What a truly memorable weekend. Part 1.

Written by David Jones on 30/04/2026. Posted in News

Jamie Hall
First of our finishers in a 4 minute PB time of 2:34.56 and throwing in a negative split as well.

As the title of this week’s newsletter suggests, it was a truly momentous weekend for so many of our members, with both the London marathon and Stratford full and half marathons happening on the same day and the London Mini marathon being held on the Saturday.

This being the case, you will have to endure two newsletters this week.

This, the first, is devoted to our 15 brave souls who opted to run 26.2 miles through the streets of London on a day that Sebastian Sawe became the first athlete to break the two hour mark in an official race. Among the many statistics I read about this incredible achievement was that it was the equivalent of running a 100ms in 17 seconds and then continuing at that pace for 26 miles.

Words do truly fail. Not sure I’ll be splashing £450 on a pair of the running shoes he wore though.

I want to give sincere thanks to those of our members competing on the day who found the time to email me their comments/reports, many doing so within hours of completing the marathon. As a result of this we have the thoughts of 14 of them.

I’ve said on many occasions, without input from you there would be no newsletter. This newsletter proves that point beyond doubt.

Reading the various reports, what is noticeable is how many of them thank their fellow club members for the friendship, support and advice given to them. A true reflection of how, as a club, we come together in support of our fellow members and friends.

The other thing that struck me was how the London marathon means different things to different people.

The first and last of this week’s reports truly exemplifies this.

First we have Jamie Hall, who’s total dedication and training saw him run a 4 minute PB and who’s 5k splits defy belief, with all of them being within 6 seconds of each other. Metronomic doesn’t come close. He also, remarkably, managed a negative split for the race as a whole.

Then we have Liz Whitehead’s report. Liz didn’t start running until last May, ran at what she termed her “party pace”, going on to say “You don’t need to be a whippet to have a flyer of a day. I may have been at the back of the pack but I had the front-row seat to the best street party in the world.”

I absolutely love what these two repots exemplify

Take care.

David Jones.

Jamie’s London

Report – Jamie Hall

It was my first London Marathon and it was the most incredible experience.

The atmosphere from start to finish was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I came away with a PB of 2:34:56, almost four minutes quicker than my previous best. Somehow I managing a negative split as well.

I feel very grateful to have run a race I had grown-up matching on TV!

James Cottriall

James’s Race

Report – James Cottriall

So proud to run my seventh consecutive sub-3 hour marathon on such an historic day!

Motivated like never before by the day of world records and to have been a small part in!

Delighted to see some huge personal bests among the Stratford runners!

A happy Seth Turner. And why wouldn’t he be?

Seth’s London

Report : Seth Turner

London was as epic as it always is, the weather was pretty much perfect and the crowd support louder and livelier than ever.

A bout of man-flu the week before the race put paid to any PB dreams for me but I dug deep and held on to finish in 2.57.33 for my fourth sub three hour finish at London.

It was great to see so many strong finishes from the other SAC athletes including my 2 great friends Drew Sambridge (3:02.29) and Andy Cox (2:58.52)

The London Marathon is truly a magical event and if anyone gets the chance to participate they should grab it with both hands.

Drew Sambridge, Andy Cox and Seth Turner.

Andy’s Race

Report – Andy Cox

Last Sunday I crossed the finish line of the London Marathon in 2:58, a time that feels even more meaningful at age 52, and in my 21st marathon.

An achievement that seemed impossible in December, having discovered I had suffered a tibia stress fracture, years of experience have taught me patience and discipline in training and sticking to the recovery plan, during the race I kept my pace controlled in the early miles, resisting the temptation to go out too fast.

The crowds were incredible, their energy echoing through the streets and carrying me forward when the effort began to bite, turning out of Canary Wharf, fatigue set in, but stayed focused, drawing on lessons learned from every previous race. I reminded myself why I run and what it has taken to get here.

Turning toward Buckingham Palace, I knew I had achieved something special. The final stretch was exhilarating, and as I crossed the line, I felt pride, gratitude, and a deep sense of accomplishment that only running brings.

David Mancini Lowe’s race performance. Very impressive.

David’s London

Report – David Mancini-Lowe

I completed the London Marathon in 3 hours 19 mins.

An unreal experience.

Crowds were so loud and supportive!

My wife came for the weekend as it was our anniversary weekend, so all in all a great experience.

My training took a setback start of year so my focus was just about getting it over the line!

Worth the pain

Anna Bateman

“I managed to run it in 3hr 27 mins!! A PB for me by 6 mins! 😃 the crowds were unbelievable – such an incredible experience!! “

Graham Hill

Graham’s London

Report – Graham Hill

This was my first London Marathon with my main concerns being getting down on Friday to the hotel near St Pauls, getting out to the Excel centre on Saturday morning to pick up my Bib number and look round the Expo and then getting out to Blackheath on Sunday ready to start the race.

The event was so well organised that everything went well, which meant I just had to run the 26.2 miles.

I had hoped to dip under the 4 hour mark but was not sure if this was possible given the sheer amount of runners.

I started off in Wave 4 and just tried to keep a steady pace, with a few times going a bit quick in the first few miles.

The drink and energy stations around the course made it easy to keep hydrated all be it you had to dodge people stopping for water etc, so a lesson learnt, keep to the opposite side of the road if not needing to take water, etc.

It was starting to get warm after an hour or so, which I expect did not help loads of runners but I am not too bad in the heat so I was able to keep going reasonably well.

The support was absolutely amazing going around the whole course with people just shouting out my name and cheering people on. I was also trying to take in the sights and views of the London route.

It was amazing to see my support crew at 12 miles and 22 miles, which helped me keep going especially at the 22 mile point.

The last 5km was hard going and the run along the Embankment appears to go on forever….

Once you get to Big Ben then at least you know the end is in sight, with a final push past Buckingham Palace and along to the final line.

I knew I was doing well and potentially not only dip under the 4 hour mark, but also beat my previous PB (03:49:49), so I was over the moon to finally come in at the official time of 03:46:17.

Running the London Marathon was fantastic and a memory that I will never forget.

All in all, a great event, running for a worthy course.

Dave Woodcock

Dave’s London

Report – Dave Woodcock

Last Sunday I somehow persuaded my legs to carry me around the London Marathon.

The goal was sub‑4 hours… and despite some very warm conditions and my right hamstring filing for early retirement at mile 21, I snuck home in 3:55.

The final few miles became less about pace and more about stubbornness, problem‑solving, and not stopping altogether — a real mental and physical test.

Massively proud to have completed it, even more proud to have raised around £3,300 so far for Home‑Start South Warwickshire, supporting families when they need it most.

Huge thanks to everyone who donated, cheered, messaged and put up with my marathon chat for the last few months — it genuinely made the difference.

Recovery mode firmly activated. Ice, gratitude, and possibly swearing at stairs for a while.

Kim Lee at mile 25. Looking calm and composed she says but with her brain working overtime trying to do the maths on whether sub 4 was doable.

Kim’s London

Report – Kim Lee

What an absolute privilege to secure a place at London marathon through the club ballot.

This would be my 5th marathon and 2nd London after running it in 4hrs 14 minutes in 2021. My marathon PB being from Manchester in 2024 of 4hr 13 minutes.

I saw London as an opportunity to target sub 4 hours. The reward being that it would be my fifth and final marathon if I managed it.

I was taken out with viral encephalitis back in September 2025 with a two week stint in hospital. It completely wiped me out but gave me time to reflect on what is important to me and what I want to achieve.

I was determined to come back stronger.

My 18 week Runna training programme had filled me with confidence and even hinted at targeting 3hr 30 mins – no chance!

On the Wednesday before the marathon, a group of Stratford ladies headed to the London Expo to collect our race numbers. A thoroughly enjoyable but exhausting day, so I’d highly recommend not doing it on the Saturday before.

On race day morning, it was glorious sunshine and expected to reach 20 degrees. I’d packed a long sleeve top to donate to charity at the start, but didn’t need it. I bumped into the very calm Dave Woolcock at the start, who was all set to go in wave 4 just after me in wave 3 with a start time of 10.02.

Setting off, I was hoping to hit 5mins 15 per km, but couldn’t muster it. My heart rate was high from the start and I settled into a 5min 25 rhythm. Putting the difference down to the higher temperatures.

The crowds’ were immense from the start and the first distance sign I spotted was 8km, so that first quarter had flown by.

Tower Bridge arrived about 11km later and I knew the family were at the half way mark. I didn’t spot them, but pushed on through the maze of Canary Wharf. My pace slowed slightly as I left Canary Wharf, with Dave catching up to me and heading on looking strong.

The next challenge was spotting the family at mile 22. It was just the best thing to high five the kids as I ran past.

I also realised I was on track for my sub 4. My maths let me down however, as I thought I had more headroom than I actually did.

Thankfully, I’d only faded slightly through the last hour and was in much better shape than my previous marathons.

With two kilometres to go, I realised that it would be very tight to achieve sub 4 hours, so had to dig deep.

With 400m left to go, I realised I had no headroom at all. I turned the corner into Pall Mall, saw the line and had 30 seconds left.

I mustered all my strength for a ‘sprint’ finish. With just a few seconds to spare, I’d done it – 3hrs 59 minutes and 56 seconds.

Paul Forshaw

Paul’s London

Report – Paul Forshaw

I entered the London Marathon ballot for the first time last year and was very lucky to get a place.

I have run plenty of half marathons before and felt ready to give a full marathon a try. Training for the marathon went pretty well overall, I had to ease off for a couple of weeks earlier in the year with a niggly lower back but Glute Bridges and some gym exercises helped.

I ran the Warwick half, Twin Lakes 20 and Leicester’s Big 10K as part of my preparation.

I picked up my race pack on Saturday at around 12:30. I was expecting to have to wait for a long time but full credit to the organisers they moved people through quickly and it only took 15 minutes to get the bib.

My wife and I stayed in a hotel near Canning Town tube on the Saturday before the race and found a nice Italian restaurant near the hotel for some last-minute carbs!

Then race day finally dawned,

I had an early breakfast in the hotel at 7am then left for the start. TFL had plenty of station staff working and helping people get on the right trains, again I cannot fault TFL for keeping things moving.

I started at Blackheath, the start area is a large open space and I had plenty of room to sit down and organise my stuff for the race, prior to dropping off my bag on the baggage truck.

I ran the Great North run last year and you were crammed into a pen for over an hour before crossing the start line. The start was a big improvement over the Great North run, as they called you towards your pen much nearer to your start time so that you could relax and soak in the atmosphere and have a chat with some of the other runners.

I crossed the start line at around 10:45. I was expecting that after the first 3KM my legs would feel great after 3 weeks of tapering. Sadly, it was not to be and after the first 5KM I backed off the pace a bit as my heart rate was higher than it should have been at that point.

I have blown up in quite a few half marathons after getting a bit carried away in the early miles, but for once I listened to my body!

The support along the route was incredible, I have no idea how they keep their energy levels up. There are spectators cheering everyone on along all of the route apart from the very first section near the start line.

I heard a few shouts of “well done Stratford” along the route, great to have good numbers from the club this year.

One downside of the big events is that the course is very congested and I could not get into a rhythm, having to frequently adjust my pace and weave in and out.

The energy around Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge was great and gave all of the runners a lift.

I now know that the old adage that the marathon is in 2 halfs, the first 20 miles, and the last 6 miles is true.

I had to stop for the toilet after around 28KM which cost a bit of time as there was a queue for each of the portaloos.

After 20 miles my pace naturally dropped as my legs felt heavy, I was able to keep running but at a slower 7min per KM pace. As I saw the sign for the last 385 yards, I was able to lift my pace slightly to finish with an official final time of 4:32:46.

Overall running London was a great experience. The race is superbly organised and the support along the route is incredible.

Pip Bell

Pip’s London

Report – Pip Bell

After 11 years of rejection, I finally secured a ballot place for London 2026….while injured. Not ideal. But with the incredible support of friends, family and our amazing club, I put in the work through the cold, wet winter to get to the start as ready as I could be.

My goal was simple, take in all the sights, sounds and the atmosphere of this iconic marathon.

My first half was everything I had hoped for. Running past The Cutty Sark and over The Tower Bridge were unforgettable moments. I even spotted my brilliant support crew twice, which kept me smiling and gave me a real lift.

Around mile 21 my race changed as I got massive cramps in my thighs and I had to dig deep but the crowds carried me – hearing my name shouted again and again made all the difference.

Running past the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and then Buckingham Palace is something I will never forget.

Once on The Mall the noise was spine tingling and I am not ashamed to admit that I completely broke down at the finish.

Massive thank you to my support crew and everyone tracking me along the way. This one meant everything and for those of you who know me, I have well and truly buried my demons from Rome!!!

I am now the very proud owner of a huge medal, part of a record breaking marathon day and I have fulfilled a lifelong dream to run The London Marathon. It’s been a journey and it’s a day I will never forget.

Official time 4 hours 40 minutes 36 seconds. Not the time I had hoped for, but the memories are much more important to me than what the clock says!!!

Finally, I’d like to mention my gratitude to everyone who supported me in raising over £2000 for The Shakespeare Hospice.

Jennifer Cockayne

Jennifer’s London

Report – Jennifer Cockayne

Last year I did my first marathon at Stratford upon Avon. After finishing that swore I would never ever do another as long as I lived unless I got into London, thinking I wouldn’t get into London for years……..and then I won the club place!

I went down on Saturday and the weather looked like it was going to be hot.

I chilled out in the evening and then got up, got dressed and headed off to get the train. I’ve never seen so many people trying to get on public transport but everyone was in great spirits, there were people crying already (not me). I easily got to the start area and sat down to wait.

I’ve never seen so much support for an event ever, it was amazing. It was wall to wall supporters the whole way round the route, it was just fabulous and not just people cheering, proper in your face support “come on Jen, you’re smashing it”. It was something else.

When I started I wanted to at least beat my Stratford time which was 5:42. I was running really strong at the start but I crashed at around mile 14. I’ve run much further than that in my training runs and never had a problem. I don’t know what caused it on the day, probably a mix of lots of things but I continued and managed a 1 1/2 minute PB. Still counts right!

The amount of support I’ve had through the whole journey to London has been quite humbling and overwhelming at times so a massive thank you to everyone at the club.

I’m really grateful for getting the club place.

I can now hand on heart say “never again”. I’ll stick to ultras on trails from now on. Next up, The Lap in a year’s time.

The ageless Kate Sergent

Kate’s Race

Report – Kate Sergent

I was very chuffed to secure another Good For Age place this year for my 7th London Marathon.

This year everything was right for me except it was a bit too hot!!

Wonderful atmosphere and crowds simply amazing.

I didn’t see any of the many club mates but knowing they were there was special.

I had a great run just slowing in the last 7 miles when the heat really got me!

I was happy to finish just ahead of Giant Peppa Pig running with the wonderful Jo Wicks who I had a selfie with at last year’s marathon.

My time was 5:18.22, which was 6 minutes faster than last year and 10 minutes quicker than Chicago in October.

I was pleased and relieved to see a photo of my daughter Rosie come through on my watch, finishing the Stratford Half. It gave me such a boost when I was struggling.

I would like to thank the Legend Susan Hunt for running with her and all the club mates who gave her massive support.

What a wonderful club we are.

Between us we are on target to raise £1500 for Eco Workshop where Rosie attends twice a week.

Liz Whitehead

Liz’s Race

Report – Liz Whitehead

With an 11:14 AM start time and a running “career” that only dates back to last May, my first London Marathon was destined to be a guaranteed PB.

Knowing the world record was safe from me, I skipped the pre-race jitters and settled straight into my party pace.

While the elites’ were busy grimacing for the cameras, I was busy soaking up every high-five and jelly baby the London crowds had to offer. The atmosphere wasn’t just incredible; it was addictive.

People often compare the marathon to childbirth—it’s full of anticipation, occasionally quite uncomfortable and goes on for a long time—but holding that medal at the end makes you forget the struggle instantly.

You don’t need to be a whippet to have a flyer of a day. I may have been at the back of the pack but I had the front-row seat to the best street party in the world.

If I can go from May’s first mile to London’s finish line, anyone can.

Highly recommended. Just don’t expect me to stop dancing at the water stations next time!