The London Marathon; the only race where you can come across a spotty green dinosaur, an army of rhinos, a camel, a towering pantomime dame, minions, Where’s Wally, Batman and Robin, a man with a washing machine on his back … and it is accepted as totally regular and normal. Fantastic. The only race where I felt genuinely upset that it was over, but THE RACE that I felt simply blessed to be a part of and literally beam when I talk about. (I am smiling at the fond memories as I type this now!)
I was fortunate enough to be allocated a club place for London 2016 back in November. As soon as I knew that I would be taking part the London bug swept over me and I was on countdown! I didn’t even mind those long runs in the dark, dreary January mornings – it would all be worth it! Layering up for winter training (woolly hat meticulously placed!) was just a small price to pay and the early alarm clocks on the weekends were valuable to training. The excitement literally lasted for months and the anticipation throughout the race week was fantastic, although a sense of anxiety also came in waves too. Did I have enough gels? Had a packed enough running outfits? (You would think that I was going to be running for months!) Was my Garmin charged? Would the weather be ok? The weekend rapidly approached however and straight after work on the Friday we headed down to the Capital… The experience of the entire weekend was simply superb. Visiting the ExPo to pick up my number and listening to some of the talks, a last minute carb-loaded pasta meal with my family the night before the big day, wandering up to the start – I wanted to soak up every moment. On race day I got up extra early (of course!), headed to the Tube to ensure that I was at the start in Blackheath with plenty of time to spare. The atmosphere was exhilarating, with a whole array of costumes and vests with people’s names proudly ironed onto the front. I chatted to people at the start line, laughing and joking, but there was a definite feeling of tentativeness and apprehension too! Then we started … For me, one highlight was definitely at mile three when all the runners merge and you see just how many people are taking part. I was one of those 40,000 people. This seemed surreal! The crowds definitely lift you, as hearing people calling your name, cheering and clapping gave me a boost. I was mindful that I kept thanking everyone who clapped – It felt rude not to! – However, realistically I needed to save my energy, as 26.2 miles is hardly a stroll! Seeing my family at the Cutty Sark at mile six was a wonderful boost. They were equipped with their signs, which read: ‘This girl runs for oatcakes’ and ‘Go Charlotte’ t-shirts! A little bit of home! Mile thirteen was a dreamlike highlight for me. The view of Tower Bridge was staggering and I could not help but take a sneaky photograph to help savour the moment! Running across the bridge amidst the other runners and witnessing the many charities spectating and applauding was simply brilliant. The only point where I felt that the run was difficult was around mile sixteen. I had seen some spectacular sights, even had my two seconds of fame on TV next to Batman and Robin(!) but I was very aware that there was still a long distance to go. The trick is though, not to count down, but to realise how far you have come and before I knew it, I had reached the mile twenty mark and was then hugging the pink ladies at mile twenty-five. I blame them for my emotion at this point and my inability to speak! Westminster. Big Ben. Then, the Mall … I was at the finish. A smile fixed to my face, a medal round my neck, bag full of goodies (I definitely appreciated the foodie treats!) and hugs from my family and friends. I could not quite believe what I had done! I had fallen in love with running again. My plan had been a success: 1.) Soak up every second … of the whole weekend and entire experience. 2.) Hope to say that it was the best thing you have ever done at the end. London. You did not disappoint. Thank you for the memories! Kate Ellis and I arrived in the little village of Mobberley on a sunny Tuesday in early May in good time to collect our race numbers, secured a few weeks earlier just moments before the race sold out, as evidenced by my race number being 399 out of the possible 400! The route for this 5 mile race organised by Wilmslow Running Club is, quite literally, round the runway at Manchester Airport. Planes were landing as we followed lanes, paths and trails around the airport’s perimeter fence. The route was a bit muddy in parts and it was easy to be distracted by the planes and end up splashing through big puddles whilst running along – my shoes and socks were in a bit of a mess by the finish. Quite a few sections were footpaths right next to the runway fence - the runway almost in touching distance. After about 3 miles of running around the runway, we then ran down a steep-ish path, turned a sharp corner and entered the River Bollin tunnel, following a riverside. Adjusting to the semi-darkness was a bit of a challenge but not too tricky. The tunnel takes you right under the runway and the sound of a plane landing right above your heads was probably the loudest noise experienced in a race, although not much louder the Tower Bridge on London Marathon day. Back out into daylight and it was time to run/walk back up to runway level, the steepest incline of the race but over in less than a minute, and head to the finish. I enjoyed this race for lots of different reasons… the new location, the low-key organisation, the chance to chat with people from lots of different running clubs, the off-road route, stretching my legs in a sprint finish, the lovely sunny evening. And of course, the planes. How often am I going to run through a tunnel with a plane landing right above my head? Hopefully a few more of us will manage to get a place next year. It's well worth the trip. |
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