Written by Phil Cairns
Well, that was special! I’ve supported London Marathon a bunch of times. Mostly from mile 23 with the Eagles, and one time at Westminster with my sister and her family to cheer on my brother-in-law (who we missed). So I know how nuts the support is in sections of the race. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much of the route feels like that. The hot day and the Guinness World Record-winning number of runners doubtless brought more supporters out than normal. And maybe there was already a rose tint to my post-race delirium. But apart from a couple of dips around the underpasses, it really felt like there was an incredible level of crowd support all the way round.
And I loved the way it changed character in different sections. I got a bit confused about where I was at times as so much of the route was unfamiliar. But I was conscious I think around Deptford at mile 7/8 of going through a section where all the sound systems seemed to be pumping out music of black origin, all reggae and steel drums. And likewise Rainbow Row, the LGBTQ+-dedicated stretch, certainly added more colour and carnival atmosphere than I imagine you normally find in Limehouse. I admired the courage of the marshal who was trying to contain a drag queen who’d gotten a bit rowdy!
I was asked to arrive at 8.30am for a 10.01 start and had discarded the hoodie I’d taken to keep warm at the start by 8.45, which was a sign of how hot the day was going to be. I decided to do the sensible thing and follow the organisers’ medical advice about dropping pace because of the sudden rise to tropical temperatures. I revised my target time from 3 hours 30 (8 min/miles) to 3’45 (8’30). But from mile 18 onwards as it became more attritional, I pretty much stopped looking at my watch and just focused on keeping going. I felt like I’d slowed more than I actually did, so while coming in at 3’46 was a minute outside my revised target, I certainly didn’t leave anything out there and felt able to be pleased with that.
I thought the event organisation was world class: super clear signposting to the different start areas and announcement about the wave start times, no queue to drop bags, toilet queues moved quickly. Anything that’s logistically difficult or takes up lots of time on race morning fuels my nerves, but it was such a smooth operation, everyone around me seemed as relaxed as could be at the start.
I’d opted not to have my name on my bib and wasn’t expecting to see anyone near the start. So it was a big surprise to hear my name being bellowed out about 500 yards into the race. It turned out my brother-in-law had been volunteering at the start and had dashed out to support after finishing his stint. He took a hilarious set of photos of me as I ran past him which, viewed in sequence, show perfectly realisation dawning as the penny dropped it was him!
The first group of friends I was expecting were at around mile 7.5. I was worried about spotting them, but to reduce the likelihood of missing them, one of them told me he was going to bring a large cardboard cinema standee of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. I thought it was pretty goofy when he told me. Pro-tip: standing underneath a beacon of The Rock sure makes you easy to spot in a crowd!
I did pretty well at spotting everyone I knew was going to be en route, and some I didn’t. Lisa Emerson and Liz Ainsworth (and I think a third person who I missed – sorry) found a relatively secluded spot at around mile 9 that made them pretty unmissable. Around a mile later I was lifted by Stuart Pugh’s dulcet tones bellowing out my name, followed I think shortly after by Dave Bone and Caroline Rush. And Paul Duffy popped up for a high five later on, somewhere around Canary Wharf maybe? I was a bit delirious by that point. I felt bad for missing Rachel Job (on a water station at the start) and Lou Winstanley (in the Run Mummy Run support crew around mile 19), although less so after the race when both told me they’d been moved from where I was expecting them to be!
I didn’t spot many other Eagles running, so it was nice to be able to give Peter Mizzi a shout when I passed him at around mile 6. I don’t really know Peter but his name on the West Ham top and club legend status made him easy to spot. I don’t think he had a clue who I was but he perked up when he saw my Eagles vest!
It was also a boost after crossing Tower Bridge to see a speedy Eagle bombing back the other way on the switchback. At the time I thought it was Ben Smith, but he wasn’t listed in the results as one of the Eagles taking part, so I’m not sure who that was.
And then of course there was mile 23. My one regret of the day is that I didn’t take this in more. I’ve been on the other side of the barrier a few times and it’s one of my favourite days of the year, the vibe of community, encouragement, positivity and support we show one another (and all the other runners). And don’t get me wrong, the thought of still being able to muster a smile and a high five for the Eagle gauntlet definitely helped me get there still feeling upbeat! But I was so over-excited, I bombed down the path too quickly to really take it in. I picked a couple of people out, but it was quite hard to work out where the Eagles started and ended, and then once I spotted Andrea Hendy and realised I was in your midst, it became a sea of faces that passed so quickly! Given my target time had gone out the window, I wish I’d slowed down, savoured being on the other side of the barrier and picked out a few more of you. Nonetheless, your support was hugely appreciated!
It became apparent immediately after mile 23, how much I’d been holding myself together to get there in one relatively happy piece. Almost as soon as I jumped back down onto the road, I became aware of the bits of me that were going awry! My quads felt super sore and tight, and the sense that my last gel hadn’t landed well morphed into a growing realisation I might be sick. So many runners had worn themselves out and started walking from about mile 18 onwards, and at this point I realised I had to revise my target down again to – just finish the race without walking. Those last couple of miles were tough. I loved Babs’ report, and the emphasis she put on remembering everything. Which made me realise I have pretty much no recollection of passing Big Ben, I was just so focused on continuing to put one foot in front of the other, grinding out the last stretch. Happily I made it to the end without walking or vomming. But I could barely get anything down me when I met my friends in the pub after. While being put to shame by the mid-50s European lady runner next to me, wolfing down a pint and a baked camembert!
I thought I’d finish up writing about the signs in the crowd, as that is one thing that did really register with me. I realised how much I appreciate a dry sign. Someone holding up a placard saying “MOTIVATIONAL SIGN” will always do it for me. Another that got me was, “ENJOY EVERY KILOMETRE EQUALLY”.
I also like a pun, so the variations on “KEEP CHAFING YOUR DREAMS” tickled me.
A woman holding up a sign saying “IF YOU THINK THIS IS HARD, YOU SHOULD TRY HINGE,” made me chuckle. And similarly on a dating theme, I spotted at least two young women brandishing, “WHY DO ALL THE CUTE ONES RUN AWAY?”
Moving into weirder territory, “IF YOU THINK IT HURTS, TRY GASLIGHTING YOURSELF,” felt a bit passive-aggressive!
But the prize for weirdest sign I saw on the day was the woman wearing around her neck a placard depicting an open pair of female legs with her own head poking through the vagina, bearing the message, “KEEP PUSHING!”
For all that the London Marathon felt like a slog because of the unexpected temperature rise, this was just the best experience. A really joyous coming out and coming together, a celebration of support and positivity and encouragement, a 26-mile-long festival atmosphere, running alongside so many people fundraising each with their own stories and reasons for doing so, that lovely thing the Running Commentary podcasters talk about when they describe marathons as thousands of people each on their own completely individual journey through the same collective experience. It felt like London at its absolute best.
Thank you Ealing Eagles for the chance to run it this year and I look forward to cheering on next year’s ballot winners from mile 23. Just remember to slow down a bit and take it in…