Hi 
 
Well, here's the result.....I did it!!!!! I finished the magnificent New York City Marathon on Sunday 1 November 2009 in 4 hours 17 minutes 33 seconds. And it was a fantastic day.
 
From the very start at Staten Island and the first mile over the Verrazano Bridge, through Brooklyn into Queens, over the Queensboro Bridge onto First Avenue in Manhattan, up to Harlem and the Bronx, and back down Fifth Avenue into Central Park to finish 26.2 miles later at The Tavern on the Green at Central Park West, I ran with a smile on my face. With over two million spectators lining the route with their shouts of "Go Howard", "Great job Howard" (perhaps not all two million shouted those exact words and of course they were cheering all the other runners as well, but it felt like they were all on my side), the New York City Marathon lived up to and exceeded every expectation that I had.
 
I finished 21243rd out of 43475 runners, so I just crept into the top half of the finishers. For those of you into statistics, my split times are available at www.nycmarathon.org (click on results and enter my name and running number 43609). I ran the first half in 1.56.39 but slowed a little on the slightly harder second half of the race (and perhaps I was just getting a bit more tired!) to finish virtually exactly where I had thought I would somewhere between 4 and 4.30 hours.
 
The official photographs of my race can be seen by visiting the link below if you would like to see the smile on my face as I crossed the finish line! (By the way the finish line clock says 4.58 because it was started when the elite men started the marathon some 40 minutes or so before me - but my official time from crossing the start line to crossing the finish line is 4.17.33)
 
http://www.brightroom.com/estf.asp?EVENTID=47685&PWD=&BIB=43609

Of course, the real reason why running this marathon was worth every step has been the magnificent support you have shown me in helping to raise £2710.00 (as at today) for the Blackpool Victoria Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Service and the Rosemere Cancer Foundation. I know that the money raised will really help to continue to develop cancer services in Lancashire and South Cumbria. Your support was with me every step of the way, and will be with other people as they run their own 'virtual' marathon to beat cancer.
 
Thank you so much for being part of my New York City Marathon and for helping me to say a tangible thank you to the people who treated me, cared for me, and saved my life.
 
Howard