After months of training for the big day, the London Marathon was finally here. I was feeling very nervous. I kept going over everything in my head.
“Have I eaten properly? Have I had enough rest? Am I going to run out of energy half way round?”
Once the race got underway the nerves slowly started to disappear. The atmosphere was incredible, there were people in fancy dress, I even saw one guy running as Jesus, with an eight-foot cross strapped to his back. He ran completely barefoot, wearing just a piece of cloth to maintain his dignity. There were bands playing, spectators having barbecues, it felt like I was running through a festival.
At mile 12 I saw my family on Tower Bridge. There were so many people there, I thought I would really struggle to see them but as I reached the middle of the bridge, there they were and the boost it gave me was amazing. Everything was going so well and I was loving the race.
At mile 20 I was still feeling good and the fears I had at the start of not finishing were behind me. At mile 22 I was starting to tire, my feet were hurting, my legs were heavy and my breathing was getting tighter. But I knew my family were just around the corner so I was determined to push on and show them that I could do this. I knew that once I had seen them again I could make it. The last 2 miles felt like forever, running towards Big Ben and it just didn’t seem to be getting any closer, the one thing dragging me along though were the crowds, they were AMAZING!
The last 400 metres were out of this world, a feeling I have never had at any other event. The crowds are so loud and as the road widens and you come down the final straight to the finish line, you feel like the only person there and everyone is cheering for you. I had a huge rush of emotions coming across the finish line, I could not believe it. I had just completed a marathon! Something I have wanted to do for years. I was so proud and now I can’t wait to sign up for my next one.
Photo: Britainy Rae