My 2007 London Marathon...

And your worst moment?
1. The realisation about 1:15 into the race that the heat was killing me and I might not finish. I had to let the RW 8-minute-mile pacer (a lovely guy called Kiernan) go and slack it off a little bu**er!

2. Come mile 16 the cramps were getting painful and people were seizing up, stopping or hitting the deck all over the place. I kept repeating to myself "Never give up", vowing to keep going until my muscles literally seized and I fell over, which luckily didn't happen. It was real mind-over-matter stuff and I've never found a race so hard in my life.

The biggest surprise?
1. Getting a PB after all that heat and pain.
2. Passing a couple of Kiernan's 8-minute-milers between miles 16 and 21. I wonder if anyone kept with him?!

What was your goal? And what was your finishing time?
I had trained for 3:30 and knew I was capable of it, but after 1:15 I re-hashed my target to a PB (3:30-something) which I got - 3:38:50!

What would you have done differently? Or what was the key to your success?
I wouldn't have done anything different. I honestly could not have done any better. In fact, I attribute this PB (which beat my time in a quiet, cool, flat marathon) to the following:

1. Starting my long runs of over 20 miles in December and doing 10 of them before I tapered. I tapered earlier than most plans to allow my body to repair, doing my last long run four weeks before. After that, nothing more than half-marathon distance, bringing my "longest" run to eight miles two weeks before, then bringing it back up to 12 miles the week before, which I think starts to give the body a wake up call.

2. Sports massages in the six-week run-up. I'd never had them before but did my best run and had my best recovery after them.

3. Glooping seven (yes, seven) energy gels en-route to avoid the wall.

How did you or will you be celebrating?
After I'd hydrated and eaten well, I got eight pints of Stella down me to celebrate and got to bed after 2am! No hangover either, I think my metabolism must have been in overdrive!

And your worst moment? Cramp coming out of Canary Wharf, and the feeling this week that it's all over.

The biggest surprise? Or the most memorable moment? The church bells in Woolwich playing the marathon signature and running 20 miles with a good friend I didn't expect to see.

What was your goal? And what was your finishing time? 3:30 to 3:45 and I got 3:43 with the cramp and heat. So chuffed!

What would you have done differently? Or what was the key to your success? I would have spent the last two miles looking up and smiling at people for their support rather than looking at the ground in pain.

How did you or will you be celebrating? A few pints of Guinness to refill the calories!

In summary, bitten by the bug, going through a huge down without the running this week and itching to do it again!

Read On The Run's three-month update

What was your best moment (apart from the finish)? Seeing my girlfriend at mile 22 after not seeing her at mile 13. She pushed me on just when I needed it most.

And your worst moment? Stopping at the '600 metres to go' mark to catch my breath, then I thought b*gger this and pushed hard for home!

The biggest surprise? Or the most memorable moment? My biggest surprise was checking my splits and running a 10K PB in 45 minutes. I also ran 1:43 to halfway, which was way too fast and meant I had to cling on to get home.

What was your goal? And what was your finishing time? My goal time was 3:45 and I finished in 3:50. I was pretty happy to be only five minutes out in that heat.

What would you have done differently? Or what was the key to your success? The one thing I would have done differently was not set out so fast and pace myself better for the first half.

How did you or will you be celebrating? Drinking again for the first time in about six weeks!

My wife Laura Carr (who finished in 5:00) and I both did the marathon last Sunday and it was a brilliant occasion.

What was your best moment (apart from the finish)?
The best moment for me was the support of the crowd. The experience was exhilarating, and I was fascinated by the kaleidoscope of cultures I encountered on my journey through the poorest (Shadwell) and the richest (Docklands) parts of London. What also stays in my mind is the sense that, for one day, the whole country became a single community. The support is one aspect I will never forget - thousands of people screaming your name and urging you to keep going, little kids over-the-moon when you give them high-five or take a sweet.

And your worst moment?
There honestly wasn't a worst moment. Maybe waking up the next day and realising it's all over?

The biggest surprise? Or the most memorable moment?
As above, the crowd were so good! What an atmosphere. I was also surprised to get through to my wife on my mobile when I had finished and she was at mile 20!

What was your goal? And what was your finishing time?
I aimed for sub-3:45 and am really pleased that I smashed that by getting 3:30.

What would you have done differently? Or what was the key to your success? I would like to thank Runner's World for this success. My wife persuaded me to follow the Runner's World programme for sub-3:30 and I did. I felt so good running and I can only put this down to the training schedule. Thanks guys, I'll use your advice again (hopefully if I do it next year)

How did you or will you be celebrating?
The Cancer Research UK after-party, then celebrated with family and friends and a cool beer!

I had it all planned out up until three weeks before the marathon. I'd run the Kingston Breakfast Run in 1:42, my 21-mile long runs were taking around 2:18 and sub-3:00 was feeling in reach.

Then disaster struck. Taking out the bins I ploughed my bare foot straight into the iron boot-scraper in front of our house. It hurt like hell but seemed to get better. Two training runs later and I was out of commission. Time off didn't seem to help. The physio confirmed it was just badly bruised, but I was scared to risk running at all. I ate all the ibuprofen I could find and rested right up until the big day.

Not knowing how it would hold up I decided to set off at my planned pace. The crowds weren't as bad as I'd been warned, and the injured foot seemed to be OK. The first 10K went by in around 42 minutes, but then everything tightened up. I had plenty of energy but my muscles hadn't been stretched in far too long. My pace dropped away and I made a conscious decision to ease up and make sure I finished.

As frustrating as it was to have blown my target time, it was great to stop worrying about it and just enjoy the day - high-fiving kids, trying to get the crowds cheering on the quiet spots and looking out for friends. In the end I picked up the pace for the last mile and managed to sprint over the line for a time of 3:49:30 - not sub-3:00, but not bad either. The determination of people who had to walk from more than ten miles out was truly amazing, as were the hoards of spectators lining Tower bridge and Embankment.

FLM 2007 was always going to be an interesting one. With talk of record temperatures and an acute awareness that the Rotterdam Marathon had been stopped after four hours the previous weekend there was a certain amount of trepidation on the start line in Greenwich.

I had previously run 4:38 and was attempting to take an hour off this time. Slightly ambitious I grant you, but for the first time ever I actually followed a proper training schedule and was feeling pretty good about it all. However the weather forecast was making me more than a little nervous.

As soon as the gun went off I settled into a steady pace thanks to the Runner's World 8-minute-mile pacer. I usually head off too quickly so it was good to know I had a reliable pacer to follow. At mile 10 I was feeling great so pushed it on a little bit. I had a mini-wobble at mile 15 (which came out of the blue) but then saw my godmother and my goddaughter which was just the lift I needed. Having a four-year-old seem really pleased to see you (despite the state you are in) really helps!

By the time I reached mile 23 I was on the homeward straight (I kept reminding myself that this was my usual weekly run along the river) and the crowds were fantastic - almost deafening. At mile 24 I will confess that nausea took hold of me but I managed to keep the pace and crossed the line 3:24:58. I still can't believe it - I was the 317th woman and 56th in my age group.
The secret? I am not sure. I will confess to being a complete anorak since January and not deviating from the schedule at all (even though I missed a few birthday parties thanks to the long Sunday runs) and I did take on a lot of water. Every bottle I was offered I consumed, even if it meant running with it for a while.

I have already been asked if I intend to do it again. In fact someone asked me that before I'd even taken my trainers off! I imagine I will be persuaded (that magic 3:15 is so close). However, I am looking forward to having my weekends for a while and getting back on the bowling green (my other love next to running)!

It wasn't looking good even before the start. I was in a dodgy hotel near Victoria and they'd refused to let residents have breakfast early. So much for the hearty breakfast to get my energy levels up! Luckily I'd got a contingency plan - two bananas, an energy bar and a bottle of Lucozade later I was convincing myself it would be okay.

Then came the wait near the start and a stretch. I was feeling good again and joined the toilet queue for my pre-race ritual. The queues were huge but I still made it to my pen (5) before everyone moved forward. Unfortunately it was now I realised that a lot of slower runners had pushed forward and I was stood next to a chap with a 4-hour pace band. I was aiming for 3:30, not good.

It didn't take too long to cross the start (about three to five minutes) and then the jostling began. It didn't really stop until after mile 16 when I was too knackered from weaving to keep it up any more. The 70s pub at mile 6 was hilarious though so that kept me smiling for miles after.

Mile 13 was also great - seeing those fast runners go, boy do those lot fly! I was looking forward to being on that side myself before long. I started flagging at about mile 16 but scoffed another energy gel and kept on going. Mile 20 was an interesting one - when we crossed the runners passing the mile 13 stage, they looked knackered and were still only halfway. Mile 22 was the planned meeting point for the family and the crowd support was awesome, but unfortunately there was no sign of them. I couldn't believe how much that sapped my energy levels but again I just kept on plodding, barely. I eventually bumped into them at mile 24, stopped to give them a hug and a kiss, and that really lifted my spirits and kept me going. I even sped up for the last two miles but was very careful not to do my semi-sprint finish until well after the 600m mark (more like the 200m mark) and came home strongly.

Overall it was a fantastic race. The support was incredible. The heat certainly took it out of you but so did trying to overtake the many slower runners ahead of me. I was seven minutes outside my target but was a very happy man when I finished. This was my first marathon but certainly won't be my last. I'd already booked Edinburgh before the FLM and that's on May 27, God help me!

Read Moley's three-month update

This was my first marathon and I think naivety played a big part in my success. If I had known how bad I was going to feel during the last five miles, I'm not sure I would have gone into the event with the same amount of enthusiasm!

I'd been running for a year and a half and followed the 16-week plan from the Runner's World website for a sub-3:45 target time. I had a virus which started six weeks from the big day and I missed a full week (and had two weeks slightly disrupted) but shook off the virus with three weeks to go. Having completed three long runs, the last of which was 22 miles, I was confident of reaching my target time of 3:45.

Things started well and after initially clocking 9:30-minute miles for the first three miles I picked things up and settled into a 8:30-minute-mile pace. I felt relatively comfortable and reached halfway in 1:50. The heat caught up with me around mile 19 and the miles really started to drag. I couldn't take in the cheering crowds at all, I was too busy just keeping going.

I had taken a gel every three miles and kept well stocked up on water, but still couldn't keep up the 8:30-minute-mile pace. I've never been as disappointed as when I thought I had already gone through mile 22 and thought I was approaching mile 23 only to see that it was mile 22! Devastated! I saw my family and little boy (asleep!) at mile 24 and this spurred me on.

I was initially upset at not having made my target time, but as time has gone on it looks like 3:50 was a great time for me on the day, considering the heat and the fact it was my first one.

Having decided around mile 21 that perhaps marathons weren't for me, I am now eagerly waiting for my next one and will be applying for London again next year.

Fantastic organisation and a fantastic day all round!

I was following the Runner's World 3:30 training schedule but didn't feel confident about achieving that goal because I seemed to be doing a lot less mileage than everyone else on the 3:30 forum. I struggled with an 8-minute-mile pace 12-mile run as my last run before London.

As seems to be typical for me, I had a late night the night before, eating at 11pm! It was a rush to get to the start line where I only had time to go to the loo and dash to start. I started at the Green Start, but had no time to meet fellow forumites or spot the celebrities! However the start went well for me and didn't feel too packed, as in previous years (this is my fourth FLM, the last one I did was in 2005).

The crowds were, as usual, superb. With my name on the front of my T-shirt - I was getting a lot of personal cheers, which really does give you a massive boost. Although it was definitely feeling hot I was comfortable and feeling good at the halfway point, but my left calf felt tight (I had woken in the night with cramp). Running towards Docklands I saw the first elite men on the other side - making it look like an easy 10K! That inspired me as I was still feeling good. Then I saw some friends and one of the gymnasts that I coach, which was another boost. I ran through the showers - boy were they cold! And I started pouring the rest of my water picked from the drink stations over my calves.

I fell in love (or lust)- with a gorgeous smiley fella helping at the drink stations - who called to me. As I took the water bottle looked me in the eye said I was 'his favourite'. I might have swooned if I wasn't running (and of course I know he was probably saying that to 'all' the girls!).

At mile 20 things were still okay, although the calves were feeling very tight. More people seemed to be dropping out now and walking, especially at the drink stations. I did think 'it's just a 10K now', but that didn't inspire my legs to pick up the pace!

Then the 8-minute-mile pace group passed me - one minute they were there, then they were gone. I thought 'Oh well, maybe I'll get 3:35'.

From mile 23 or 24 I started to want to give up and stop. My head was arguing - one moment saying (and loudly) 'just stop you silly woman, this isn't healthy, you've done it all before enough is enough!', but then a smaller little voice kept nagging'you know it hurts more walking than running, nearly there, just keep those legs moving' and so on. At 600 metres you can't see the finish, so it's hard to perk up. My daughter and family were in the crowd but they weren't on the side they said they would be so I didn't see them! I couldn't hear them calling, because the noise was just a big cacophony. Then I turned that corner and it was brilliant again because I saw the end. I heard my name and saw Mik in the crowd - then I was running and I put my arms up to try and finish in style!

For the first time in my FLM experiences, after the finish line I wasn't herded on to pick up bags, 'keep moving' and get out of the way. People were collapsing and sitting about and the race helpers were being really nice. I got my finisher photo taken, but I didn't have time to do a decent pose! My legs were killing me, I felt sick, I thought I wanted to go to the loo, I wanted to collapse and sleep, I was thirsty but the drink wasn't quenching my thirst. I knew I didn't want to pick up my bag and carry that along with the heavy goody bag to where I was meeting the family. I hadn't felt this bad last time and I was sure the other finishers hadn't seemed so worn out either! I limped carrying bags slowly and painfully into St James Park, it felt like it was taking forever. I found a space of grass and laid down, then found my phone and called Tim. They were waiting by the meeting place, but soon enough found me. I didn't manage 3:30, I'd taken six minutes off my previous FLM time - I was happy and I wanted to never do it again. The Adidas finisher T-shirts were cool, much better than all the other years, if still massive! My daughter ate the Jelly Babies, then she got an ice-cream - I had a bit of it, it was good, nice and cold!

Soon enough we started to move off. I was limping again as we went to find my Dad (who's a Chelsea pensioner). At least I didn't need to carry the bags anymore and walking was good to cool down and get rid of waste from the muscles. We saw the 11-minute-mile pace group heading towards their last half mile. There were still massive crowds of runners coming in - some walking, but quite a lot looking very comfortable, surely they could do it faster? I didn't have any energy and couldn't think of anything inspirational to try to motivate them for the last hard effort.

After yet more walking we finally stopped at a pub. People congratulated me (I was a hero again, I remember that from the last FLM!), I had a pint of Guinness (to kill or cure) and I managed to eat some crisps. I felt better and started talking about doing the Dublin marathon and maybe getting that 3:30 time there!

It's now Friday (hooray) and I'm feeling completely recovered. I've been on the 3:30 forum reading about everyone's experiences. I'm not going out for a run or jog until a full week of recovery. This weekend we're going to Stratford to cheer on Mik in his first half-marathon. I checked out Dublin in October, but I can't go because it clashes with a gymnastic competition, so I've looked at alternatives and maybe I'll go for Elgin in September. In the meantime I need to collect in some sponsorship owed for my charity the Oxford JR Children's Hospital.

Read Angela's three-month update