So by the time this post goes up July will be almost over, and before we know it Run Disney will be upon us in Paris! Run Disney events are a great way to get active, while meeting some pretty awesome Disney characters along the way, and that's without even discussing those medals!
If you're used to Run Disney in the states but fancy giving it ago in Paris, you might find things here are slightly different than you're used to, and one of those main differences that can cause issues is the need for a medical certificate.
Due to a combination of French law and event insurance requirements you will often be required to produce a certificate which shows you are physically fit to participate, this is usually for longer distance events, typically a half or full marathon. The Run Disney races in Paris are no exception to this and for runners who want to take on the half marathon a certificate is required. Once you have signed up for the race you can download a certificate template from the Run Disney website which you can take to your GP and as them to sign, they make wish to see you and check things like your blood pressure and heart rate first before signing, or they may be willing to do so based on your medical records, please note this is typically a private service, so an additional charge may be required.
If you do not wish to use the template, or your GP is unhappy to do so, you can submit a different certificate so long as it meets the following criteria:
- It has to be translated into French
- It has to be issued and signed by a doctor, stamped and signed.
- It has to be delivered less than one year on the day of the race
- It has to include one of the following sentences; "no contraindication to the practice of running in competition“, or “no contraindication to the practice of Athletics in competition”, “no contraindication to the practice of sport in competition”
And so, panic stations hit in, my GP had been holding on to my form for over 4 weeks when they decided they weren't happy to complete it, the medical certificates need to be submitted online before August 31st in order to be able to race, and I didn't know what other options I had. My GP had suggested I could go down a private route such as going to a Nuffield hospital, however there would probably be a wait for this and there was no guarantee of either the cost, or if they would actually agree to sign the form, so I set about looking for other options.
This is when I came across Sports Medical Certificates, this is a company who specialise in providing certificates for runner, cyclists and swimmers, this is all done online and they have access to a bank of GPs who are able to analyse your information, and where possible sign and provide a certificate for you. The process is fairly easy, you are asked to fill in a 5 section health questionnaire, this is fairly standard information such as your height and weight, if you drink or smoke and how much, a few questions about your families medical history, and lastly some information about your current exercise levels and which event you need the certificate for.
It only took a few minutes to fill in the form and once I got to the end I was asked to make a payment of £65, this is the cost of paying the Dr to sign the form and the cost of producing the certificate, yes this was a bit more than my GP had charged previously but with limited other options available to me, and the clock ticking in the background, I decided to go for it. The process from here was very quick and simple, I was kept updated constantly by E-mail along every step of the process, I was warned I may be asked further questions about some of the answers I had given (I'm probably not the preferred end of the BMI scale and I do take a number of prescription medications right now) but in the end this wasn't required. Within a few hours everything had checked out OK and I had the E-mail to say I had the all clear and my certificate was ready to download. If for any reason they decide they cannot provide you with a certificate, your fee is refunded in full, and they do provide a direct contact to the Dr assigned to your case should you need further info or have questions.
The certificate is provided on a PDF document, which means I can print as many copies as I need, but also I can save a copy to my laptop to keep a back up, and also I could easily upload it straight to the registration portal on the Run Disney website, I'm pleased to say Disney were really hot on this, and after only a few mins of submitting my runners info I had an E-mail back to say my medical cert had been accepted!
So, if like me you've found the path to getting your certificate less than easy, I would highly recommend Sports Medical Certificates, though they weren't the cheapest option out there, they were quick, easy to deal with and did everything I required. It's such a relief to know everything is sorted now and I can get back to training and planning my trip without panicking about not being able to compete.
Are you guys running? How did you get your medical forms signed? Drop me a comment I'd love to be able to share all the options!
Hoodsie xx
0 comments:
Post a Comment