2025 London Marathon Recap ●

I ran the 2025 TCS London Marathon on Sunday. And, after posting thousands of words about my great training system and tools, I put out a 1 out of 10 performance, finishing over an hour slower than last year. (And even slower than my first marathon — where I struggled — in Dallas.)

Anecdotally, it seems like I wasn't alone. It was hotter than anticipated and I saw a great many people struggling around the course. I've heard similar stories from other runners and friends too. (Having said that, Tigist Assefa set a women's world record on the day, so it definitely wasn't a universal problem.)

I set out with a plan and held to it decently well for the first 6-7 miles. The streets become tighter in the lead-up to the halfway mark and I started to slow. Around that point, I realised my heart rate was much too high — numbers I haven't seen while running in a long time — and I was feeling over-full, presumably from consuming more-than-typical water in the heat. I tried to reset, but a variety of issues snowballed and I just couldn't sustain any rhythm.

I was able to run the final few miles more consistently, which was good. But I'm disappointed to have performed so poorly. (Around 5:19 according to my Apple Watch.)

I had no particular expectation of hitting a PR. My training had been thrown off for a variety of reasons. Still, it's disappointing.

On the upside, I was able to raise over £2,750 for Children With Cancer. I wore 'Beads of Courage' during the race. I'm about to put one of them in the post this afternoon to a child currently battling cancer. A good reminder that there was worth in it all.

I've got a 13.1 coming up in September. I'm looking forward to working on my pace for that one. Beyond that, I'll certainly be back for another marathon. But I'm not sure which one and when quite yet.

Thanks for all your support!