Billed as the world’s greatest marathon, the Virgin Money London Marathon was first held in 1981, and since then, it has grown in size and stature every year, attracting more than 40,000 runners annually.

The course begins in Greenwich Park and brings runners through London’s iconic sights such as Cutty Sark, Canary Wharf, Tower of London and The Houses of Parliament, before finishing at Buckingham Palace.

Got a Ballot Slot

I have been entering the ballot for the Virgin Money London Marathon for the past few years, but to no avail. This year though, I had been fortunate and lucky enough to successfully ballot for the race slot.

As London is one of the marathons that I have always wanted to run in, I must admit that I had been really excited to be actually going to be a part of the iconic running event, which had taken place on Sunday 28 April this year.

Running Show at ExCeL London

My Virgin Money London Marathon adventure began with the Running Show at the ExCeL London, which had been open from the Wednesday to Saturday prior to the race. This is where I picked up my race pack for the Marathon.

Running At Eliud Kipchoge’s Pace

At the expo, one of the highlights was a giant treadmill whereby participants could try running at Eliud Kipchoge’s actual World Marathon Record pace of 02 Hours 01 Minute 39 Seconds – for a distance of 400 Metres.

I tried this out, and while I managed to pass the test, I have to admit that it had left me completely winded and out of breath.

It was a fun experience though and it has really made me amazed at how Kipchoge was able to maintain such a pace for a Full Marathon.

Race Souvenirs

And other booths available at the expo consisted of exclusive running gear and race souvenirs for sale from event sponsors New Balance, as well as booths set up by the various charities that were supporting this year’s Marathon. They were giving out small freebies such as sweets and chocolates to runners at the expo.

And Precision Hydration, a British team focusing on athlete sweating and the science of sweating in sport, were also present.

Body Composition Analysis

As well, I also tried out a body composition analysis offered by the event’s drink sponsors, Lucozade. This was quite informative and I was pretty happy with the result. Apparently my body is functioning as well as a that of a 15-year-old, based on this test!

Meeting Kipchoge

Kipchoge himself also made an appearance at the expo to answer some questions, sharing some quick tips and pointers with runners.

When he was around, it was complete madness, with everyone wanting a piece of him; as a result, I wasn’t able to get anywhere near the Kenyan at all.

Nonetheless, the expo had all been very interesting and I found myself spending several hours there, looking through everything that was on offer.

Race Morning

Race day dawned bright and early with me waking up at 6am in the morning in order to get my pre-race preparations done and grab a quick breakfast before then making my way down to Blackheath station, where my start line was.

This year’s London Marathon organisers had randomly assigned runners into one of four coloured starts – Red, Blue, Green and Yellow, in a bid to alleviate the congestion and large numbers of runners during the race. Runners in the different starts were required to report to different train stations; my Blue Start was Blackheath.

As I had been amongst the earlier batches to arrive at the race, the train was not too congested and I was still fortunately able to get myself a seat. That was good because I knew that I had needed to conserve my energy for later.

Reaching the Greenwich Park

I reached Greenwich Park in good time, heading to the toilet and then depositing my bag before spending some time simply chilling out within the warmth of the Ladies Changing Tent.

It was a cold morning, with the temperatures at a low of 9 degrees C and a high of 15 degrees C. This was actually slightly colder than I would have preferred.

Prior to the race, I also managed to take a photo with a Minion from Despicable Me. Apparently he was going to run the Marathon in that costume.

Outside, there was a large TV screen that had been erected, showing runners the progress of the race, which had started from 9:05am with the elite wheelchair categories.

Going to my Start Zone

My Race Start Zone officially opened up at 9.45am, and I queued up to get a good position near the front.

Beginning My Run

After a long wait in the freezing cold and watching earlier waves flagging off, my race began at about 10:40am.

Crowds Were Massive

And right from the start, the crowds and atmosphere were really massive.

Throngs of screaming spectators lined the running route, and this never let up throughout the entire 42.195km of running.

Some had interesting signs such as “Run For Westeros” which caught my eye as I’m a fan of Game Of Thrones, as well as “You Run Better than the Government” and “Pain is the French word for Bread.” These all stuck in my memory.

Also, there were several bands along the course playing catchy and upbeat music that kept me going strong, too.

As a result, I found that I was having so much fun at the beginning of my run. Out of all the races that I have run, I have to say that London is definitely the one with the most crowds and the best ambience, so far. It was truly incredible, indeed.

Food From Spectators

Moreover, spectators were also giving out energy boosters, that ranged from gummy sweets to biscuits and even buns, to the runners. I took a few gummy sweets for the sugar high, and I think that these helped to keep me going.

My Strategy

In terms of my own race strategy, I had set out at a pace that was probably slightly faster than I had originally intended due to the hype and the adrenaline from the spectators.

Based on my heart rate though, which was towards the high end of my Easy Zone, I felt that it had still been okay for me to maintain the pace. So I continued running, using my heart rate and breathing patterns as a guide.

Spectators Call My Name

As advised by runners who had run London before, my t-shirt had my name printed on it, and I think that I had made the right decision to do so – as many spectators called out my name from my t-shirt. It was amazingly encouraging and it really spurred me on to keep on running.

As a result of this, the miles just whizzed past as I was enjoying myself so much. Eager to soak up the crowds and sights as much as possible, I barely even looked at my pace or timing as I ran along, giving high-fives to both children and adults alike, along the way.

A good family friend of mine, Helen White, was also amongst the spectators, but unfortunately, I didn’t manage to spot her amongst the crowd, even though I had known roughly where she was standing. I’d been a bit disappointed with that.

Nonetheless, my main goal at the Virgin Money London Marathon was to have fun along the way, and I am happy that I achieved just that. Running a good timing would be a bonus.

Runners in Costume

Besides the spectator crowd, the other runners along the way also provided lots of entertainment.

There were runners dressed up in elaborate costumes ranging from a rhino to a car. And apparently there was a runner was also dressed up as Big Ben too.

It was all very interesting and I really respect people who can run in these costumes.

Marathon Signages

I noted that the London Marathon had signages in both kilometres and miles to cater to runners from all over the world who use different units of measurement.

However, the mile markers were noticeably bigger and these were decorated with balloons too.

Nonetheless, having both had helped me to keep track of my race and the pace that I was going at.

Race Pacers

Besides the signages, I also spotted the 4hr 30min pacers from both the Red and the Green Starts running in front of me carrying large flags with their timing printed on it. Apparently there were pacers present for all the different coloured starts. Though they were not from my Blue Start, their presence nonetheless had helped me as a rough guide in terms of what timing I had been placing at.

Hydration

For the hydration stations, however, the drinks were being served in sports bottles rather than in cups.

Water, which was provided by Buxton, was exclusively available at 13 stations along the race in 250ml bottles.

And the other eight stations along the route were serving Lucozade, also given out in sport bottles. But there was no station that had both water and Lucozade available for runners.

Providing runners with sport bottles rather than cups, I felt, generated more wastage of the drink because runners would tend to take a few sips and then simply throw the rest of the bottles away.

For me, I was mindful of this, and didn’t want to waste too much of the drink, so when I did take the beverages, I tried to consume at least half of the bottle before throwing it away. This also meant that I didn’t stop at all the stations, as I didn’t want to risk over-hydration.

Gels and Jelly Beans

There were three aid stations, though, which provided runners with gels and jelly beans.

As I wasn’t adventurous or daring enough to try out gels that I have never used before in training, I took some jelly beans from these pit-stops for the energy boost and that was good.

Ooho

At Mile 23, though, the Lucozade drink was served in Ooho sachets. These are edible seaweed capsules and are being introduced by Lucozade in a bid to reduce wastage. As I am usually never try anything new on race day, I admit that I had been hesitant to try one at first.

But when I got to Mile 23, I decided to take one, after all, mostly because I was feeling thirsty and in need of some hydration.

And the Ooho sachet was quite pleasant to take, with the Lucozade bursting out of the capsule and easily sliding down my throat.

As well, I thought that it was easier to consume than a sports bottle, too.

But unfortunately I had to move down the row and take more than one sachet, as each one is quite tiny and doesn’t really hold much Lucozade within it.

Shower Points

The Virgin Money London Marathon race organisers had also placed several shower points at a few spots along the course. Though it was not particularly a hot day, I still decided to run through a few of these, but I really did feel that the cold water helped to energise me in some way.

Tower Bridge

Running on the Tower Bridge at about 20km was particularly enjoyable. The crowds here were just as thick, and the scenery was so beautiful too. I admit that I even took a quick selfie at this point.

Right Foot Pain

The fun and enjoyment of running the London Marathon lasted till about 28km, which was the point when I began to feel my right foot causing me some pain.

I suspected that this could have been due to the fact that I had tied my shoelaces quite tight, but I didn’t want to stop halfway during the Marathon to re-tie them as that would destroy my momentum.

So I just grit my teeth and tried to forget about the pain. I think that the screaming crowds helped me to deal with the pain, and a few kilometres after that, my foot started to feel numb rather than painful, so at least that problem was somewhat solved, I guess.

Heavy Legs and Fatigue

After I hit the 30km marker, running for such a long time began to take its toll on me. My legs were beginning to feel rather heavy and the fatigue was starting to set in. But my goal had been to finish the London Marathon and I was not going to settle for anything less than that.

Shutting Out Everything

And at 20 Miles, the crowds that had felt so motivating earlier in the race, were beginning to feel a little bit irritating. I was suffering and feeling quite miserable, yet the supporters were so jovial and happy.

This was the point when I think that I had shut out everything else around me, including the scenery, and I just wanted to see the end of the Marathon. I was fatigued and barely registering anything else by this time.

My legs were feeling numb and it was no longer fun and games anymore. Instead, I felt like I was on a death march to the finish and I had to constantly remind myself many times, that I had actually signed myself up to do this.

Buckingham Palace

As a result, seeing Buckingham Palace, accompanied by the sign, “385 yards to go” was the best sight in my life. This meant that I was on the verge of finishing the Virgin Money London Marathon and the crowd support here seemed to be thicker than ever.

It was also the point in time when I was beginning to feel a little bit emotional.

This is because even though London is not my first Marathon, it is the Marathon that I have set my sights on running, for a while now. So the mere fact that I’d been given this opportunity to actually run it, had felt quite surreal.

In fact, I was still pinching myself to make sure that this was not a dream and that I was really here and truly on the verge of completing such an iconic race.

Finishing the Virgin Money London Marathon

I ran through the finishing chute, stopping the clock at 04 Hours 31 Minutes and 50 Seconds.

This is where I took several photos of myself, before then heading over to collect my race medal, finisher t-shirt and a goodie bag which consisted of mostly recovery food such as an apple, energy bars, pretzels and chips.

And I think that I had been pretty lucky with the t-shirts too, because there was only one more piece left available in my size, which I quickly took.

I admit that I would have felt really disappointed if I had to end up with a too-big size that didn’t actually fit me. So I was really glad and thankful that I had not finished the race just one second slower.

Photo Opportunities

There were several photo opportunity signages at the finish area Virgin Money London Marathon, and I took the chance to pose with my medal at these signages for the memories, as I may never get another chance to run in this iconic Marathon again.

Soon after that, I picked up my bag and then I headed out to meet Helen and her daughter for a meal.

As I had not eaten any proper food since breakfast, I was beginning to feel quite hungry by this point so that was good. We went to a Western cafe and it felt great to fill my stomach up again, after having completed the long run.

Indeed An Iconic Race

Overall I would say that with the massive crowd support, this makes the Virgin Money London Marathon is definitely an iconic race indeed, and it is well worth running for any marathoner.

I had a really great time and I would certainly love to run in this race again, if the opportunity arose.