Last week, the London marathon ballot results came out, and it’s very likely you didn’t get a place.
I’m surprised and saddened to read that people are getting disappointed at the “rejection” of not getting a place.
It’s not rejection - it’s a raffle.
Over 1.1 million people entered, and only about 1.5% got in.
If you didn’t, it’s not personal. It’s just numbers.
The more we accept it when something doesn’t go the way we’d like it to be, the easier we can move on from the dragging feeling of failure.
Yes, emotions like disappointment, frustration, even discouragement are valid, but don’t let it define your next step.
Let me invite you to ask yourself:
Why did you want to run the London marathon -for many- again?
If your Why for London is so important, you can get a charity place. There are charities still welcoming runners.
This is what happened to me last year. By the time I became aware of the amazing experience that it would be to run the London marathon (my first ever), the ballot had closed, but my opportunity was not lost, and I chose a charity to do it through.
I admit, it was double the work training and raising money, but it was well worth it!
If your Why is about the running itself, there are countless other marathons to sign up for.
I recently watched a TEDx Talk by Maria Nemeth: “Would it be ok if life got easier?” and I found it fitting.
Maria invites us to see ourselves from the perspective of ontology vs psychology. Here the difference:
Psychology often asks:
“Why do I feel this way?”
“Where did this pattern come from?”
“What needs healing from my past?”
It focuses on understanding, processing, and sometimes fixing the self - often by looking backwards.
This can be incredibly useful for healing and making sense of our inner world.
But sometimes, we get stuck there - always trying to solve or improve ourselves before taking action.
Ontology, on the other hand, is the study of being.
It asks:
“Who am I choosing to be right now?”
“What’s possible if I step into that version of me today?”
Maria also invites us to turn our attention to making a contribution.
It takes guts to turn your attention away from complaints and toward contribution, but you’re only one decision away.
One of the exercises she shares in her talk is simple, yet powerful:
- Choose a person you admire.
- Name the qualities you see in them: the ones you deeply respect or are inspired by.
- Now realise: those qualities are within you.
Go act like that person.
Let those qualities lead your next decision, even if it’s something as small as how you show up today.
That’s how we begin to shift from stuckness to possibility.
What could contributing look like right now?
- Maybe it’s signing up to volunteer at the London marathon 2026.
- Maybe it’s supporting a friend training for another race.
- Maybe it’s running for pleasure, and being more present for your loved ones, or a dream project you’ve not started yet.
After crossing the finish line last April, I said to myself “I’m never doing this again”, and 2 days after, as the pain eased off, I signed up for the ballot.
I’m one of the 98.5% of people that didn’t get in.
I’m enjoying simply being, running to stay active as part of my cross-training, and putting my focus on my dream project: writing my books.
I might see you next April if I decide to sign up for volunteering.
Keep smiling,
Clau
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