26.2: Running the London Marathon

by Julie Welch

As soon as I was offered a marathon place I thought "Yeah, I'll do it." I want to feel as though I've achieved something totally by myself, without anyone else's help. However I do it. Doesn't matter what time I do it in, I'm going to cross that finish line. If something goes wrong I'll crawl the last mile.

Some run it for charity, some run it for fun, others run it for the personal gain, others to quench their competitive thirst. It is of course the London Marathon and if you are one of the couch potatoes who find yourself glued to the event on TV, thinking "I could do that" you'd do well to read this little gem of a book before investing in those high-tech new running shoes.Julie Welch's insight into this most famous of large-scale sporting events throws up some ordinary and not so ordinary characters who all have their personal motivation for taking part in the race--as well as interviewing them she often recounts excerpts from their personal training logs which to most people would seem like a marathon in themselves. The accounts make for fascinating reading and are a true testament to the endurance of the human spirit and how far a body can be pushed both mentally and spiritually. The accounts are made even more personal by the inclusion of photographs of some of Welch's subjects. As a celebration of the London Marathon, which in 2000 sees it celebrating its 20th birthday, this is an enjoyable and well-written account that perfectly captures the magic for those of us who would be far too lazy to ever take part, except from the comfort of our own armchair. --Jonathan Weir

Genres: Nonfiction

223 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 2000