London 2008

Well done AA and CG.  I look for you on the telly this morning but didn't see you.  It looked like an ideal start but boy that rain!

Everyone did brilliantly well and I am envious.  I did a 6 mile run this afternoon vowing to break 3:30 next year........  bring it on!

 Well done again!

Well done everyone.  I was bang on track for my private target of 3:20 until around mile 18.  Just couldn't force the pace out of my legs in the last 10K, but 3:25:56 did the biz for my public target of sub 3:30.

Highlights: (1) running miles 6 and 7 round Cutty Sark etc with Gordon Ramsay, at a nice comfortable 8 min/mile pace, and (2) seeing the 9 lead elite men packed together coming the other way at mile 14 - awesome, and to think I was in the same race as the world's best.  Oh, and (3) just avoiding being speared by a Masai warrior in the first mile!

Well done all of you. I didn't hit the the time I was hoping for.  I did 3:24:17 which is a pb by over 6 minutes so won't complain. Did 1:39:34 for half point which I am happy with considering I was a minute and a half off my scheduled pace due to congestion. Then second half took me 1:44:33. The other factor I need to take into account when running these big races is that when you are running in the masses you always run further than actual distance. According to my garmin I ran 26.8 miles.

 Anyhow I really enjoyed it apart from cold rain from mile 13 to 18. My Wife , children and bro-in-law really enjoyed it. Third time I've run the distance and each time I edge closer to my goal. Obviously I need to just run faster.

 Just tried new entry system for next year and it turfed me out at the payment point.

Now need to take all this distance traing and turn it into pbs for 5k and 10k and 1/2marathon in the next few months.

Although I wasn't really a memberiof this thread as always wanted sub 3-15 I knew really that my time would lie with you guys.

 BOTF will catch up with you at work.

Once again all of you regardless if you got what you wanted or not all did fantastic.

Congrats to all & great to read reports, just got home & worn out so will post more in the morning.

RFJ - Well done - l liked your splits - shows what is important, I'm sure that your mum was with you today.

I was stunned by my result, absolutely stonking day & perfect running weather for me - ended up wth 3:14:24 - GFA & me now in for the next two years. 

Well done everyone, cracking time Cheiftain!

I was on target right up to mile 23 and then my achilles injury told me that it wasn't going to happen and I ended up with 3.34.

Considering that 7 weeks ago I was sat on the physio table confronted with a lot of head shaking, then I'm not too unhappy about only knocking 8 minutes off my pb in only my second marathon.

 A fantastic day, the crowd were fantastic. Seeing my wife and kids in Greenwich and then again at the GOSH cheer at 17.5 miles was the highlight for me.

Entered for next year already and on to breaking 40 mins for 10k in June next.

CG & Smiffie - Congrats on maintaining GFA for next two years on the back of injury interrupted training.  Am sure that there are better times for both of you youngsters ahead.

AA - Not surprised to see that you are living up to your forum name - can assure you that there are thousands of us stiff & hobbling around today (that day after Adidas advert cracks me up).

RFJ - You were not the only one adding to the moisture caused by the rain.  So many people run for so many different reasons, to me it is these brave folks who are the real heroes of the day and are the inspiration to many thousands of others.

BOTF, TW & Asteriod - congratulations & welcome to the 3:30 club - what next ?

Geoff M, Beattie, Dansk & Slug - Great times all, celebrate your achievement and think of the 10's of thousands who finished behind you and the millions sat on their sofas at home wishing that they could be a marathon runner.

Wow what a day - After 8 previous marathons, all finished with varying degrees of disappointment, one finally comes my way that went like clockwork.

Upped the training for this one with more & longer LSR's, some with closing miles at target race pace, plus better quality sessions during the week. Started my programme in November and have been very fortunate to be both injury and largely illness free.

Got a great start from Red & was over the line within 10 seconds of the gun.  No congestion until starts merged at 3 miles and let loads of people enthusiastically go dashing past me, continued to be constantly overtaken until around 10 miles.  I kept to my plan and let them go.

Quickly got settled into a rhythm and locked myself into my own world of controlled running, slowed a little on the Isle of Dogs during the rain and round Canary Wharf with all twists and turns.  By about 17 miles I realised that I was now constantly overtaking many of those who had steamed past me earlier (a great feeling that I have always been on the other end of previously).

Got to 24 miles and was 2 seconds behind the pace for 3:15 so dug deep and aimed to gain a bit of an advantage.  Ran the next mile to 25 in 6:53! - not sure how I managed it but was well pleased and reasonably sure that my dream target was within reach.  Put a lid on it to mile 26 and then threw in everything that was left in the tank to come home in 3:14:24.  

Great this running lark isn't it (who would have thought that the person writing this post was a 21stone physical drop who was never any good at any sport until inspired by FLM a few years ago).

CT: Fantastic result. What next for me well it is sub 3-20 and sub 3-15. My 10K splits were

47-30, 47:01, 47:50, 50:58, then a final 2K in 11 minutes. So all i need to do is reduce all the 10K splits by around 1 min 14 secs and keep the final 12k at the same pace and I am there. I started this training at the end of January. That was after doing 3:30:57 in Dublin last October. So I feel if I follow your example I will get there.

My post seemed to get lost earlier, oh well,

Some more massive well dones, Asteroid, TW, Domsk, BOTF and very impressive CT, awesome runs from you all.

Did anyone else catch the sun, my shoulders are red and sore. The worst bit for me though is my shorts rubbed after the rain in the small of my back and is now red raw, didnt notice this till I got into the bath last night..... did the monkey bath ooh ah oooh oh ahhh......!

Where is JD....... (I have seen her result), just waiting for a post....

SOAC, that may well be so......! Am looking as possibly New Forest or / and Abingdon.

Take care

Will read tghrough everyone tomorrow.  Just back from London now.  Seen CT time - fantastic.

I did 3 28 - pleased asPB but was hoping and expecting around 3 20.  Pleased but not elated.  Will report later as I know Lorenzo was interested in my race strategy - think my problem was all in the head.  Felt knackered at 5 miles and so mentally struggled all the way.  Had ran the course and got 3 15 so may times in my head that I was gutted when it didnt feel easy.

 Morale - 26.2 is hard.  You have to respect the distance.  I forgot that!  Thats why just crosing the line is a massive achievement.

RFJ - What a fantastic run and one that you'll remember for ever.

CT - You put the hard work in and you got the result. An inspiration to us all. See you on the green start next year for some celeb spotting.

Oh and one thing before I forget. AA announced her retirement from the London marathon yesterday in front of witnesses. Hmmmmm....we shall see!

3:30 or bust- are you going to do the honours?

Hi Everyonr

 Not posted on this list for a while, Was running to a 3.45 time and everything was going o.k, struggled from mile 19 to 23 and got a burst when i passed my friend, Passed 26 mile marker and then collasped and fell to the floor. St Johns helped me to there tent in a chair and i shown that i finished and get a medal and but no time. I am devastated, i cried when i realised what happened and was wondering if anyone has any similar experiences? i missed some  3 weeks of training. I have applied again and i am praying i get another chance.

Caterpillar Girl

Already have - will boing it to the top

No I am not Doctor K but Derek Austin nickname  Runner’s World  nickname  DRK  on the 3:30 or bust forum and well,  I’m ever optimistic of getting a time under 3:30  (even though my PB 3:47:30 in this race; I can consistently run 2:35 in training for  20 miles ) and this time the race started well for me.  It was sunny and I was happy  J    at the blue start it was marshaled well and did not have to push through slower runners in the first three miles. Indeed before the start I was the most relaxed I’ve ever been for the race.  My times were right on target for  the first 10 miles … then it got cold …. Then it got …. wet ; then it got wetter ….  yes I’m one of those small number of runners who enjoy running in the sun and when it gets cold and wet I shiver and I get very cold very quickly. (its ok when you’re dressed up in full training gear in the winter)  . So when tower bridge approached and the first of rain fell along with the temperature , so did my spirits and my pace.