Womble’s London Marathon Report!

The marathon was terrific - I must admit to being a bit dismayed when I opened the curtains on Sunday to find it raining! The whole Jesuit Missions team left Wimbledon and made their way to the start by minibus and train. At the start the three Wombles (one had dropped out due to the death of a family member) were helped into their outfits and shuffled off towards the start. The 9.30 am start flashed by really quickly and I found myself running through Greenwich before I knew it. I found out very quickly that the suit was quite warm and I was sweating profusely! My vision was also extremely limited and I could only see a portion of the tarmac ahead and a lot of legs and heels! I didn't see much of the first six miles and missed a couple of water stations in the process. The support was outstanding throughout the race, especially at Tower Bridge (12 miles) and Canary Wharf (16 miles). I learnt a few new Womble songs along the way! Many of the runners cheered me on as well, although several commented on my apparent lack of sanity and some took photos. The miles passed quickly and I reached Tower Bridge for the second time at around 4:45 with only three or four miles remaining. At this stage I was walking a few minutes then running a few minutes as a way to keep going. The Embankment stretched on much further than anticipated and my knee started complaining halfway down but none of it mattered as I swung onto Birdcage Walk and headed for the finish line. At the finish line I was greeted by the other four Wombles (two of whom had run) and we all crossed the line together. My finish place was 27544th in a time of 5 hours 22 minutes and three seconds!

I only noticed when removing the costume afterwards how much heavier it had become. My legs were a bit unhappy for the last two days but have recovered well and I am thinking about going for a run this evening! In my madness I have already entered for the New York Marathon, although I think Orinoco will not be coming along!

Many thanks for all the support and help with the fundraising! The final tally is going to be over £2000! You can still visit the fundraising page on the internet http://www.justgiving.com/iainmorgan where sponsors can make their pledge online.

There are photos of the Wombles during the marathon online at http://www.jesuitmissions.org.uk

Iain Morgan
Useful URL : http://www.justgiving.com/iainmorgan