32nd London Marathon passes through the Isle of Dogs

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Well done Ruth!!! 
Never met you before in my life and wouldn’t know you if I bumped into you again, but thank you for the  brief moment of friendship we shared as you  jogged past the 17-mile mark this afternoon while I stood cheering you on thinking “thank God that’s not me”.
Really, respect to Ruth, because at 76 years old she hardly seemed to have broken a sweat as she beamed me a big smile while I waved my camera in her face and told her how well she was doing as she ran the London Marathon today.
She an even stopped for a chat, I don’t think I would have been so courteous if it were me.
“I’m 76,” she said, before shaking my hand and trotting off to speak to the couple stood next to me handing out sweets.
My admiration for Ruth stems from my half-marathon experience three years ago.
It was not a pleasant experience, and at around mile 11 I was seriously thinking about what music I would like played at my funeral.
It killed me, so I have a huge amount of respect for all the runners who put on a sterling effort, most of them for charity, today.
The route passes through the Isle of Dogs so it has become a yearly tradition to stroll down the road and join the crowds as they cheer on the brave souls who put themselves through 26.2 miles and around five hours of utter Hell.
It never ceases to amaze me how people of all shapes and sizes, ages, and states of dress (and undress) survive the punishment that running a marathon involves.
Some do it year after year. Maybe it’s like child birth, the memory of the pain soon subsides and you end up wanting to do it again.
That was not the case for me after my half-effort, I took a vow never to do anything like that again.
Ruth was of course just one of thousands who pounded the streets of London today.

I spotted television presenter and actress Nadia Sawalha, Sam Nixon of children’s presenting duo Sam and Mark, and feminist broadcaster and writer Bidisha Bandyopadhyay.
There was also the usual array of bonkers costumes, some of which looked heavier than the people carrying them.
So to mark the 32nd London Marathon, here are some memories of the day.


They say less is more


Fancy a gherkin?


Cookie monster (s) taking a break


Paws for a breather


Keeping abreast


Phew...getting hot in here


You go Ruth!!!!

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