London Marathon 2026

Conditions were perfect on Sunday, April 26th for the London marathon. Clear skies and mid-60's were present throughout the day. Over 59,000 runners were registered and the energy was beyond incredible! My son, Ben, was traveling with me and we made the most of our time in London. Seeing the major landmarks around the city and also visiting Stonehenge and Oxford made for a couple of very full days!

We stayed in Greenwich which was less than a mile from the start line! This is where the Cutty Sark, a tea clipper ship from 1869, is located. There is an observatory in town, at Greenwich Park, overlooking the River Thames and Canary Wharf skyline...the best place for sunset!  Each day brought more and more people into the city and the Expo was bustling! I picked up my race packet and visited vendors in the exhibition hall and of course came away with the requisite T-shirt and jacket! More sightseeing and an early dinner left time for last minute preparation for an early start on marathon day at Blackheath common.

The crowds of spectators were immense along the entire route and were filled with music, cheering and clever signage. Hundreds of volunteers manned the water tables and provided support where needed. It was impressive the number of charities runners were supporting and it is estimated over 120 million dollars has been raised so far! 

It was announced early in the race that Sebastien Sawe, from Kenya, had finished in 1:59:30.... a new world record! WOW! It was inspiring and I think everyone had an extra bounce to their step after hearing that!

The most memorable section of the course, for me, was running over the Tower Bridge with so many runners. An iconic landmark that was only open to the runners that day!

I finished! Ben was there at the end and I think he put in as many miles as I did just trying to get around to spot me along the way! There is nothing like seeing family or friends and receiving a big hug! You never know what can happen along a marathon route and how the body may or may not cooperate and to just get to the start line is a major accomplishment in itself....congratulations to all runners!

Thank you to my son and everyone who helped support me to be able to participate in this event. Training and going to the races takes alot of time and my family has been there all along and for that I am so grateful!