Well, I did it!!! My official time came in at 5:25:54 - hardly likely to win a place in the Beijing Olympics, but not to bad considering all the issues I had just getting to the start line. (Not to mention the amount of time I spent in the queue for the toilets at mile 7!)

Yesterday was a truly amazing day; the atmosphere; the crowds; and the weather (bright sunshine, freezing hail and torrential downpours made for an interesting mix).

I’d just like to say a big THANK YOU to all of you that sponsored me and especially those who came along to cheer me on. Your support was fantastic and most appreciated.

Until yesterday, running the London Marathon was not something I ever seriously considered likely to happen - but now it has, and I have the medal and the memories to prove it.

Matt

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Thank you for visiting my fundraising page...

When I said to Zoë how I thought it would be an amazing achievement to complete a marathon, I suppose I shouldn’t really have been too surprised at her response: “Well, why don’t you then?”

It was that careless remark that led me to my participation in my first ever running challenge – the 2006 Great South Run. At the time, the Royal Marsden also offered to put my name in the hat for one of their precious Golden Bond places in the 2007 marathon, I agreed, but never really expected it to happen!

Of course it did, and after getting over the initial shock at the prospect of running more than two and a half times the distance, training began again in earnest. Unfortunately I had to withdraw a couple of months beforehand with an injury.

A year on, with many more hours of training, more injuries, and more physio later, and I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be to give it a go!

So that’s the plan, and once again I’ll be running for the Royal Marsden Hospital so that I might give a little more back to them as they continue to take such good care of my wife and many more like her.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So thank you so much in advance for any donation you make, as your support is greatly appreciated. Hopefully it will spur me on all the way to the finish line - a mere 26.2 miles from the start!