Liz ran the London Marathon for us last year. Here she shares the 10 things that she wished people had told her about the day.
- You spend quite a while in the pens – especially if you are near the back like we were. It took us 30 mins to actually cross the start line.
- There is a toilet just before to cross the start line. I queued for 10 mins to go to the toilet at mile 10 – I was gutted, but desperate!
- Wear an old tracksuit for the start- then throw it away once in the pen. They get collected up and given to the homeless.
- Don’t run in anything new. Comfort is key.
- There was no phone signal once inside the area where the bag drops are, so it was impossible to meet up with anyone.
- Don’t stop running- it hurts more. If you need to slow down and jog.
- If you have spectators, really plan with them where they are going to be. It really helps to have a hug at those late miles and if you miss them you’ll be gutted. I had a friend at mile 11 and 18 and my god it helped to see them.
- Put something filling in your bag for the wagon. They only put an apple in our goodie bag last year (and it didn’t cut the mustard).
- My first mile was an 11 min mile as I ran it with my friend. I then said goodbye/good luck and tried to run at my pace, but found I couldn’t go much faster due to the sheer number of people. I was frustrated at first, but soon realised I was going to get the time I was aiming for and started to enjoy it.
- Let your name on your t shirt. If you haven’t got it printed on, use a permanent marker. Hearing people shouting your name and cheering you on is incredible!
Good luck everyone. Enjoy it, it’s incredible!