After 57 training runs, in 3 continents, over a 3 month period where I ran a total of 373 miles, yesterday I completed the poultry distance of 26.2 miles in the London Marathon in 5hours 27 minutes.
My backup team of 39,999 other runners were of great assistance as were the estimated 100,000 fantastic people in the crowd who turned out to cheer me on around the whole route of the race. If you have your name on your running vest as I did then the crowd seem to be calling out to only you with personal encouragement almost the whole way round, I guess they might have called out other names but I dint hear them. Mind you if you dare to start walking, which I only did a couple of times to send texts to let people know where I was, then the crowd’s encouragement becomes even more fervent! Having 100,000 people giving you a hard time is certainly quite motivating!
The weather was sunny and hot for most of the way and perhaps just a little too hot for many of us but fortunately not enough to cause sun burn.
The lows for me were in no specific order:
· Being overtaken several times by a guy called Russell in a big Rhino costume.
· The several places where the course narrowed to such an extent that we were forced to walk
· Being overtaken several times by a guy called Russell in a big Rhino costume.
· Getting to the 10 mile mark and thinking that I still had another 16.2 miles to go.
· Being overtaken several times by a guy called Russell in a big Rhino costume.
The highs were too many to recall but included:
· Overtaking several times a guy called Russell in a big Rhino costume.
· Overtaking Elvis several times
· Overtaking Soldiers in full kit (carrying 40Kg rucksacks)
· The many bands, drummers, karaoke, pubs boom boxes, streamers lining the route – music all the way!
· Seeing friends and family at various places along the route, thanks guys!
· The efforts Muna put in dashing several times backwards and forwards across the city on extremely crowded tube trains to see the elites and me on the course and the finish line (just to clarify if there is any doubt I did not cross the line with the Elites!)
· Overtaking hundreds of other runners in the last 3 miles where I recorded my fastest times simply because of the way the crowd lifted me by shouting out my name.
· Resoundingly beating a guy called Russell in a big Rhino costume to the finishing line!!
Finally I would like to thank all of you who took the time and effort to make a donation for my run and the Circulation Foundation which is greatly appreciated. If anyone would still like to make a donation or even further please feel free to do so at: http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/NigelRoberts where donations will continue to be received until 7th May, 2001.
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