As a London Marathon virgin I was more excited than I can describe about Sunday’s race. Not even the predicted high temperature was going to put me off enjoying it. Having stayed in South London overnight I missed the transport problems suffered by those using the Docklands Light Railway but getting on the 8am from Waterloo East to Blackheath was like catching a weekday rush hour train and gave me my first glimpse of how huge an event this was.

I’m a novice at this scale of race so I probably should have been a bit better prepared at the start as having finished my fourth wee of the morning I found myself unable to get into my pen when the gun went off. The consequence was that I was completely hemmed in for the first few miles of the race. In fact the crowds were so dense at the start it took almost 10 minutes to do the first mile. So early on I knew my plan for a sub 3hr 15 was unlikely and given the heat I might even be outside my previous PB of 3hr 23. But I strode on anyway and enjoyed the crowds and the sights. At mile six I decided to push and put in a series of 7 minute miles (well okay one of them was a bit longer as I needed yet another wee) only easing up again after Tower Bridge.

Crossing halfway at about 1hr 39 I thought I might be in for a negative split if I kept my head. The whole East End/Canary Wharf section I found really tough since it was exposed enough in parts for me to really start feeling the heat for the first time. Getting a shout from a couple of BVHers at about mile 18 was a great boost at a tough time and seeing Paul Foot at about 22 miles marked the beginning of a period where I think my long training finally came into its own (although I have no idea why I look so relaxed in his pictures – where did I find the energy to wave so much?)

It was at this point I realised I wasn’t going to hit the wall, that my legs were tired but not drastically so and that I could even increase the pace a little if I so chose. Sub 3hr 15 had gone but a PB was definitely on and I began to enjoy the crowds again as for the first time the field thinned out a little along the embankment.

So I crossed the line in what I think, given the conditions, was a solid time of 3:17:51 having just about achieved a negative split. But most of all I’d run a sensible race that I’m genuinely proud of. Whisper it, but I think I’ve got a taste for this marathon running lark (don’t worry Jonathon I still plan to focus on speed so the next few months I’m all yours...).

Dave