I ran the London Marathon - strangers’ wholesome gesture almost brought me to tears
I ran the London Marathon - here’s my tips on pre-race food, medal engraving and more.
Standing in a takeaway the night before the London Marathon in 2021, I began to have second thoughts about the 26.6-mile distance I was about to take on.
However, after some encouragement from family and plenty of food, I was eager for the morning to come around.
Running for the Whitechapel Centre, a Liverpool homeless and housing charity, and having received so many kind and generous donations, I was determined to give it my best shot.
During my long-distance training runs, I found it hard to keep my energy levels up at times, so I knew I needed to eat the right things to fuel my body for the race.
I would definitely recommend having a high-carb meal the night before. I also ate a protein bar on the way to the start line.
Wearing one of my dad’s old, unwanted hoodies, ready to discard onto a pile once the race began, I found my start area, and waited for our group's time to set off.
Once running, it was heartwarming to see residents who’d lined the streets to cheer on the runners, with many others watching from their windows. There was a real party atmosphere, with musicians playing live music as we passed by.
Reaching the Cutty Sark, one of the first milestones on the route, at 6.5 miles, was a brilliant moment. We were well on our way, with large crowds of spectators holding funny, encouraging signs above their heads.
As I crossed Tower Bridge, the halfway point, I wrestled my phone from its holder so I could take a video of the joyous scenes. Although tiring, the runners absorbed the crowd’s enthusiasm, as spectators shouted the names of strangers, printed on their tops, to motivate them - the wholesomeness of this almost brought me to tears.
Before I knew it, I had passed Big Ben and suddenly realised, almost in disbelief, that I was coming up to the final stretch of the marathon.
Spurred on by a familiar face, I accelerated past Buckingham Palace, down the mall, and crossed the finish line, before excitedly collecting my medal.
The congratulatory text from London Marathon, reading, “Congratulations on completing the 2021 London Marathon! Your finish time is 4:54:39” flashed up on my phone and I couldn’t have been happier.
London Marathon tips
- Eat high-carbohydrate meals in the lead up to marathon day
- Have your name printed on your top if you’d like encouragement from the crowd
- Let the fun, community atmosphere of the race spur you on
- Consider getting your medal engraved, however expect long queues for the free service (New Balance Oxford Street store: April 28 10am - 8pm, April 29 10am - 8pm, April 30 10am - 8pm)
The Whitechapel Centre works with people who are sleeping rough, living in hostels or are struggling to manage their accommodation. To donate visit the Whitechapel Centre website.