This April, after six months of training in the wettest, coldest winter for years, I took on the London Marathon. Here’s how it went.
As I mentioned above, I trained for this event from November right through to April. That involved weekly long runs in minus temperatures, pouring rain and even snow. So it was inevitable that I’d be running the hottest London Marathon on record, right? Arriving at Greenwich station and quickly ditching the jumper I’d been advised to wear to stay warm (definitely not needed), I was aware that my race day plans were going to have to be significantly altered to finish the race safely. Of course, I wanted to get a great time and I’d trained to finish in under five hours but, ultimately, completing the marathon was a lifelong dream and my one and only goal was to finish.
Walking through Greenwich park and seeing a hundreds of people all dressed in their charity vests and fancy dress sent a burst of excitement through me but it was time to jump straight in the toilet queues. Sun cream applied, bags dropped on the lorries, fuel packed and last bananas eaten, the only thing left to do was head to the start line.
You imagine the start of an event as significant as a 26.2 mile run through London to be momentous. In reality, there’s a lot of nervous shuffling around, waiting for your time to get going. But once you do pass through those gates, waving to the cameras at every possible chance and listening to the radio presenters calling out names from the crowd, what an incredible feeling it is!
The first 6 miles honestly flew by. The pace was much slower than I’d trained, simply because I knew how much my body was going to go through that day, so I felt comfortable getting into a rhythm. The roar from the crowd on the approach to Cutty Stark, and the band playing drums beneath one of the bridges, made my heart leap. Then actually seeing the ship and the packed streets the whole way round was fantastic.
Soon after we’d got ten miles done, double figures now. The support the whole way through meant that you honestly didn’t need headphones and you definitely never felt alone. Music from pubs and bars blaring out, live bands, dancers, cheer teams and random strangers calling out your name kept the atmosphere going.
Tower Bridge, the halfway point at 13.1 miles, was more of a shuffle than a blazing run of glory but still what an amazing sight. At this point, the midday sun was out and temperatures were around 26 degrees with heat bouncing off the road and buildings. I could see lots of people were really starting to suffer, pulling over for rest stops and even being treated roadside by the amazing ambulance team. If I’m completely honest, this got to me mentally. I was not prepared at all for the heat, in fact I hadn’t even done a single training run wearing less than leggings and a thermal top. Doubt niggled at me and the next few miles were about mental pep talks and putting one foot in front of the other.
Seeing my family at mile 17 was a huge motivator, I even had someone call out ‘You’re looking strong, Emma!’. Thanks for hugging me even though I was a sweaty mess, Mum. You’re the best. Next up, was my charity cheer team. It was amazing to have their support and being reminded of the difference that this race was making.
One of the the highlights of the final 8 miles was the Run Dem Crew‘s crazy set up at mile 21. The neon painted streets, music blasting, hand made signs and the loudest cheers on the route were a real boost. My legs started working again with about 5k to go, just a Park Run away from that finish line. Of course, nothing beats coming up to the the final kilometre because at that point, even if you crawl across the line, you know you’re going to finish.
Finally, a massive thank you to my amazing family, friends 
and colleagues who helped me to raise an amazing amount of money for UK Youth! The 2018 London Marathon was honestly a day I’ll never forget.
