Time: 4:26My first time and I did all the training - but on the day in the full field of runners it is harder than it looks. The first 22 miles were ok but the final 4 were purgatory, just putting one foot in front of another to finally see around

Monique hadn't turned up...but turned to a great moment when she stayed to be a supporter, having DNF'd with a foot injury; seeing all those bleeding nips.The biggest surprise? the two-minute gap between Paula and the rest of the field. Unbelievable, even

- didn't really have one, although my right foot hurting from mile 7 onwards (and killing me afterwards) wasn't great. Most memorable moment - sprinting for the line with the clock on 2:49:30-odd; everyone around me sprinting too, then some poor soul

having supporters dotted about the course was a life saver. It started to go badly for me in between 19 and 22 miles when my foot was in agony and I kept having to stop, I couldn't remember which mile I was on, and was close to tears. Again

in my right foot (three days after my last run) which just got worse. Saturday morning it was no better so I found a sports injuries clinic who saw me straight away. After 30 minutes loosening my foot the specialist said it might get better

due to the old ones rubbing against an ankle injury. During the week leading up to the event, get woken up at 4 in the morning by your 3-year-old daughter who has been sleeping perfectly through the night for several months. On Wednesday, get a phone

, and the last four miles were an amazing finish to a great event. Coventry Cat, 4:22What an amazing day!I woke very early, way before my 6am wake-up call, opened the curtains at my hotel to see the clearest of blue skies. I stuffed breakfast down before greasing

is a totally overwhelming and humbling experience. The crowd numbers and support are absolutely AWESOME and the whole event gets under your skin. I never tire of playing the video; I smile, I choke back tears, my skin tingles. In fact my very unwelcome

Time: 5:56My Personal Race Report: Flora London Marathon 2004"So I thought best that I write down what the event was actually like.  To almost everyone reading this, running a marathon is something that is on their "before I get old, to do list

in my foot at 19 miles...Most memorable bit: A six-mile walk with lots of forumites coming up to encourage me thanks guys, you lot really are the greatest.JellyLegs, 4:52Learnt Lesson – Don’t run if you are ill!This was my first marathon and having