Congratulations to all runners in the Virgin London Marathon last week.
We asked you to tell us about your experiences and, apart from the odd “never again”, the prevailing sentiment was one of elation and achievement.
There were some impressive times clocked, too. Magnus McGillivrays of McGillivrays Chartered Surveyors steamed in at 2:58:55. “It wasn’t my best marathon, but by far my favourite,” he said. “The wall of noise for 26.2 miles in London was amazing, a special experience.”
Anti-runner Anthony Lorenz of the Lorenz Consultancy pace-walked the route in a time of 6:25:30.
Reading University student Matthew Breen, checking off a 4:06:38 run, said he was simply “knackered, but pleased to beat Ed Balls”.
Sophie Ormsby from Knight Frank, who crossed the line at 4:47:06, recalled a painful and emotional race, describing “sheer relief, agony and joy all at once” as she finished.
And it was a similar feeling for EA Shaw’s Nick Stamp, a “broken shell of a man” by the time he crossed the line at 4:18:12.
CBRE’s Neill Mison was pleased to see he’s still got it, completing the marathon in 3:48:41 – just five minutes slower than his first time 20 years ago.
But Sophie Danes of CBRE, completing in 4:13:14, best summed up the collective mood when she said: “The weather was perfect and the crowds were unbelievable, I truly had the best day of my life. “
Well done again and, most of all, we applaud you for your fundraising efforts; the ultimate winners are your charities.
rebecca.kent@estatesgazette.com
