NYC Marathon Resolution

http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/resolution.htm

Am I reading this right? I can get a full refund if I give up guaranteed entry for a future race, but if I choose that guarantee entry, it will cost me the full entry fee again,... really?!

Yup, that's how I'm reading it. I'd like to peek inside the head of somebody who chooses option #3.

Here is the full email for those interested (apologize as the HTML formatting was not maintained):

Dear Marathon Runners:
Thank you all for your patience during the last seven weeks as we have worked through issues related to the cancellation of the 2012 ING New York City Marathon. Hurricane Sandy was a devastating event for our city, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and their families as they work to rebuild their homes and lives.
We are sorry that it has taken us longer to resolve these issues than we had originally hoped. We have been working to offer the best possible solutions in order to meet the needs of the many different groups associated with the Marathon.
Our goal was to offer a range of options to each of you so that you can choose which option works best for you.
MARATHON RUNNERS
All 2012 Marathoners may choose one of the following three options:
•Option #1 - Refund. While NYRR has always had a no-refund policy for the Marathon, given these extraordinary circumstances, we are offering runners who were entered in the 2012 Marathon, and were unable to run due to the cancellation¹, the opportunity to obtain a full refund of their 2012 Marathon entry fee (excluding the $11 processing fee); OR
•Option #2 – Guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon for 2013, 2014, or 2015. Entrants in the 2012 Marathon who choose this option will be granted guaranteed entry to the Marathon for the year they choose. Runners will be required to pay all processing and entry fees at the time of application (in the given year), with fees maintained at the same rate as those paid in 2012; OR
•Option #3 – Guaranteed entry to the NYC Half 2013. Entrants in the 2012 Marathon who choose this option will be granted guaranteed entry to the NYC Half 2013, to be run on March 17, 2013. Runners will be required to pay all processing and entry fees at the time of application. Availability will be limited.
¹ Applies to runners entered in the 2012 Marathon who had not cancelled prior to October 24, 2012.


CHARITY RUNNERS
All runners who signed up to run the 2012 Marathon on behalf of Team for Kids or one of the official ING New York City Marathon charities and obtained their entry from NYRR will be offered the same options. The fundraising you did in connection with the 2012 Marathon will entitle you to any of the options above. If your 2012 Marathon entry fee was paid through your charity partner, you will be contacted directly by your charity.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL PARTNERS
All international runners who gained entry to the 2012 Marathon as part of a travel package with an official ING New York City Marathon International Travel Partner will be contacted directly by their International Travel Partner representative to facilitate their options.
TICKET-HOLDERS FOR OTHER RACE-WEEK EVENTS
Ticket-holders for any of the following events will be offered a full refund:
•Marathon Eve Dinner
•Reserved Grandstand Seating
•Blue Line Lounge Presented by Tata Consultancy Services
•Marathon in a Motorcoach
•TrackMyRunners™ via TXT
Those of you who were entered in the cancelled 2012 NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K will receive a separate e-mail outlining further details.


THE OPTION SELECTION PROCESS
Individual e-mails will be sent to all runners on January 10, 2013, and information will be posted on the Marathon website, providing further details and terms and conditions for the obtaining of refunds and the choosing of an option. The option selection window will open on January 11, 2013, and you will have until January 25, 2013, to choose your option, so we ask that you please act quickly once you receive the instructional e-mail, as there will be no default option.
Please choose the option that works best for you. If you have any questions prior to receiving our instructional e-mail on January 10, please do not hesitate to contact NYRR customer service at customerservice@nyrr.org.
On behalf of all of us at NYRR, thank you for your patience and support. Our commitment is to work hard over the coming year to serve our runners and community and to return the ING New York City Marathon to being our city's best day.

I actually cancelled on 11/1, but I think option 1 is still an option for me as it states that you had to cancel before 10/24 to not be included. I cancelled because it seemed like a good idea for me. Interesting options; however, and I guess the "payment" for the future NYC races is because you will be a guaranteed runner and not in the lottery(?). I'm actually on the fence as to whether I'll decide to run again as I actually have a time which would guarantee me an entry to 2013. Wonder if I can get the refund and then re-enter?

I believe some of you expressed an interest in running the NY marathon next year, and the entry options are in after last years' resolution:

Dear Runners:
We want to update everyone on some news pertaining to the ING New York City Marathon for both 2012 and 2013. We know everyone has been waiting for a marathon update, and we're happy to be able to provide some new information for this year's marathon.
As you may know, we issued our 2012 Marathon Resolution Options in January. The response was very strong, and we want to thank you and share with you the results of the resolution, as well as information regarding the runners who NYRR will be able to accommodate in the 2013 ING New York City Marathon.

2012 Marathon Resolution
Our primary goal was to provide the widest range of choices possible so runners could pick the option that worked best for them. Across the entire field, approximately 50 percent of runners chose to receive a refund and about 50 percent chose to run the marathon in 2013, 2014, or 2015 or the NYC Half 2013.

2013 Marathon Registration
This year, NYRR is committed to returning the ING New York City Marathon to its familiar place as an uplifting celebration of our great city. Our priorities in determining the 2013 registration process include maintaining the important diversity of our entry categories: NYRR members and local runners; participants from around the nation and the world, reflecting the diversity and global nature of NYC; and people running for charity (with an emphasis on NYC-based charities).
Based on the 2012 Resolution results, we are pleased to announce that in 2013, NYRR will be able to accommodate the following categories:
• NYRR-member 9+1 qualifiers
• Time qualifiers who achieved the standard in NYRR qualifying events
• Those who have run 15 or more New York City marathons
• Those who have earned guaranteed entry after being denied three times previously
• Charity Partner Program participants
• Those who entered through an International Travel Partner

Time Qualifiers
We regret that there will be limited availability for time qualifiers.
• The overall pool of time qualifiers will be capped at 2,000; time standards and the qualifying window are posted on our website

• Those who qualified during the window in an NYRR race (the 2013 Manhattan Half-Marathon, NYC Half 2012, 2012 Brooklyn Half-Marathon, 2012 Grete's Great Gallop, 2012 More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women's Half Marathon, or 2012 Staten Island Half-Marathon) will be guaranteed non-complimentary entry
• The remaining time-qualifier spots will be filled by a special random drawing; those not selected will be entered into the general marathon drawing. Specific details for applying will be posted on our website prior to the launch of the general Marathon application/registration

General Marathon Registration and Drawing
The general marathon drawing has been an integral element of the marathon for decades, as it gives everyone who desires a chance to run. Because of the diversity of options chosen by 2012 runners, and given our commitment to ensure a wide pool of runners in 2013, we will be able to hold the drawing this year. Given the accommodation of 2012 marathoners in the 2013 field, the drawing is expected to be smaller than in years past. Given our field-size limits, the number of entrants drawn will depend on the number of guaranteed entrants.
Registration to apply for the 2013 marathon will be open from April 24 to May 24. The non-guaranteed entry drawing will be held shortly thereafter. Further details and terms and conditions will be available on the Marathon website (ingnycmarathon.org) when the application is posted. Please be aware that all guaranteed entrants will have to complete the marathon application between April 24 and May 24. We will communicate details of the application process in the coming weeks.
All of us at NYRR want to thank each and all of you for your support and commitment to running, to the Marathon, and to the City of New York. We look forward to welcoming our runners, the New York community, and millions of local spectators and worldwide broadcast viewers back to the ING New York City Marathon this year, as we seek to inspire people through running and make Marathon Day 2013 a great one.
If you have any questions at all, please contact NYRR customer service at customerservice@nyrr.org.

Yours in running,

Mary Wittenberg

I'm going to keep throwing my name in the lottery until I can come up with a qualifying time - it will sure be easier next year when I turn 50.

I'm guaranteed under the 3 strikes your in rule. Question will be if I can muster up the enthusiasm to run another marathon let alone NYC after Steamtown.

this is too complicated for me.

There are only 2000 spots for guaranteed entries this year due to the number of 2012 entrants that decided to run in 2013. I figure that if my friend and I register with our guaranteed entries that we would probably get in as the times for a 51 yr old and 57 yr old woman are much tougher than Boston standards which puts us in a minority rather than majority. However, we are not entering as I am going to run Indy to get a better Boston time for 2015 and knock off my 25th.