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Entered the Paris half marathon and need a medical certificate to prove I have no health conditions that cold put me at risk. I have none that I know of.
My GP surgery won't provide one even though I offered to pay. Does anyone know how I can get one? I've seen a few private places that will, but they want over £300. I'm not paying that.
i had a similar thing when entering the Megavalanche last year.
As you say, my local GP surgery wouldn't provide one.
I joined British Cycling, which was enough to satisfy the organisers that i was fit and healthy. Just had to show my membership card.
Which obvs wont help here, but i wonder if there is a similar running association you could join which would negate the need for a medical certificate?
France is weird... right?!
Think Spain is the same. I tried to enter a couple of races (years ago) when on holiday. Low key local 10k's but they wanted the same. Shame I was in really good shape so missed out....
Wonder if membership of a UKA club would suffice or FRA etc.
I've seen places advertise for ~£160 but I guess it depends where you live. You certainly won't get certified for free. Check if you need the certification to have particular wording/format too. It's a standard thing for French races and lots of info on runners forums etc. Just google it.
Yes it needs specific wording.
Bit left field, but could you just fake one? Completely phoney doc name and address and a nice rubber stamp (French authority loves those). They're unlikely to check from Paris.
I don't think you'd be at risk of a fraud charge if found out (you may get blacklisted though!)
I've done a few of these by knocking up something with a wonky NHS logo, printing out and signing with a random signature, then scanning back in. I doubt they have the time or means to check the authenticity of a certificate, and I've never had a problem. A friend did a particularly bad handwritten job with no logos on, and they just asked him to get another one.
My GP surgery won’t provide one even though I offered to pay
What is it they won't do? Stamp a provided certificate (following an actual check up I'd imagine*) or prep and produce the certificate?
*mine charged the same as for stamping a passport application and were actually pleased to see me once a year for a basic once over.
I'll badger a friend who, due to leaving it late, got his done online for the same race.
and were actually pleased to see me once a year for a basic once over.
Don't know if you've watched the news lately but GPs/NHS staff in general are a teeny tiny bit busy and creaking at the seams for nice to haves.
Wife had to have one to swim the channel - I think it was £50 but that was years ago in less frenetic times.
As above - I think I'd be faking it and living with the consequences. It feels like a bit of arse covering and buck passing to GPs who could do without it tbh.
What is it they won’t do? Stamp a provided certificate (following an actual check up I’d imagine*) or prep and produce the certificate?
These are mostly a faff... Yes it's private work, and yes I'd charge upwards of £50 to do one, but.... TBH the potential for 'comeback' is frightnening and stressful, and not worth the money we charge..hence a lot of GPs jsut say no (which, as it's non contractural private work, they can jsut say no to it).
"hi DrP - this man died during his half marathon and it costs £30k to extract and return his body to the UK,, can you show me your certificate in sports physiology training that highlights he WAS fit enough to run it....."
"erm...."
"then we hold YOU responsible DrP...here's the bill"..
DrP
Yeah, I can see that might be a concern.
FWIW the one I needed was an "I don't know of any reason he shouldn't" not an "he'll be fine if he does" (auto correct changed that to fine if he dies, possibly rather telling)
A mate of mine approached his GP when doing the Paris marathon, he asked if he was doing it for charity, he said he was, (he wasn’t), GP signed it for free!
Think Spain is the same. I tried to enter a couple of races (years ago) when on holiday. Low key local 10k’s but they wanted the same. Shame I was in really good shape so missed out….
Never seen it here for a 10k, but they usually ask for one for ultras. And yeah, mainly seems to an arse covering exercise.
My son entered an event in France that needed a certificate ( http://www.transmaurienne-vanoise.com/). We were in Les Gets the week before and he was able to walk into a medical centre and get on one the spot. It took about an hour (from walking in with no booking to done) and cost (I think) about 90 Euros. It was quite thorough (ecg and the like) but unlike the UK, where he had completely failed to get one, they knew exactly what was required.
So perhaps allow a day in advance and do it in country.
Wife had to have one to swim the channel – I think it was £50 but that was years ago
If it were that easy... Saves all that pesky training... 🤪
cost (I think) about 90 Euros. It was quite thorough (ecg and the like)
That's about what it costs here (in Madrid) for a test with ecg. A lot of the races don't require an ecg, in which case you can easily walk into most private health clinics and get a doctor to give you a quick check up and sign a piece of paper for about €30. No idea if it's the same in France but it's a decent saving and would be worth looking into...
My GP is always over run. Getting an appointment is just a no go unless you spend days trying on the phone, then waiting for house for a callback.
These are mostly a faff… Yes it’s private work, and yes I’d charge upwards of £50 to do one, but…. TBH the potential for ‘comeback’ is frightnening and stressful, and not worth the money we charge.
Would you price one for me if I signed another letter saying I refused a check up or basically anything to cover you?
As @DrP says, it’s not NHS work and not covered by the GP contract (as I understand it) so if they’re going to do it at all, it’s going to involve sausages.
A lot of people wouldn’t touch it on the basis that their professional expertise doesn’t cover the physiological requirements to participate in activity X. If you really need it, ultimately it might mean seeing a sports physician privately; what does a diving medical cost?
I know people who have written their own for the Paris marathon without issue. When I did it years ago by GP provided a letter, but he was also a runner and had an interest in sports medicine.
I’ve nothing useful to add (not a medical Dr), but would like to ask about the phrase “it’s going to involve sausages”. Do they need to be frozen, come with a hammer and served on a lawn? Or is it the joy of auto-corrupt?
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I’ve done a few of these by knocking up something with a wonky NHS logo, printing out and signing with a random signature, then scanning back in.
French organiser: "If Dr H. Shipman is prepared to vouch for him, he must be OK!"
Would you price one for me if I signed another letter saying I refused a check up or basically anything to cover you?
Nice try! but soz, nope...
The trouble with looking back at the good ol' days is that:
1-GPs were much less busy as demand was more reasonable, so they had time to do it
b-there wasn't the threat of someone wanting to sue you or berate you for doing/not doing it
5-there was probably more compassion for going above and beyond the call of duty...
Dunno...
DrP
What a load of le bullshit. Just print yourself one off, sign it and stamp it.
Definitely arse covering.
A couple of friends needed one for doing an Ice Mile (1 mile swim in just keks and goggles with water below 5C). FFS they'd been going in the river all winter in preparation - the stress in the event was not much higher.
Another swim event in France/Switzerland (across Lake Geneva) had this requirement dumped on them by the local authorities quite late on last year. Just adds ££ and inconvenience for little to no actual safety benefit. These long steady efforts are much less taxing than going doing a 1 mile run or 400m swim where its eyeballs out at max HR from pretty much a standing start.
I've done several iron distance triathlons and long swim events. What is most likely to give me heart failure is the sprint distance race where I'm flat out from beginning to end with no respite. You know - the once beginners enter.
What a load of le bullshit. Just print yourself one off, sign it and stamp it.
This ABSOLUTELY will work.
The issue I've always thought about though is insurance. Small chance you'll crash and be hurt - but it's those times you wish you did things correctly - because you can guarantee they'll trace steps back to find liability
It costs an awful lot of (insurance) money to pick you up in a helicopter, keep you on a specialist ward in a posh Italian hospital for a week and repatriate you via ambulances back to the UK. Ask me how I know. Pretty sure if I was doing an event that required 'medical' signoff - not just being a silly kid not looking where they're going and having a genuine accident - they'd be looking deeply into it.
because you can guarantee they’ll trace steps back to find liability
And this is why GPs are reluctant to get involved... cos rather than Aviva pay out £££ for YOU being a numpty and not training/crashing etc, they'll try to push burdeon of responsibility on the poor mug that ALLOWED you to go in the first place!
DrP
Just edit a few details, and you're good to go..
PM of a GP surgery, and we have a policy of not doing these stupid things. As DrP suggests it's really not worth the hassle it you have an MI half way around.
Write it yourself, extra points for a made up doctor name like Dr. D'eath (real name) is the one...erm...I've heard other people use.
One GP round my way was called 'Dr Coffin'.
Every event (running cycling & intercompany work organised adventure race) I have ever entered in France has required a certificate to compete. I believe French nationals dont need then if they are members of recognised affiliated clubs.
Names I've seen at the bottom of them include a Dr Frank N Stein and S H Inbone.
Have to get medicals for scuba diving in foreign climbs sometimes.
Somewhere local is usually easiest but if you absolutely NEED one before you guy, search for diver medical and see if they do other stuff too, like these guy who were the first hit I found.
https://just-health.co.uk/marathon-medical/
That Trump letter is absolute madness!!!
One of the reasons I'm keen to avoid private medicine is because of the expectation to write shite like that!
DrP
AIUI it's why parkrun doesn't exist in France.
I'd just forge one. Load of bollocks IMO.
Would you price one for me if I signed another letter saying I refused a check up or basically anything to cover you?
You can't exclude liability for death or injury due to negligence in UK law, so I'm guessing that wouldn't work.
Just forge it. No-one at the race will care in the slightest.
France requires these for almost all sporting events. My (French) GP is very happy to do them, but does take it fairly seriously. He will call me in for a check-up if he hasn't seen me for a year or so. He wrote me a prescription for a full cardio check-up last time (I haven't got round to it yet!), not because I've got any issues, just because I'm getting on a bit and it's time to get checked-out.
@drlex In joke from a medical forum about non-contract GP work. I can’t be the only member of said forum on here…
Ah; thank you. I do love an idiom, hence the curiosity. That Trump medical note is a doozy!