They say good things come to those who wait. And wait, we did…..18 months to be precise. But boy, was it a good thing. Last week I finally ran the London Marathon, after getting my charity place back in 2019. The whole day was inspiring, challenging and joyous.
Here is my race recap – I must admit, the day is kind of a blur, so I’ve done my best to gather some thoughts – for my own memories, but also for anyone reading this!
The start line in sight
I think I went into the day so excited it was finally here that I genuinely forgot how far a marathon is and how hard it was going to get, despite running one last year and knowing full well. The buzz in the run up to the day was unreal. Of course, having a running blog and Instagram page means you are flooded with other people’s posts and preparations too which really raises the excitement levels, knowing you’re not on your own. Heading to the expo at the ExCel was also brilliant, I had never been to one before and it made everything feel very real.
Having been lucky enough to have been asked to feature in the official We Run Together campaign this year, I had a HUGE surprise when I saw my face being one of ten faces along the exit wall at the expo – so altogether I think it’s safe to say I was VERY excited in the run up to marathon day.
Arriving at Blackheath on the Sunday morning was really buzzy, everything was super organised and being amongst that many runners heading to the start line was really special. There was definitely a nervous energy in the air, most notably in the long old queue for the toilets! The organisers had, of course, devised a sensible staggered start across three separate start areas rather than the usual mass start. As my wave started moving and the start line became in my sight, I suddenly realised this was it and we were actually about to start….
Miles 1-7
The first few miles were great, just taking in the atmosphere, the fact we were actually on our way, the lovely crowd who were lining the residential streets through the early miles. I was plodding along at a nice slower pace and trying to set myself into it. I knew my boyfriend, brother and sister-in-law were heading for their first spectator spot in Greenwich so that motivation to get to mile 6-7 helped me cruise along. I was also trying to keep to the cardinal rule of ‘dont’ set off too quickly….’
Arriving in the streets of Greenwich and approaching Cutty Sark was the first bit where the crowd was really roaring. My gang were just short of the mile 7 marker and seeing them there for the first time was amazing! Such happiness to see people you knew and also knowing that you’d ticked off the first quarter.
Mile 8-13
I remember feeling pretty comfortable as we went through the 9 and 10 mile marks, but will be the first to admit that I do still find the half marathon distance somewhat difficult by itself, so for me there was still a phase of psyching myself up around there. Tower Bridge is fantastically placed at this stage though; its in mile 12 and of course, is one of the most iconic and anticipated parts of the run.
As we approached the turn onto the bridge, I remember someone struggling nearby and the person she was running with telling her ‘we’ll start running again at the traffic lights and then once we turn the corner to the right the bridge is right there, ok?’ – it really is a landmark of the course and one that can motivate those lagging, however hard.
The hype is to be believed – the cheering crowds take you right over the bridge and straight into the second half of the course…!
My support gang had already made a surprise mile 11 appearance and I then checked my phone and saw they had made it to mile 13.5 too. Well done them. At this point of the course you share the road with people coming in the other direction. It took me a while to realise those runners were actually at mile 22 rather than just up the road from me….so whilst I was delighted to hit half way, it certainly opened my eyes to how far there was left…..
Miles 14-18
I must say I don’t remember that much of this stretch other than probably feeling like I was slowing throughout. I do recall my thighs/quads really burning from around halfway as the fatigue grew, which was interesting as I’d never particularly felt that before during my training (it had always tended to be my lower legs or hips that ached).
The overriding memory of this stretch is seeing my mum and dad for the first time! HUGE hugs and a super boost. They had train delays getting into London that morning so had missed getting to Greenwich in time so I stopped for a little chat and some pics, of course…
Mile 18-22
Ok this bit was tough. By now my knees had suddenly become shot to pieces and the ache from my quads seemed to have all transferred into my knees which were feeling, well, broken. I was very much run/walking these miles now and determined to just keep moving and to not stop. I was finding it hard to literally get my legs up past a certain height and this was really slowing me. This bit is also the in and out route snaking around Canary Wharf (& co) which, even if you know the area, certainly loses your bearings a little. I did, however, get more support from my gang – and a jelly baby fix.
I will admit these miles are the bit where you do question if you can finish – there is a reason this is the infamous Hitting the Wall period and the self-doubt is incredible at this point. Be prepared.
Mile 22-25
By now my knees really were shot. Any pace was impossible and I had come to the realisation a while ago that I wasn’t physically running in any good form and I was having to just get through in a walk/crawl/jog fashion. My knees buckled in a few places but again, it was ‘let’s just keep moving, one foot in front of the other’. It also poured down with rain at mile 22 which was, let’s say, unwelcome….
I saw my gang AGAIN after mile 23 – this was amazing because whilst I was struggling hard at this point, I now had less than 5k to go…..
They also made it further down to the Embankment, and a close friend surprised me there too. She made the very excellent point that the mile 25 sign was ‘just down there’ and so off I crawled, joyfully shouting ‘see you at the end’, whilst actually wondering why on Earth I was still here all these hours later…..
The end is in sight here though – not literally, but there is a noticeable mental shift as you realise that you’re genuinely in the final stretch now…..
Mile 25-26.2
Ok so mile 25 is still hard…..I was trying to just run through the final miles but the knees werent really on board with that. As you run along the Embankment, I must give credit to the crowds and supporters who are cheering like crazy and really putting energy into shouting your name, even as your legs just move so incredibly slowly. Everything was burning and in pain, but once you turn the corner at Westminster it is genuinely a case of ‘just go, just go’.
The Horse Guards Parade felt bloody long (‘where the hell is that Mall’) but again – it’s ’just keep going’. I tried my utmost to keep running (crawling) through the last km and suddenly started seeing those beloved signs…..600m to go….is it a mirage….gosh 600m is quite long….400m to go….oh my goodness I’m turning the corner onto Buckingham Palace…..it’s finally here……can I sprint it?…..200m to go…..Ok really can’t sprint…..along the home straight…..it really is the home straight now…..shut up knees…..I’m finishing……..THE FINISH LINE OH MY GIDDY AUNT!!
When I crossed the line I honestly just didnt know what to do. I welled up, I was told to keep walking through. Taking a foil blanket seemed like the right thing to do so I did it. All I wanted was to see someone I knew but with supporters not allowed in the finish area yet, it really was just a blur of elation, pain, emotion and feeling suddenly a bit lost! Fascinating really how our mind and bodies react.
I did, of course, finally find my family and boyfriend and then the hugs, videos and photos were mega. My glorious medal and t-shirt sat proudly in my kit bag and I couldn’t believe I’d done it. How very special it finally felt.
I was a marathoner. Again. A second time marathoner – how bizarre. A LONDON marathoner as well – the most iconic race in my most favourite city. I must say, the day was filled with gratitude, smiles, love and support – I may not have been able to walk very well for the rest of the day (or the day after), but hell, it was worth it. One of the greatest days. I hope the video below (kudos and thanks to my boyfriend and brother for filming on the day) shows what a fantastic and joyful day it was.
Who cares about the time. Who cares about my ‘performance’. Who cares that if I hadn’t have stopped to say hello to my gang at 8 places I could have shaved probably 20 mins off my time. No-one really cares but me – and if it was down to me, I’d do it all again.
Love ya London.
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