The London Marathon

I hadn't run a standalone marathon in 5 years outside of Ironman races, so I didn't set any specific goals for myself. I simply aimed to finish, explore the city, and earn my medal. The special allure of this marathon lies in the legend that the marathon, from 40 kilometers to 42 kilometers 195 meters, was inspired by the British royal family. Allegedly, they wanted the marathon finish to be in front of Buckingham Palace, so an additional 2 kilometers 195 meters were added to the standard 40-kilometer distance. Whether this is true or not, such a legend exists.

Like any top European marathon, everything here was top-notch, from the expo to the finish area. There's no need to describe it. The route passes by all the landmarks. It's a special thrill to run across the beloved Tower Bridge, which I remember from English textbooks in 5th grade. But here, during the marathon, it presents itself in a different light, with an incline and a cold headwind. Inside, I was cursing that darn bridge! For those planning to run it, I would advise dressing very warmly in the clothes you'll discard and never see again. You really need to wear a puffy jacket because +5°C in London is not the same as +5°C in Astana due to different humidity levels.

Getting a slot for this marathon is very difficult, but I'm glad that in Kazakhstan, there's an agency called @4lmnts through which you can get a business class ticket to any major marathon!

I ran my third major marathon, the TCS London Marathon, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, London. Getting into it is not easy, as there are over 125,000 applicants, but only about 40,000 are selected. I was fortunate to be among them, thanks to @4lmnts.kz, who specialize in running tourism and organizing trips to international races.

On April 21, 2024, we started in Greenwich Park, divided into four zones due to the large number of participants. I started from the red zone, while there were also blue, yellow, and green zones. About 5 kilometers into the race, all runners from different zones merged and ran together.

The London Marathon route is considered one of the flattest and fastest, but nonetheless, there were inclines and declines. Around 2 kilometers after starting from the red zone, there was a significant incline, similar to the one I felt when running on Tower Bridge. According to Strava, I had an elevation gain of 175 meters.

I got to the starting point by taxi. The weather in the morning was sunny but cold, with a piercing wind. So, on top of my sports gear, I wore warm clothes, which I left at the starting area.

The atmosphere at the marathon was festive, with support from spectators, acquaintances, and relatives cheering me on. Therefore, I didn't feel the cold during the run, and the temperature was comfortable for racing.

During the marathon, participants run along the beautiful Thames River, past Big Ben, over Tower Bridge, and other famous landmarks of the capital of the United Kingdom, finishing at Buckingham Palace.

Overall, it's a really cool marathon, superb. I didn't regret it one bit and will recommend everyone to run this marathon. In terms of organization, it's standard. The city itself is beautiful, the track is gorgeous, and of course, the atmosphere was indescribable. I've never seen so many spectators. The track is definitely very beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful ones. I really enjoyed it. I think out of all the marathons I've done, this is one of the most vividly beautiful ones I've run.