TCS London Marathon 2025

EARNED

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For the record - Funkster’s very tall :face_with_monocle:

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I think I saw him in the Guinness WR tent as I was queuing for a wee

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Oh - the mega queue!

Felt sorry for the lone woman taking her black dog this am for a walk in the park adjacent to the holding pens. Runners left right and centre dashing in and out of the bushy recesses pooing and weeing

Matt Hancock’s popular - 810 comments

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Just looked up his time 3:47

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Noooooooooooo… … oooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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Only 6’2

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Short arse

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Did he get bummed off a tramp :rofl:

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I saw him at Dorney 20 mile, looked like a hard getup to run in

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What about when you see a woman taller than you😱

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Thanks for the virtual support. Lots of great runs, sorry to hear @funkster legs didn’t hold up…but at least the halfway time shows what is possible…even with media engagement! :grin:

It was great to be back at London marathon, always such a great event. Although this was my 10th time it was my first off the champ start. To be honest I was expecting more. There was long toilet queues and no tea/coffee/lucozade which I have had on red GFA start previously…I guess this was binned due to COVID 🤷.

Starting just behind the elites was nice, although we came out of the pen quite late so only got there a few seconds before the gun went off. Lots of fast folks (obviously) around me and talk of 2:2x times whilst in the pen made me think I should be nearer the back :joy:.

All the excitement meant I set off too quickly. I thought my training would give me about 4m/km, but i seemed incapable of slowing myself down in the first half and was knocking out 3:50s (I was still being overtaken, a lot). I suspected this would come back to bite…but in the heat of battle you seem to think you are invincible.

Lucozade sport is my go to nutrition during the marathon, but I struggled to get any down from the paper cups. Generally unless I slowed down a lot it went everywhere apart from my mouth :rofl:. I did try squeezing the cup into a spout but failed miserably to improve my technique. There also seemed to be less lucozade aid stations on the way round…maybe my imagination.

General plan for a marathon is relax to half way, focus on pace to 20M and then grind out the last 6M at whatever my body can handle. This year the aforementioned early pace came back to bite me around 17M as I could feel I was struggling to maintain 4m/km…so the grinding started a little early. Wasn’t too bad though and was managing to hold a reasonable pace. Even with the slow down I was still passing people and there were a few walkers.

I ran in next% (my first pair - gyakusou) and having only ran 5m in them was possibly a bit of a rash decision. My left little toe was being eroded at an alarming rate. I could see blood coming through my sock and upper at around 22m. Only 4 to go, who needs a little toe anyway?

I think the supporter numbers were generally a little lower than pre-covid but after the underpass at 24M the streets were lined, as usual… absolutely love it. A bit of headwind on the embankment couldn’t dampen the mood and swinging onto birdcage walk really is the best home straight! Tried to up the pace a bit but body didn’t really cooperate but really happy to see 2:47 just ticking over on the finishing clock as I got onto the mall.

Pretty happy with my time. Possibly could have gone a bit quicker with a more conservative start…but who knows! Following on from @itom150 comments I am 182cm but tipped the scales at 82.5kg so not ideal marathon runner physiology. I have been as low as 75kg a few years ago, but got ill or injured so never got to run a decent marathon at this weight. I suspect it has a big impact.

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Great stuff!

My wife’s as tall as me in 2” heels.
I worked with a woman taller than me, it was awesome.
She was very funny (made people laugh) about it - embarrassed them first, then made a joke :rofl::see_no_evil:

Great report @Tupperware :+1:t3:
I’d say not getting ill or injured at a slightly higher weight is preferable to running slightly quicker at a lower weight, no?
Far better rate of return.

I’ve had that with shoes before, seeing the blood ooze into the upper :rofl::see_no_evil:

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A lot of those have non traditional footwear for the costume. The hospital guy should be in slippers, the Mayor or whatever should have leather shoes with a buckle and the horse should have some clippity cloppity thing :laughing:

Why do they come down hard on your costume?

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When it happens I’ll let you know. I worked with a lady who was 6’3". She wouldnt leave me alone, presumably because she struggled to find a bloke taller than her.

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Great write up and performance Tupperware. Impressive marathoning. Out of interest, how did you make Champs start - had you gone sub 2.45 previously, or did you go down the sub 75 route?