Race Report

17th London Marathon - sunday 13th April 1997.

And now for the big race of the spring, a run in one of the world's great marathons and a chance to qualify to run in another one.

Hello folks

Back from my conference in Leeds at last, here's the story of my little run in the big city last sunday, hope you are all sitting comfortably :-)

Before last sunday I'd run 13 marathons in my career including 4 london marathons, after my last london in 92 I decided I didn't want to run the london anymore, I'd had enough of all the crowds and wanted to run faster. However, just over a year ago in a moment of weakness I agreed to take on the post of marathon secretary for Cambridge University Hare and Hounds. Part of my duties involved sorting out all of the club entries for London and as I had to sort out everyone elses entries I might as well give myself one so from the start of last term it was lots of long slow distance running to get the "kiddies" ready for the marathon.

I put in lots of miles for the marathon but I didn't do much fast running so I didn't think a pb was realistic in London. However next year I turn 35 so I'm entitled to an extra 5 "geezer minutes" in my Boston marathon qualifying so I decided to have a go for running 3h15.59 and qualify for Boston 98 (did I ever mention that I qualified for and ran in the 1995 Boston marathon? :-))

The weather had been unseasonably warm and sunny in the days leading up to the marathon and on arrival at the start at 8.30am there was a clear blue sky, looked like it could be a warm day later on although it was a bit chilly so early. They were asking for spare hats and sunscreen over the public address system at the start, I knew that today was going to be no day for heroics.

Lined up in my starting area about 10 minutes before the gun, at 9.30 there was a big bang and we shuffled forward. It took a minute to cross the line but unlike in previous Londons there were far fewer fancy dress runners and "joggers" ahead of me at the start and I was able to run almost at once, the numbered starting zones worked. First mile in 9.39 but I was still just about running, I caught my eurodead pal Paul "PJ" Henney after a mile and ran along with him. PJ beat me easily at the Bury 20 so I was prepared to let him go if the pace picked up too much, 2 miles in 17.22 (7.43 last mile), we had a reasonably clear run by now, 3 miles in 24.42 (7.20) then PJ said "see you later" and stopped, I didn't see him again in the race :-( Very gradually working my way through by now but I was deliberately holding back, to qualify for Boston I needed just under 7.30 per mile all the way. 4 miles in 31.56 (7.14) and 5 miles in 39.16 (7.20), this pace seemed OK considering my slow start. 6 miles in 46.48 (7.32), a bit slow. Round the Cutty Sark after that, held up a bit on this narrow bit of the course and I didn't wave at the TV cameras. 7 miles in 54.12 (7.24), still felt very easy but I wanted to save as much as possible for the 2nd half. 8 miles in 1h01.18 (7.06), this mile had a little climb in it, not sure how I managed to speed up! 9 miles in 1h01.37 (7.19) and 10 miles in 1h16.03 (7.26).

I was behind schedule at this point but still feeling OK although I could feel the first bits of tiredness coming into my legs. 11 miles in 1h23.11 (7.08), by now the pack was a bit thinner although still lots of runners around. 12 miles 1h30.26 (7.15), over Tower Bridge, it was a little bit breezy going over the bridge but that was the only wind I was to feel in the whole race, conditions were still pretty good. Feeling a bit tired by now as I came off the Bridge and started the "Isle of Dogs" loop. 13 miles in 1h37.27 (7.01), still moving well, halfway in 1h38.26. Now I was a bit worried but I knew I needed a negative split in from here to qualify for Boston, never done a negative split before. 14 miles 1h44.50 (7.23), the course got a bit narrow here and it was hard to pass runners in places, still I was on Boston pace at last, just under 7.30 pace in from here would get me there. 15 miles in 1h52.01 (7.11), 16 miles in 1h59.19 (7.18), now I had about 40 seconds in hand. I passed one of Mike Hoyland's Warrington Road Runners clubmates around here, 17 miles in 2h06.38 (7.19) and 18 miles in 2h13.51 (7.13) and still felt reasonably good but I knew what was coming :-(

19 miles in 2h21.05 (7.14) but it was starting to hurt a lot more by now, 20 miles in 2h28.42 (7.37), oh no. Rob De Castella's quote (if you feel bad at 20 miles you are normal) went through my mind. I had just over a minute in hand but I was starting to slow off my schedule. I knew one bad mile in from here and I would fall off the tightrope of my schedule, the inevitable thoughts of "shall I jog in from here" went through my mind. Pat, one of my clubmates from Hunts AC should have been running with me today but he sadly died on holiday last month. I was wearing a black ribbon on my singlet in his memory and I decided Pat wouldn't have let me give up so we kept going.

21 miles in 2h35.59 (7.17), around here I passed a runner from Oxford as well as one of the Cambridge "kiddies", just after that I passed some spectators with a "Cambridge University" banner which gave me a lift. 22 miles 2h43.40 (7.41) and I was trying to extrapolate 7.40 pace for 4.2 miles, it was too close for comfort. Through the Tower and over the cobbles. I didn't run much on the carpet as I had to stay on the cobbles to pass runners, 23 miles in 2h51.17 (7.37) and I knew I had to give it everything in along the embankment to the end. Tough going in along here, I was looking out for the 24 mile marker but I missed it, fortunately the road is nice and wide so I had plenty of room to pass runners, crowd support was amazingly loud! Eventually got to 25 miles in 3h06.26 (15.09 for last 2 miles), 9.33 for the last 1.2 miles to get to Boston. By now I was shouting "Boston" to myself, I couldn't give up now. Right turn away from the river, past the Houses of Parliament and down Birdcage Walk to the finish, looking out for Buckingham Palace but it was a long treelined road in from here and I couldn't see the palace. Past the (misplaced) 800m to go clock in 3h13.30 and I thought I'd missed it, I can't do 2m30 for 800m from a standing start never mind in a marathon. Then the palace appeared, right turn and past a Hunts AC runner and there was the finish ahead. The clock said 3h14.xx AND I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT!!!!!

I ran in down the Mall screaming out "I'm going to Boston" and crossed the line in 3h15.26, made it by 33 seconds :-) :-) :-) :-) WHOOOOOPPPPEEEEEE!

Rather tired on finishing but I've felt a lot worse than that at the end of marathons, I had a little bit left in the tank at the end. I paced it just about right, my first negative split marathon, first half 98.26 2nd half 97.00. I could have gone a minute or two faster I suppose but I did what I wanted to do.

Through the finish area, met up with 2 of the "kiddies" who had just finished, they seemed rather happy. Medal, photo, spaceblanket, drinks and goody bag. Over the the baggage area and got my kit bag straight away and got some clothes on. It didn't get that warm in the race, conditions were great as was shown in the elite race times. My feet survived, I was glad to get my shoes and socks off though.

I was still able to walk after the race, met up with Shelley and told her we were going to Boston. We walked to Piccadilly Circus for the eurodead london marathon encounter, met up with Davi Thom in the hotel bar, Davi seemed pleased with his marathon debut. Met up with Richard Green and Mike Bate, Mike brought 2 of the spectrum striders ladies with him so it was a good encounter.

A good day, as the finishers t-shirt said "mission accomplished". 5 days later my legs are OK, I'll take it easy for a while yet before I get back training hard again. If I recover properly we could be off to the Berlin marathon in september and I'll be going for a fast time now I have my qualifying time for the 1998 Boston marathon.

Good luck to all the 97 boston marathoners on monday, see you next year!

heartbreak hill here I come

tony....

tony bell ageing student and marathon runner cambridge university department of chemistry amtb2@cam.ac.uk Tony@shells.demon.co.uk

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