♀️

[@OldManRunner]

It is a very strange club. I would enjoy the fringe stuff after I had completed six majors, and my guess is there will be seven before I do, but most of it is bumpff. Will change my mind if it helps me into London, Tokyo and onwards...at 60 who knows how many shots at winning the lottery and managing to run I have left!