big race with a big atmosphere. Much of that atmosphere is created by the Japanese, who provide the majority of the 30,000 runners in the field, most of the supporters and the event’s big sponsors. Although the race starts painfully early

they helped massively as I was full of mixed feelings towards the last week or so building up to the big day. I have always watched the event on television in the years before in envy but fortunately I was chosen this year as part of the extra 1000 places

Snapped at the Finish (Page 3) Page 1 2 3Tim Keating, 3:45"That was my first marathon. What can I say: incredible atmosphere, incredible pain! Next time I’ll start a little slower." Conor Jamieson, 3:56"The finish was absolutely mental

It's 3am on the night before the final stage and I'm sobbing into my sleeping bag. Like every other night, I'm struggling to sleep because the blisters on my feet are so painful. With only one 17K stage to go, I should be feeling confident that I

.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle, and a full 26.2-mile marathon. This summer's trip saw over 50 forumites board the Pirate ship – including a record number of beginners. Now they're back it's time to catch up with first-timers arctic lady, Nam, PSC, Rio

marathons before. They weren’t fun. They were hard. Hard and unquestionably painful. Yet just from flicking through the official race guide it’s clear that the event certainly has a lot going for it. A short but impressive history dating back to 1990 - when

. Then it’s through the local tall net huts of the fishing market, before a sharp, long descent back down to the Pier, and a flat finish. What you said in Readers' Races of the Year 2003:Emma Harradine: "This was one of the most memorable races of the year

, July 23, the Pirate Fleet will be at Ironman Germany, this time with more than 60 members. Some of them back for the second time to race it rather than simply survive it, and some of them fresh blood, who took the Captain’s five pence after witnessing

One sad day in the late autumn, thousands of would-be London Marathoners are branded REJECT. Many no doubt heave a huge sigh of relief that they don’t have to fulfil that drunken bet made months previously, and stagger back to the sofa to recover

' to it on race day. It was actually quite good fun getting through the white stuff, and Mike decided that we'd go out another 150 strokes, so as a group we went out 400 metres or so. Coming back in, being the weakest swimmer by far, I got separated from them