A distant bang but no announcement on the PA. We start shuffling forward. Eight minutes latter, I cross the starting line. Race on.
I check my pace on the watch. Don't go too fast, most people around me only have to run two hours. As we turn towards the station, I spot Reg in the middle of the road. I call his name, he had not recognised me.
Here comes the famous "Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem" pub. Up the hill we go to Nottingham Castle. Three supporters dressed up as Wally go wild as I pass them. There's a runner dressed as Wally behind me. Someone asks him if he knew them. He doesn't. This sounds like a fun way to get people to cheer you on. Maybe I should look for a white and red striped racing T-shirt, but I don't fancy the wholly hat.
More uphill. I thought the castle was the highest point, but they managed to find some more steep sections. At last, we're running down towards the campus. From now on, it will be flat-ish. A DJ is playing classic 90s dance music by the side of the road. What a star, everyone feels uplifted.
Getting close to Wollaton Hall now, time for the first energy gel. I had not run here since moving house. So many memories of those runs with the pushchair around here bring a smile to my face.
Running back towards the city centre. I can't see the 4 hours pacer flag anymore. As we double back on ourselves near the hospital, I see the 4:15 pacer about 5 minutes behind me. I'm right on time and feel good. The DJ is still there, his music just as good as it was an hour ago.
Here's Reg again, on a bike this time. He is cheering his son who is just ahead of me and about to finish the half marathon.
This is the split point: 8500 runners are about to finish the half marathon, and 1500 runners have reached the half point of their full marathon. 2 hours 01 minutes, I'm bang on my expected pace and feel good. So much space around me now, but I’m not on my own, there are some runners ahead and behind.
Off to Colwick Park, my favourite Park Run. I pass the 17 miles marker where I volunteered as a marshal last year. A couple of regular parkrunners are here cheering us on. It feels good to be recognised and cheered on after the lonely training runs.
Into Lady Bay now, and I start to feel tired. This is my side of town, I run here with the Holmes Pierrepont Running Club. A runner wearing the club T-shirt overtakes me. She looks strong and although I try to keep up with her, she slowly pulls away. I've done only one long training run, 3 hours/30km. As I'm about to reach that point, I feel like I'm stepping into the unknown. I've not run for longer than 3 hours since my last marathon 5 years ago.
Just before the Holmes Pierrepont lake, a runner has collapsed and is lying on the ground. Three people are caring for him. As I pass him, someone is taping his cheek asking "can you hear me?"
Seeing this, my legs just stop responding. I feel tired, my lower back hurts. I still have 10 km to go, runners around me have started to overtake me. I walk a few minutes then jog slowly to the next drink station. But this is one of the nicest part of the route, running on the tow path alongside the river. I start running again, slower. I know I can make it to the end if I pace myself.
At Trent bridge, two regular Colwick Parkrun runners are cheering and encouraging us. Cue extra encouragement for me, it feels so good. About 5 km left to do.
As I get near to the the end of the river path, I pass the 4 hours pacer. He has taken down his flag, and tells one of the Marshall - another Colwick regular - that his run didn't go well today. I know him from Parkrun but feel so exhausted that I can only concentrate on my own run. The last leg out, near the Beckett school alongside the tram line seems to last forever. At last, I reached the main road which takes us back over the river to the finish line. There is another work colleague cheering us at the finish funnel. I'm around four and a half hours, with nothing left in me to accelerate at the end.
After the finish, I lay in the grass. Other runners ask if I’m OK. I may not look like it, but I’m over the moon. I have finished my second marathon, with no injury, no new blister, having done less than half the training I did for my first one.
My chip time is 4hr29min05s, 588th out of 1100 finishers. I'm so pleased to have made it under 4:30. I'm tempted to get an early bird entry for next year, but entries for the full marathon are not open yet.
