Where did you stay?

Montcalm Royal London House, Moorgate. Easiy-ish to get to the start and finish.

How did you get to the location/race?

Jersey to Gatwick, Gatwick to Farringdon and then the Lizzie Line to the Excel for a Friday expo. Race day I got the Northern Line to London Bridge and then the train to Blackheath.

Were you running for a cause?

I was running for Durrell Conservation Trust and Friends of Jersey Oncology (FOJO).

Why did you decide to enter this race?

Anyone that knows me will be bored of this story by now but I got diagnosed with colon cancer in August 2024. I was given the opportunity to run the London Marathon by Durrell and it was just after the end of my chemotherapy so sounded like a fun way to end my treatment!

How was your training? Did you have a coach?

Basically non-existent. I signed up with two months until race day and no more than 6k under my belt post diagnosis. But I knew that London is different and the crowds would carry me, even if my legs didn’t. I actually qualified as an England Athletics coach last year so in theory I coached myself but it was mainly just not pushing it and getting injured in the few weeks I did have.

How was the race organisation beforehand?

Impeccable as ever. I also signed up to the Team Green initiative this year which meant no drop bag on race day but did have it’s own starting area which seemed a bit more chilled than the main areas and luckily the toilet queues seemed better.

Did you have a specific race strategy, and if so, did you stick to it or have to adapt during the race?

My goals in the days leading up to the race ranged from “just complete it” to “perhaps I can get under four hours”. My main strategy would be that I walk/ran the race from the beginning and I abandoned this plan almost instantly, instead trying to hold on and run until as late as possible which turned out to be 18/19 miles.

Were there any unexpected challenges you faced during the race?

Nothing was unexpected. I ran London in 2010 and it’s one of my favourite running memories. It was hotter than anticipated but I was going slow enough anyway to keep on top of hydration and nutrition.

How did you manage to overcome those challenges?

Marathon’s are hard is the simple fact and I’d not trained so I knew there would be dark moments. To get through them, I either walked a bit, or just fed off the energy of the crowd.

What was the best bit?

I really enjoyed some of the race’s less glamorous spots in South London. It felt like a street festival with speakers out of windows, people on the cider from early doors and drum n bass all over.

What was the worst bit?

Nothing. The Isle of Dogs is always difficult but even there the crowds were amazing.

How were the crowds/supporters?

As you may have guessed already, the crowd were PHENOMENAL. You know those bits of the Tour de France where the crowds are shouting the riders up a hill? That’s how it felt for 26 and a bit miles.

What would you do differently next time?

Less cancer and more training.

What advice would you give other runners doing this race?

Be adaptable. It’s a huge event with nearly 57,000 runners so it will be messy. Embrace the chaos.

Would you recommend this race to other runners?

Take a wild guess...

How did you celebrate completing your race?

Beer. Margaritas. Quesadillas. Beers. McDonalds. Wine. Bed.

What's next?

Berlin! My 3rd of the World Majors in September.

Any final thoughts?

Just want to say thank you to the people that got me through the treatment and sponsored me. The medal is partly theirs. But I'm keeping it.