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The London Marathon 2021. Final Update.
Now that Sunday has partly sunk in (I think I’m still processing it) I can say that it was the best thing I have ever done. The atmosphere, the iconic landmarks, being able to run on closed roads through London which included the area where I was born and grew up was a mind-blowing experience.
Such a great event. I loved every second of it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I would 100% recommend it to anyone.
I started the marathon off really well, I had a conservative pace in mind and I stuck to it which I’m surprised by as I was convinced I would have been swept along with the hype however I did stick to it and it meant I reached the 12 mile marker relatively easily where for some reason I hit ‘The Wall’ and even though I expected this to happen it took me by surprise as it was so early on.
I’ve run many distances over 12 miles so I knew I was still in my element at this point so to feel that bad that early was a disaster for my hopes of hitting a 5.5 hour finish time.
I hadn’t run too fast too early and I was well hydrated etc. It was just one of those things that happened on the day.
The good news is that I fought through this feeling and managed to forge myself out a ‘second wind’ at about mile 18 and I then ran like the wind all the way until the finish line.
The last 5 miles were the only reason I was able to salvage any kind of respectable finish time.
The run itself wasn’t about just completing it. I was always completing it. Not completing it never entered my mind at any point. The Princess Alice Hospice had chosen me to run for them, I wasn’t going to let them down.
I wanted to run it and I wanted to get a “decent time” that reflected my 12 months of training, effort and to show everyone that had support me through this challenge that anyone can achieve something if they want it enough.
It was to inspire my girls to be exceptional and to not accept the status quo.
…And even though I finished it wasn’t the time I had hoped for. I was planning for a 5:30 finish which was achievable. This wasn’t un-realistic at all.
Plan B was a sub 6-hour finish which gave me a 29 min buffer.
I finished in 6:09 minutes. Those 9 minutes are going to haunt me for a long time.
I think the technology went wrong on the app that allowed people to track me. I’m told it froze at mile 19 (I only know this as my phone was on fire when I finished with messages of concern). Firstly, thank you for tracking me, I had no idea so many people cared enough to want to track me on an app.
Please don’t worry, I was absolutely fine. The app stopped, not me 
I didn’t stop the whole way. Even when the wheels fell off at mile 12/13 I only slowed to a very slow jog/fast walk before forcing myself back up to a respectable pace and it was forced.
The best part of the marathon for me was the last 8 miles. All my training kicked in and I was able to run on auto pilot and enjoy the event and crowds. That fantastic feeling of running like you’re floating, there’s nothing better!
The first 10 miles was all tactics and planning, the middle was endurance but the last third was what I hoped it would be - All adrenaline and atmosphere.
I even ran along the crowds lining the embankment and high fived everyone like some absolute lunatic.
What would I do differently next time?
Absolutely nothing. The day was fantastic. It was a real privilege to run.
I will however keep running and keep enjoying it and allow myself to get better at it.
I will also continue to learn through trial and error.
Things I’ll takeaway…
- Full fat Coke is like rocket fuel. When nothing else was working drinking a can and a bottle of that stuff turned me into Linford Christie… How anyone drinks it when not running a marathon is beyond me.
- 90’s dance music saved me when the heavens opened.
- Everyone shouting “not far to go now” in the first 5 miles thinks they’re hilarious and to be fair it did make me laugh every single time.
- There are so many inspirational, humble runners that you meet on the route and being able to talk to them briefly was a real unexpected treat and a privilege.
- Seeing my friends and family on route made my day and gave me a real boost.
I want to say a huge thank you to my Mum, Dad and Natalie who dropped us at the start line and waited for me to pass at Deptford park. Seeing my mum watch me run the marathon was a real emotional moment for me and one I will have for the rest of my life.
Thank you to Alexandra for flagging me down at mile 11, handing me a can of coke and for taking a selfie with me.
Thank you to Charlotte for high-fiving me in the East End. Thanks for cheering me on.
Thank you to Chris and Collette who were volunteers on the route and who I was supposed to look out for at mile 12 but missed. They ran down to cut me off at mile 22. Thanks for the hug. You have no idea how much of a difference that made to my moral.
And a special thank you to Tracie and my girls. I can’t say enough about their support.
Tracie is a real inspiration to me.
They saw me off on the start line in Blackheath, ran down to the Cutty-Sark to cheer me on, then beat me to Tower Bridge to keep me motivated and to make sure I had what I needed and then waited near the finish line to give me a high-five when I had only 600 yards to go.
To be able to share this day with them made it even more special and one I will never forget.
Even when I had to sit on the floor in Westminster tube station, after the race, because I hadn’t consumed enough calories, they helped me get home like a sad lost old man.
They walked 8 miles on Sunday supporting me. I can’t thank them enough.
I want to say thank you to Kerry and everyone at Princess Alice Hospice. Thank you for allowing me to run for you. Thank you for your support.
Thank you to everyone that donated this past year. Every penny goes directly to The Princess Alice Hospice and makes a real difference to so many families. Hospices in our communities are such a vital thing.
At this point were at £2,500. I really hope we can make it reach our £3k target soon.
The £3k is what I promised them when I signed up to run for them.
I filmed it so I’ll be making a video at some point.
A whole year building up to one day. Was it worth it? 100% yes!!!
I’ve already entered the ballot for next year.
Thank you!
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First of all, thank you for clicking this far and for reading my story.
My name is Ryan Condon and I am going to be running this years London Marathon on Sunday 3rd October 2021.
I have made short, entertaining video diaries about by London Marathon challenge and training.
A video diary of my running journey ;)
Please Click to watch them --->
My First Marathon Training Vlogs –
Trailer - https://youtu.be/6v7Z5gvuHws
Part One - https://youtu.be/PDKm9DD7y7g
Part Two - https://youtu.be/C2cRlnAMwSw
Part Three - https://youtu.be/bLBGdcuO5Ag
Part Four - https://youtu.be/eN8rbDjGFX8
Part Five - https://youtu.be/6faLnkv9Gb0
Part Six - https://youtu.be/vBkcutNPtCI
Part Seven - https://youtu.be/QR6diVCTvLA
I've already completed two challenges... In 2019 I walked 63 miles in 26 hours and last year I walked 60 miles non-stop in 19 hours. This doesn't do justice to the thousands of miles covered in training. Best thing I ever did and I've discovered I'm not adverse to training.
This 'Pandemic year' has hit us all hard, no one has got away scot-free. Last year I lost my Grandmother and then, a short while after, my Grandfather. The Princess Alice Hospice (PAH) carers provided invaluable palliative care for both of them at the end of their lives.
The Princess Alice Hospice care for families when they need it most. They provide invaluable support before and after the death of a loved one. But it costs them £10.3 million each year to provide this care. They completely rely on the support of donations to fund the care they give.
This year they have been hit really hard and need all the support they can get.
I've persuaded them to allow me to run for them in this years London Marathon. To give me one of their valuable Marathon spaces and to allow me the chance to raise as much money as I can for them. I've committed to raise at least £3k for them.
This is a big responsibility and I really need your help.
Everyone knows how hard care homes, hospitals and carers have had it this year... This is such a worthy cause.
I completely appreciate they haven't cared for your Mum, Dad, Grandparents etc but they do provide quality specialist end of life care to tens of thousands of people with life threatening illnesses.
I've always believed that all fundraising to be an honourable thing to do, especially if it's for a cause that's important to you... but to ask for a significant amount of money in donations then I should be prepared to do something substantial in return...
Running 26.2 miles is the next impossible challenge for me. The furthest I've run so far before dying on my feet is 10 miles. The next few months are going to be hell for me to be able to run 26.2 miles non-stop to complete this challenge. I obsessively intend on not only finishing this event but to finish it in a completely satisfactory time scale and by running it the whole way.
I've setup a 'Just-Giving' page and I'd really appreciate it if you could support me but more importantly help me support The Princess Alice Hospice who helped my Nan and Grandad when they needed help the most.
Every penny you donate in support of me will go straight to The PAH.
As part of this challenge I fully intend on keeping you updated of my progress along the way and then the final event itself via messages and videos.
Thank you so much for reading and thank you for your kind donation!
Ryan.