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Humphrey’s 12th London Marathon – it doesn’t get any easier ! |
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Sunday, 13 April 2008 |
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Rain was due for the big day and despite undertaking months of gruelling training Humphrey was not looking forward to running 26 miles and 385 yards as a soggy camel…
Yawn ! – One thing that I hate more than rain is waking up early !
5am and I’m up and about getting ready to make the journey to London to run in this year’s London Marathon. After I munch down my oats I’m ready and on my way. I get there without too much hassle – last year the DLR trains weren’t working properly so this poor camel had to run to the start – and then run a marathon !
Just before the start I’m greeted by another marathon running camel (I thought I was the only one !). His name turns out to be Calvin the Camel and it is his first marathon – I give him some tips and things to look out for and wish him good luck - I hope you made it to the finish line !
 
It was 20 minutes before we even crossed the start line but then my 12th London was underway. The crowds as usual were fantastic – it makes the slog of 26+ miles so much more bearable and this year people were getting it right – I am a CAMEL ! not a horse or donkey ! (even though we have many similarities)…
Anyway, this camel digresses… it was all very camel friendly, people cheering and having a great time until I felt the ‘pit-pat’ of rain on my humps and soon the course was awash and I had to run – no, make that squelch – for the next couple of miles until the rain stopped but there were still some very big puddles and when a camel is moving at speed the puddles are hard to dodge !
Mile after mile passes and I get wetter and wetter and there is no sign of my fellow marathon running bactrian – I hope they are ok !. Just to make things slightly worse it starts to rain again but by now I am a thoroughly soggy camel, – still, only a few more miles to go and then we’ll be there !
 
The crowds along the Mall are again marvellous and I make a final surge for the finish line which we cross 5 hours and 16 minutes after starting the race in Greenwich Park. Not my best time I must admit (I’ll try to better it next year) but there haven’t been many marathons that I’ve run that have been this wet !
After I finished and collected my medal it was off to the WaterAid reception to say hello to my WaterAid chums and a bite to eat (leaves of course !)
I’ll be there again next year so I hope you will be too !
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