London Marathon 2013

A big thank you to our wonderful supporters who ran the 2012 London Marathon. It was a fantastic day and we were so proud to see you all run by the cheering station!

London Marathon Runners 2012Feeling inspired to enter the Virgin London Marathon 2013?

If you have been inspired to take part in the nation’s biggest running event please consider joining the Acorns Team!

Apply for one of our guaranteed places

Acorns have a small number of guaranteed places available for the 2013 event which we will allocate via a ballot. Our places are split into the following 2 categories:

Gold Bond Advance Places:
These guaranteed places will be allocated on application from 23rd April 2012, giving a full year to fundraise and train.  All successful applicants are asked to commit to fundraising a minimum of £2,500 for Acorns.  Of this amount a minimum of £500 must be received no later than Monday 15th October 2012.  In addition a £50 personal contribution will be required on confirmation of your place.  To apply for a Gold Bond Advance place please complete and return the registration form found here. Receipt of your application form will be confirmed by email within 7 days, if you do not hear from us please get in touch as soon as possible.

Gold Bond Places:
The ballot for our Gold Bond places is open from 23rd April to 18th October 2012.  For these places there is no benefit to getting your application in early so please think carefully about your fundraising plans and how you can raise the minimum requirement.  All applicants will be notified of the results by Friday 19th October 2012. 

All successful applicants are asked to commit to fundraising a minimum of £2,000 for Acorns.  In addition a £50 personal contribution will be required on confirmation of your place.  To apply for a Gold Bond place please complete and return the registration form found here. Receipt of your application form will be confirmed by email within 7 days, if you do not hear from us please get in touch as soon as possible.

If you have also entered the Virgin Marathon Ballot and are lucky enough to get a place we will withdraw you from the Acorns ballot to help make our places go further. You will no longer be required to raise a set minimum amount of sponsorship but funds already donated will be non-refundable. We hope that you will still be a part of the Acorns team.

Get your own place and join the Acorns Team

If you have been lucky enough to get your own place via the Virgin Marathon Ballot (see  www.virginlondonmarathon.com) or any other method we would love you to join our team fundraising for Acorns.  See below for what we can offer you in return for your support.  There is no minimum sponsorship requirement for those with their own place who choose to join the Acorns team but we do encourage you to fundraise for Acorns. To become part of our team of runners and help us help us to make a difference to local life limited children across the heart of England simply email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name and address details.

Supporting you

We'll be there to support you from the moment you sign up to join our team. Whether you have one of our bonded places or if you have your own you can expect the following:

• A fundraising pack with lots of helpful tips and advice

• An Acorns running vest or t-shirt to wear in training and on the day

• A fundraising advisor available on the phone as and when required

• To become part of a group of Acorns marathon runners receiving regular email updates and meeting at socials to discuss training and fundraising

• A tailored training plan and ongoing support from our running expert

• A pre-race day dinner with the team

• Support from our cheering station on the day

Experience of a lifetime

Brian Chu, one of our 2009 runners, gave us his own insight into his experience and the reasons for choosing to support Acorns:
 
"The crowd was amazing. The roar was deafening. The heat was stifling. It’s like being at a stretched out snake shaped Wembley, Twickenham and NEC all stuck together end on end. They really want you to win. It’s just one massive street party..."
 
"We’ve raised over £1,100 for Acorns Children’s Hospice!  But it's not all about me. It's about pulling together with whatever we can do to help charities like Acorns. The 'grief' I went through is nothing compared to what Acorns has to deal with on a daily basis. At difficult times like now, it's the small charities which get hurt the most. Being small doesn't mean their work is less important but being small means your donation goes a whole lot further."

If you have any questions please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0844 984 0405.