26.2 Miles of Inspiration – Your Guide to the London Marathon

Posted by Kristin on Apr 12, 2011 in News | 0 comments

Want to know the best way to be inspired to get in shape, start running, or start running farther? Go out and cheer at a marathon. Sound fun? Well you’re in luck. This Sunday, April 17th, is the 30th running of the London marathon.

Spectating at a marathon is inspirational thanks to the unbelievable people out there running 26.2 miles, including:

The pros
Women’s Professional Start Time: 9:00
Men’s Professional Start Time: 9:45

Watching professional marathoners run is like nothing else. They run with such grace and style, they make it look easy, but don’t be fooled! The pros are running 26.2 miles at a pace that most of us couldn’t dream of running for even one mile. The winning man will average about 4:45 per mile, while the winning female will be running at around a 5:25 pace.

The masses
Start Time: 9:45

46,698 people plan to start the London marathon this year.

Seeing the huge groups of runners from all walks of life and countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe does wonders in the inspiration department. It’s amazing to see the range of ages (competitors range from 18-86 years old in 2011!), shapes, and sizes that get up off the couch to train for and run for 26.2 miles. Some will complete the race at top speeds, coming close to the professional finishing times at around 2 hours, 20 minutes. Others will run towards the goal of finishing and will take eight hours or more.

Everyone will have their own reasons for reaching the start line and each will need stamina, both mental and physical, to finish.

The wheelchair competitors
Start Time: 9:20

Imagine powering yourself for 26.2 miles with your arms. Pretty amazing, right? In addition to that challenge, wheelchair participants often deal with mechanical issues, such as tyre punctures on their quest to reach 26.2 miles. The racers are impressive to watch, with the winners expected to finish in about 1-1/2 hours for the men’s race, about 1 hour, 50 minutes for the winning woman.

If fitness inspiration is not enough, why not go to cheer on your fave celebs out running for charity? This year’s celebrity roster includes Ricky Wilson, front man for the Kaiser Chiefs (running for the Alzheimer’s Society), model Agyness Deyn (running for Oxfam), and Charlie Brooks from The EastEnders (running for Sparks Children’s Medical Research and Marie Curie cancer care) to name just a few.

So, you’re convinced- you want to watch the marathon. Where’s the best place to watch? The marathon starts in Greenwich Park and snakes it’s way through London to reach the finish line in The Mall by St. James Park, so you have plenty of options! It is NOT suggested to try to reach the start or the finish- both areas will be incredibly congested and devoted to the runners.

Why not head to a spot where the runners will really need some motivation?

Around mile 20, runners often hit what is known as “The Wall” or “The Knock”, the dreaded moment where the body just doesn’t want to go on. Coincidentally, mile 20 on the marathon route is located right near Poplar station on the DLR. This is one of the less busy areas for spectators, so get out there and cheer on those runners!

More course details can be found here, including a course map, mile markers, and a listing of pubs to be found on the course. Expect pubs to be a major part of the action. Many will have live bands, decorations, and about 50 of the pubs on the course are linked to charities that have runners in the race. These pubs will provide a base for charity supporters and are sure to be a lively spot both to inspire runners and refresh weary spectators.

What happens if you watch and you’re inspired to run next year? Online ballots open for next year’s London Marathon on 26 April on the marathon’s website, but act fast- ballots closed this year in two days, 16 hours due to overwhelming demand.

If you’re not one of the lucky ones to be accepted through the ballot system (this year 125,000 applied), consider running for a charity, raising money while you complete your amazing feat! Or check out other marathons around the UK and the world- Runner’s World Events page is a good place to start.

Even if you choose not to run in a marathon of your own, go out and enjoy the race. You might end up being the inspiration… Your shouts of encouragement may help a struggling runner to reach the finish line!

Photos: lululemon athletica, catfordCelt, and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/" target="_blank"Ed Yourdon