Trying to snag a decent ticket for the 2012 London Olympicsshould have been made an Olympic sport in its own right. In the UK, seats wereallocated via a complicated lottery that saw many sports fans commit tospending thousands of dollars with no idea whether they would wind up tracksidefor the 100-meter dash, or way in the back at the Greco-Roman wrestling. Andwhen these were sold out ” leaving many applicants empty handed ” resourcefulticket hunters took to the internet, trying to snap up seats allocated to 215other countries competing in the Games. Some with money to burn reportedlysplashed over Rs seven lakhs on the black market. Ordinary ticket sales are nowclosed, although you can pick up a few blue chip seats at premium prices, orpackage deals involving long schleps from beige airport hotels to sports eventsyou’ve barely heard of.
But if you’re still heading to London (or other venuesaround the UK) in the hope of seeing some of the world’s finest athleteswithout blowing an Olympic-sized wedge of cash, all is not lost.
If you know when and where to go, there are still plenty offree or budget opportunities to sample this year’s Games. But make sure youarrive early to beat the crowds. And because the UK summer is not to be trustedunder any circumstances, pack an umbrella.
Marathon
With a route of 26.2 miles, this is by far the easiest eventto see for free in the center of London. The marathon begins in the The Mall,the broad thoroughfare that leads up to Buckingham Palace. It turns onto theEmbankment, running eastwards on the north bank of the Thames river, beforelooping around St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. It then chargesback down the Embankment to the Houses of Parliament, before returning to theMall.
Why you should: Great chance to combine the Olympics andsightseeing in London.
Why you shouldn’t: Up to 1.5 million people are expected toshow up on sidewalks with a 150,000 capacity.
Date: Women’s - August 5, Men’s - August 12
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10K swimming events
It’s hard to believe that watching distant swimmers splashup and down an ornamental pond for nearly two hours is anyone’s idea of fun,but the Serpentine lake in the bucolic surroundings of London’s Hyde Park makea great venue.
Why you should: If it’s sunny, you can combine an Olympicsport with a picnic in a royal park.
Why you shouldn’t: If it rains, it will be wretched.
Date: Women's - August 9, Men's - August 10
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Free triathlon
The triathlon was one of the first Olympic events to sellout, but with up to 90 percent of the three-stage race is held outside ofticketed areas, tens of thousands of people are expected to turn up for a freeglimpse. The event begins with a 1,500 meter swim in the Hyde Park’s Serpentinelake, followed by a 40 kilometer bike ride around the city and then a 10kilometer race through the park. Among the best vantage points will be on thecycle route as it passes Wellington Arch, Buckingham Palace, and South CarriageDrive.
Why you should: Three Olympic events for the price of none
Why you shouldn’t: Three times the crowds
Date: Women's - August 4, Men's - August 7
- Race walk
Athletes waddling at low speeds would seem to have morecomedy than sporting appeal, but this surely raises the chances of getting agood view. The race walk route loops up and down the ticket-only Mall area,around the Queen Victoria monument that stands in front of Buckingham Palace, thenup and down Constitution Hill (a hill in name only), where viewing is free.
Why you should: Olympic athletes will pass you every fiveminutes for nearly four hours.
Why you shouldn’t: Four hours of walking! That’s not exactlyUsain Bolt.
Date: Men's 20km - 4 August, Men's 50km - August 11, Women's20km - August 11
If none of the above appeal, there is always the option ofwatching the Olympics on one of the big screens that will be dotted about thecapital. These will be ticket-only access, and details of how obtain these havenot yet been made known. There may also be tickets available for the Olympicpark itself after the Games get underway. Once inside, visitors may be able tobuy access to seats vacated by people heading home for the day. If all elsefails, and you have no aversion to traveling 100 miles out of London to thepost-industrial city of Coventry, tickets to watch Belarus take on New Zealandat soccer are still in plentiful supply.
