London Marathon, 23 Apr 2023

My fourth official marathon and second London Marathon, but the first marathon I went into without a goal of a certain time/PB and it was very refreshing! I already had a GFA qualifying time for 2023 so there was no pressure to even hit that and I was definitely more relaxed in the lead-up! My only real goal was to embrace the atmosphere which I regretted neglecting a little during my first time running London in 2021.

The day kicked off bright and early, traditional pre-race porridge consumed and we began the journey across London - definitely serious camaraderie on the tubes as you collect more and more runners along the way! The start area was very straightforward and by the time I’d made it through the toilet queue and dropped my bag it was almost time to head to the start pen which was good given that the heavens had already opened! I like that London has a sort of rolling start - once you’re out of your pen you head for the start line and start running, definitely helps prevent the bottleneck a little!

The first 12 miles passed nice and steadily (and the rain continued!) with Cutty Sark definitely being a highlight with the crowds absolutely packed. I was running to feel and barely looking at my watch except to occasionally check I wasn’t getting caught up and going too fast, especially on the downhills. Tower Bridge is definitely a big milestone in the race, at roughly the halfway point, the crowds definitely didn’t disappoint and you definitely get a wave of emotion crossing that historic landmark.

Around 16-18 miles I noticed the hip niggle I’d been on/off battling for several months rear its head again, combined with a little bit of nausea (still unsure about this as I had followed my normal fueling/nutrition plan!). This resulted in me slowing down a little and walking a couple of the water stations. The last 6-8 miles were punctuated with seeing lots of friends along the route (and stopping for a few hugs/high fives!) which definitely carried me through! The mile 21 and rainbow row cheer points were definite highlights and the boost they give you can definitely not be underestimated! The last few miles along Embankment and around Westminster flew by (time wise, definitely not pace wise!) and another break in the rain made for a wonderful finish line sprint! Despite my lack of goals, it didn’t end up being my slowest marathon and was definitely one of my more enjoyable races! The atmosphere at London really can’t be beaten and I definitely plan to come back next year (with maybe a BQ goal in mind!).

Millie Rhead