On April 23, 2023, I ran the London Marathon a race I had been preparing for intensely. But things didn’t go as smoothly as I had imagined.
Two weeks before the race, my son broke his collarbone. That meant no one from my family could come with me on race day. All our plans changed. I booked myself a hotel room below Luton, just outside Zone 6, so I wouldn’t have to drive into central London.
The day before the race, I went into London to pick up my race bib. The Marathon Expo was incredibly busy, but being on my own meant I had time to properly look around. And I’m glad I did I got to see and hear Eliud Kipchoge speak live. That alone made the trip unforgettable.
Still, I knew rest was essential, so I made my way back to the hotel early. I packed everything for the next morning: my clothes, gels, nutrition, supplements even my own kettle and food. I was fully prepared.
I woke up early on race day, stretched a bit, ate breakfast, and set off. All runners could travel for free on race day within London, so I just followed the crowd through beautiful old stations and made my way to the start.
It was freezing cold. And then it started to rain. There were plenty of toilets but not enough. I waited in line, but before it was my turn, my wave was called to the start. No choice I had to go.
The race began. My target was 3:30 which meant holding a pace of 5:00/km (8:04/mile). I was focused. I had run in the rain before, so it didn’t bother me. The crowd, the energy, the atmosphere it was electric. Simply unforgettable.
Meanwhile, my wife and older son had managed to take the train and were on their way to see me. I was wearing headphones, so they called me and thanks to my Garmin watch, they could track my location. We managed to find each other in the crowd, and the joy of seeing them was indescribable.
But it didn’t break my focus I held my pace and felt strong.
Running over Tower Bridge was something magical. Soon I was along the Thames, and I even got to see my family again closer to the finish line. After passing Big Ben, I turned onto the final stretch and gave it everything I had left.
I crossed the finish line in 3:33.
The London Marathon was an incredible experience. The energy, the route, the people all of it made it feel like a celebration of human endurance. I feel lucky to have been part of it. I truly hope I’ll get the chance to run it again someday.
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