The 2012 London Marathon: On Our Way

By Mike Finch

Team Runner’s World leaves for the Virgin London Marathon on Thursday to participate in one of the world’s most iconic city marathons, with three lucky readers who won our Virgin Money – Insurance like it should be competition earlier this year.

As I write this I am on route to Johannesburg from Cape Town and already the excitement is starting to build. Thanks to our sponsors we will fly on Virgin Atlantic to the UK, stay in the Holiday Inn in Kensington and, most importantly, get to start in the famed green group along with all the celebs.

The green group has just 3000 starters and will allow us to find our stride early on compared to the mass groups that start at other times and places. The biggest problem with running a big city marathon is often just the pure mass of people that you need to dodge around the course and the easier it is at the start, the easier the run.

Having run the race last in 2003, I expect to see a few changes. But what my Runner’s World newbies will undoubtedly experience will be the amazing crowd support along the way, the tour past some of London’s most famous landmarks and that glorious finish in front of Buckingham Palace.

I, for one, will not be aiming for any time goals. The Virgin London Marathon is all about the experience and taking it all in will be my goal.

Follow me on twitter @MikeFinchSA and catch up with our experiences, here on www.runnersworld.co.za