London Marathon Memories

The London Marathon took place today and it got me thinking of the times my late husband Douglas took part.  He ran it 3 times - or maybe 4.  My memory isn't as sharp as it was.  And he took part in so many runs all over the world that its hard to recall how many times he did each one.

Anyway this photo and medal are from 1994.  As on the other occasions me and the children also went to London.  On the day of the race I would get the children settled in the hotel restaurant eating breakfast and then I accompanied Douglas to the railway station so he could travel to the start.  After seeing him off I would go back to the hotel for my breakfast.  Later on we would meet Douglas's two daughters who had travelled from Hertfordshire and we would all make our way to Westminster Bridge so we could get a good view of Douglas as he neared the finish.  He always spotted us and had a quick word before moving on.  Then we would go to meet him near the finish.  As you can see in the photo he is in fine fettle after 26.1 miles and is wearing his space blanket.  His medal is also included in my photo.

He was 65 years old in 1994 and the London Marathon had special arrangements for the oldies. They had a different starting point at Blackheath and there were tents for them to shelter in, massages on offer if  needed  - and hot drinks.  They had their own start and ran by themselves for a short distance and then filtered in to the main race.  I think Douglas would have preferred not to have been treated as an oldie and started along with the masses as he had in previous years.

Today I had a quiet day at home.  Looking back I haven't really done much at all - even though I had plenty to get on with.  The weather was dry but still bitterly cold.

Steps today  - 4,441