Had a great day at the marathon yesterday.  The calf just about held out and I managed a time of 4 hours 56 minutes, slow but respectable under the circumstances.  Yesterday morning, I felt like I was at school about to do an exam for which I knew I hadn't done enough revision and no amount of last minute cramming was going to help me.

The atmosphere was fantastic, with huge crowds cheering us on for all 26 miles.  Between 23 and 24 miles, just as thoughts of collapsing in a heap were setting in, there was a huge Whizz-Kidz cheering point on the Embankment with lots of kids in their wheel chairs, cheering us on with their families.  It reminded me of why I was there, gave me a huge lift and got me through to the finish. 

Although I said that I would be announcing my retirement from long distance running today, I think I might have caught the bug so I might just have a go at a quicker time next year, if I can get some good training in.

As a team, it looks like we will raise about £120,000 between 13 of us, with a huge contribution (£80K) coming from Nick Buckles, CEO of G4S, who has generously matched anything he raised with his own money.  Whizz-Kidz really is a great cause, with lovely people working for it, and we're all delighted to have been able to support them.

Thanks again from both me and Whizz-Kidz to everybody that has donated.  Best wishes,

Ian