London Marathon 2025: Dispensing Ice Like an Abominable Snowman

That time I acidentally enjoyed another marathon.

Not just enjoyed it in the usual “I’ve survived and therefore I’m pleased” kind of way.

Not in a “There were free snacks and I've eaten more than my entry fee” way either. There were no free snacks except melty jelly babies from the sweaty hands of small children at the edge of the road and I'm not that brave. 

I REALLY enjoyed it. 

London Marathon 2025 was my first standalone road marathon for eight years and the training had gone suspiciously smoothly. There had been no major disasters, no catastrophic injuries and no point where I’d considered abandoning the whole thing to attempt to become a professional cake taste tester.

That job opportunity has never come up unfortunately 

There was, however, one small incident during taper.

I pulled a muscle trying to do a chin-up in a children’s playground.

Because OF COURSE.

Nothing says Sarah's Marathon Preparation quite like injuring yourself on playground equipment.

AND THEN the weather forecast started creeping upwards.

22°C was being forecast. In April.

Marvellous.

I’d spent months training in British winter and now apparently I was going to get a nice tan instead of a PB.

Well. A nice tan in the shape of running kit anyway. 

London, here I come.

For London Marathon, you pick up your number and kit bag the day before in a shameless attempt by the London Marathon company to get you to walk around an expo and buy overpriced kit. There seemed to be less free snack samples every year too. BOO.

However, getting to London the day before was slightly more eventful than necessary.

It was FA Cup semi-final weekend, which meant the trains were rammed with football fans (UGH). I eventually found myself standing among mostly family groups and a trio of tweens sitting on the floor trying to start a football chant. 

It didn’t catch on but good to see singing is still being kept up in schools.

I was desperate for a wee by the time I arrived (of COURSE the train toilets were out of order) so I legged it over to Earls Court to drop my bags at the hotel and get to the expo ...

Except just as I arrived at Earl’s Court, a recorded announcement informed us that the station was being evacuated. MARVELLOUS.

However, nobody appeared to be on fire. Nobody was running.

So I went and caught the Tube. Fine. It'll be fine. 

I’ve learned over the years that sometimes the best way to deal with London is simply to assume that whatever is happening is normal.

The Expo was very different to the one I remembered from eight years ago.

Back then, I’d wandered around trying every flavour of Torq gel possible (a bit like Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans) and eating so many Clif samples that I was carb-loaded before I’d even started considering pasta.

This time nothing was free and everything was eye-wateringly expensive.

£30 for a COTTON T-shirt. Not even a tech one.

£14 for the cheapest pair of socks I could find.

I did manage to win a couple of things in a game where you had to catch a bar, so at least I left with a shoe deodoriser.

The real prize, though, was the finishers’ T-shirt.

Cherry red with gold writing.

My favourite combination. Obviously I couldn’t wear it until after the race because that would be tempting fate. No one is as superstitious as a pre-race runner.

I didn’t see the giant board with all the names on it either, but I found a perfectly acceptable London Marathon/New Balance backdrop and had my photograph taken there instead. With bonus fire extinguisher in the background.

I wasn’t going to queue for half an hour just to prove I had been to London.

I had photographic evidence. That would do.

The hotel was only about three minutes from Earl’s Court Tube, cost £190 for two nights and was surprisingly pleasant.

Compact and perfectly adequate.

The only problem was that they had supplied one sachet of coffee.

ONE SACHET.

Luckily, I had brought emergency coffee in my suitcase because while I may be prepared to run 26.2 miles in one day ,I’m not prepared to start that day without adequate caffeine.

RACE MORNING

I woke up every few hours, but the rattle and hum of the trains outside were actually quite soothing and I woke feeling surprisingly rested.

I’d allowed myself 90 minutes in the morning, so there was no mad rush. Just get ready, eat my breakfast of 3 boiled eggs, dress and poop.

There was, however, some concern about the Poo Fairy who apparently didn't read the schedule and didn’t arrive until gone 6am. I was beginning to think I’d miss the start of the race ..!

MARATHON START

Even at 8am, you could feel the heat. It was pleasant to sit on the grass, not worry about wearing a bin bag and relax in the sunshine. However, the temps were still rising.

I met The Other Sarah walking towards the Yellow Start and we got chatting. Our start pen and times were identical, so we stuck together. Nice to have company and good chat and then we found her friend Roger.

Sarah was going through chemotherapy and had had a mastectomy.

And she was running a marathon between rounds of chemo.

Proper badass.

Suddenly my playground injury seemed considerably less dramatic.

We chilled out on the grass in the sunshine and watched people warming up by jogging up and down the field and looked at them like they were lunatics.

Surely you could use one of the 26.2 miles as your warm-up? Chill out people. 

And just like that it was time to get onto the road for the start of the race. 

No time to think and we were off

I started with the usual combination of excitement and mild disbelief. I was running the London Marathon. Such a BLOODY COOL THING to do! 

The church bells were ringing out on the Sunday morning and they were playing running songs!! Chariots of Fire was playing as we went past. Love this. The whole city and community gets involved. I felt so privileged to be here, to do this. Proper In The Moment stuff. 

Parakeets were squawking overhead around mile two. Green parakeets. In London. Cheering us onwards. 

And London was absolutely bathed in sunshine.

It was beautiful.

I saw a tall tower around mile three, which brought back memories of the 2016 marathon when Ann, Simon and I had met Alex and Mike there after our starts came together.

Around Cutty Sark I had a brief pain in the top of my right knee and my left ankle. Enough to change my running style slightly.

I decided it was maranoia. Kept telling myself that, like a persistent ghost – you're NOT REAL.

It disappeared about a mile later and never came back.

So that was nice.

And then I saw Simon and Lily … or I thought I did just after Cutty Sark. The crowds were insane. 4 people deep … like we were running celebs. They were all here supporting us. I thought I'd heard Lily shout but I wasn't sure. I turned and caught a quick glimpse of a face but I wasn't sure. 

Tower Bridge was incredible. The crowds were ridiculous. The atmosphere was AMAZING. So I did a little mini video of running across it! Just like Ann and I did 8 years ago.

And for the first time I really thought: “I’m doing this again!” Eight years after my last London Marathon.

Here I was. LOVING IT! 

I was a little concerned about the rising temperatures, but I was still feeling good and feeling strong. 

I'd spent months training in 14-15°C temperatures and driving rain and suddenly I was racing in around 20°C and rising. But I felt strong.

The only thing I could think of that might have helped with the heat was my regular sauna sessions after gym workouts. Maybe all those 15-minute sauna sweat-fests had been useful.

There were also extra showers out on the run course, which were very welcome, although they created enormous puddles.

Wet trainers and 26.2 miles aren’t exactly best friends, so I tried to stay to the edges.

The felt-tip writing on my name signs ran during one of the showers. Apparently I'm now called 'SSSSRRRRRHHH'. I really should have laminated them. Ah well. Next time, Ssssrrrrrrhhh.

I was glad of my visor shading my eyes and also started using ice whenever I could and around mile 20 I shoved some ice down my bra.

It was surprisingly effective at cooling me down, but it was also surprisingly mobile and kept falling out while I was running, which was distracting but also quite funny. I was like a moving ice machine dispensing ice out of my sports bra.

Somewhere around halfway, I realised I was having fun

This was the weird bit.

I felt good.

Really good.

I had to keep reminding myself not to get carried away and stay on pace instead of going quicker. 

I'd decided no music until at least halfway but it was so brilliant with the crowds that I waited and at around mile 17 I finally put my music on.

And it was like someone had plugged me into a wall socket.

My legs suddenly wanted to GO.

I had to actively tell myself to slow down.

The marathon is not won at mile 17, Booker.

The Bloodhound Gang came on.

Then Kiss Me Where It Smells Funny, which is an excellent running song for several reasons, not least because it is inappropriate enough to take your mind off running.

I was having the time of my life.

Every mile became my new favourite.

This is my favourite 18-mile run ever.

This is my favourite 19-mile run ever.

This is my favourite 20-mile run ever.

It was ridiculous.

I kept thinking about all the training I’d done.

The marathon wasn’t really the training anymore.

The training was finished.

This was the victory lap.

I just had to collect the medal.

Then I fell over

Mile 19.5.

I went down.

Dramatically. VERY DRAMATICALLY.

I even rolled.

Honestly, if you’re going to fall over during a marathon, you might as well commit to it.

I surprised myself by springing straight back up.

The bloke nearby asked if I was okay.

“Yeah. Is it even a marathon without a stunt fall?”

The more pressing issue was my water bottle.

I’d dropped it.

And it was full.

I normally hold a bottle in my right hand during road marathons like some sort of emotional support water bottle.

There were no more water stations for about three miles.

So I was suddenly without water.

I’d clunked my hip, leg, elbow and hands, but nothing seemed seriously injured.

So I carried on.

Because that’s what we do. Get on with it. Because no bugger else is going to collect that medal for me. 

Having people scattered around the course made such a difference. Lily and Simon out on the course. Rich at Millwall. Northbrook AC by Tower Bridge. ASICS buddies around the course 

But there was one person I kept thinking about.

Julian. My Father in Law who had started running at 60 years old but had passed away a few years earlier. 

Mile 22, as usual is always for Julian. 

Mile 22 is always my tough mile. Which is why it is his mile. 

And afterwards it is easier. After Mile 22 it is all downhill to the finish, right?

London signs and spectators are always brilliant and this year they did not disappoint

“You run better than the government.”

“Therapy was also an option.”

“Run if you hate Tottenham.”

“Lost a toenail, gained a medal.”

“Now pain, later wine.”

“Never again. Until next year.”

“Hurts like hell, feels like heaven.”

And my personal favourite:

“This is bloody tough but so are you.”

There were plenty of runners walking, particularly later on, and quite a few people sitting at the side of the road. I tried not to look too closely  Maybe walking was their strategy. Maybe they’d been injured. Maybe the heat had got to them. Just run your own race.

The 3:25 pacer had been around for a couple of miles, although the congestion made it difficult to get past the clump of runners around them and then later I found another 3:25 pacer from a different start. No idea which one was from MY start. 

I wasn’t struggling to hold the pace. The main thing holding me back was congestion. There were people running at wildly different speeds, and I think that cost me more than anything else.

But I felt strong.

I felt like I could have gone quicker.

And that was a very nice feeling to have in the final few miles of a marathon.

Then 'Monster;, one of my favourite running songs came on.

Perfect timing.

Whatever the reason, I was very grateful that my legs were still doing what I was asking them to do, in these, the final miles

I passed the giant white building on Birdcage Walk and was all “YASSSS! Buckingham House!”

Excellent. Nearly there.

It wasn’t Buckingham Palace.

I was not nearly there.

I also somehow completely missed the Tower of London on the way back despite having specifically reminded myself to look for it.

I’ve run 26.2 miles around London and apparently seen approximately six buildings.

But I was having a brilliant time.

I knew I was close.

And there, the finish gantries lining the road. And GO!!

C'mon legs. It always feels SUCH a long way from seeing those gantries to crossing beneath them but what a privilege to run those final metres of the London Marathon.

I crossed the finish line knowing I’d had a brilliant day.

Not an easy day.

It had been hot.

I’d fallen over.

I’d lost my water bottle.

I’d had ice fall out of my bra like some kind of Abominable Snowman.

I’d missed the Tower of London.

I’d mistaken a building for Buckingham Palace. Meh. 

But I’d loved it.

And then came the bit I hadn’t quite allowed myself to think about too much.

The time: 3:21:30.

I’d knocked two minutes off my marathon PB.

TWO MINUTES.

And it was my first marathon PB in around 12 years.

After eight years away from London. After everything that had happened in between.

That felt pretty bloody special.

I had gone into London hoping for a good day and I'd come away with a PB.

And, more importantly, I came away thinking:

I really, REALLY enjoyed that.

I may simply have been delirious.

Either way.

London, I’ll be back.

Probably.

Definitely.

Actually, yes.

Never again.

Until next year.

LONDON 2025: 3:21:30.

Running In The Heat: How To Survive When Britain Becomes The Sahara

Every year it happens.

The UK gets three days of sunshine and the entire country loses its collective mind.

The roads melt. Supermarkets run out of Cornettos. Gary from the office becomes a weather expert. And runners everywhere stare at their training plans wondering whether a 6 mile run in 30°C is “character building” or simply a poor life choice.

As someone currently training through summer, I’ve learned that running in the heat requires a slightly different approach. You can’t just pretend you’re Eliud Kipchoge and charge off into the blazing sun armed with nothing but optimism and a half-empty water bottle.

Well, you can.

But you’ll probably regret it.

Here are my top tips for surviving hot weather running, whether you’re pounding the pavements outside or sweating profusely on a treadmill indoors.

Running Outside In The Heat

Accept That Your Pace Will Be Slower.

This is the big one.

Your pace is going to drop.

Not because you’ve forgotten how to run, but because your body is working overtime trying to stop itself from turning into a human casserole.

On hot days your heart rate will often be higher for the same effort. Running by effort rather than pace can save a lot of frustration. 

If your easy run suddenly feels like a tempo session, it’s not you.

It’s the weather.

Your Garmin will judge you. 

Ignore it. (You're already 'unproductive', right?)

Run Early Or Run Late

If possible, avoid running during the hottest part of the day. I know, this is obvious but it's not always midday. Today 3pm is going to be the hottest part of the day. Be aware of this. Your weather app is your friend! 

Early mornings are generally cooler and quieter. And you can feel smug when you're done for the rest of the day. 

Evening runs can also work well once the temperature starts to drop, but stay hydrated throughout the hot day or you just won't fancy an evening run. 

Midday running in 30°C is a bit like choosing the hottest queue at Alton Towers and then acting surprised when you’re uncomfortable.

Hydrate Before You’re Thirsty

If you’re already thirsty, you’re playing catch-up.

Drink regularly throughout the day, especially if you’re planning a longer session.

And yes, tea counts.

I’m British. I’m not arguing about this.

For longer runs, consider carrying fluids or planning routes that pass garages, corner shops or places where you can beg for mercy. Or a nice cup of tea. 

Wear Less. Not Nothing.

Technical clothing is your friend.

Light-coloured, breathable kit can help your body stay cooler.

Black leggings and a black top in full sunshine might look coordinated, but you’ll absorb heat like a solar panel that’s developed a running addiction. 

Seek Out Shade

Woodland trails – always nicer than pavements - suddenly become premium real estate during a heatwave.

Tree cover can make a huge difference to how comfortable a run feels.

Plus, trails are generally more forgiving underfoot than baking-hot pavements.

It’s basically nature’s air conditioning.

Slow Down On Long Runs

This isn’t the time to chase PBs.

The goal is completing the session safely, not auditioning for an episode of Casualty.

Adjust expectations.

Adapt the pace.

Bank the training.

Learn The Warning Signs

Heat exhaustion is no joke.

If you feel dizzy, nauseous, unusually weak, develop a headache, stop sweating or become confused, stop running immediately and seek shade, fluids and cooling.

No Strava kudos is worth ending up in the back of an ambulance.

Running On A Treadmill During Hot Weather

“But Booker,” I hear absolutely nobody saying, “surely running indoors solves everything?”

Well…

Not quite.

Use A Fan

A treadmill without a fan is basically an expensive conveyor belt to a sauna.

Air movement helps sweat evaporate, which is one of your body’s primary cooling mechanisms.

If your gym has air conditioning, position yourself right underneath. My gym has certain treadmills that are positioned just under the air conditioning vents …. it's not worth bothering with the other ones in warm weather unless you wish to melt. 

If you’re at home, point every available fan directly at your face and hope for the best.

Take More Fluids Than You Think You’ll Need

Indoor running can be deceptively sweaty.

Without natural airflow, many runners actually lose more fluid than expected.

You know those mysterious puddles that appear underneath treadmills?

Those aren’t decorative.

Adjust The Incline If Needed

Hot weather places extra stress on the body.

If you’re already struggling, there’s no shame in reducing the incline or easing the effort slightly.

Training is about consistency, not punishment.

Focus On Effort

Treadmills can sometimes feel harder mentally than physically.

Add heat into the equation and suddenly every kilometre feels 30 minutes long. It's hard enough that the big red 'off' button is right in front of you without the extra stress from the heat. 

Forget pace.

Focus on maintaining the right effort level and getting the session done.

A Final Thought Before You Head Out For That Sweaty Run

Running in the heat can help build resilience and improve your body’s ability to cope with challenging conditions over time.

But adaptation takes time.

The first hot run of the year always feels awful.

The second usually isn’t much better.

By the third you’re slightly less convinced you’re going to perish in a hedge.

So be sensible.

Slow down.

Drink fluids.

Embrace the shade.

And remember that if Britain reaches 30°C, surviving the day may already count as a successful training session.

The autumn PBs will still be there waiting for you.

Probably.

The Coventry Way: It's the Wrong Socks, Gromit

Coventry Way 40 miler is one of my very favourite routes and I look forward to this event every year. Not only that, the weather was forecast to be gorgeous and I was in a good place with the London Marathon training. What could improve this? Well …  I was  offered a lift to and from the event which meant I could have a pint of cider at the end. It was destined to be a tiptop day!

When I put my trainers on though I realised I was wearing 2 left socks. Uh-oh. Ambulance time. Time to do a 40 mile experiment on whether the L and R on running socks actually makes any difference. 

Despite a chilly temperature of 3*c at the start, it was a sunny day and I soon ditched the gloves, arm warmers and jacket and was soon in my usual vest and visor. 

I’d planned to run it steady but was swept up in the excitement and ran sections with a chap who was setting a good pace and running up all the hills! Surely he must realise this is against The Ultra Rules? Seemed a shame not to keep up, so I  ended up leapfrogging most of the race with him and occasionally having a chat when paces were the same! Handy having a pacer. Felt like a muddy elite runner.

I’d got home from work at midnight the night before - not fun with an 0530 alarm - but I’d made some pitta bread wraps - tuna and cheese and avocado and chorizo. Not conventional combinations but I didn’t have much in the fridge and tired me obviously thinks about food like drunk me. However the combinations worked. I had an avocado and chorizo pitta and loved it … was gutted to reach for another at 15 miles to find it had fallen out of my run pack and was no doubt being snaffled up by someone's Springer Spaniel. 

I’d brought salt tablets with me but like all good intentions they were totally forgotten after about 10 miles. My fingers swell up when I run long and had hoped this might sort it … but alas the experiment was not to be.

I was feeling good and because of that and having a focus, even the tough parts of the run felt easier. I don’t like the canal section as it just stretches on and on and the ploughed field after it is often miserable but both of these sections flew past. It felt like a long time between aid stations 2 and 3 and I was running low on fluids due to drinking more because of the heat but I tried to fly in and out of the aid stations as quickly as possible. I'm always surprised by how much time is wasted at aid stations. NEVER sit down!

Every time I sucked fluid from the soft flask straw, my sinuses let go. Completely. No idea how to stop it. It was like being pepper sprayed but with orange squash. 

The Rugby Tri cheer station was great to see at Brinklow with Alice and Anthony cheering people in but I couldn’t stop for long - was trying to make the most of the good conditions!! I also saw Lee, a colleague from my old job in Northampton (8 years ago!) out for a Sunday morning run - unexpected and nice!! I also saw Christine from Rugby Tri in a random lane! This section of the Cov Way has two signposted parallel sections so you can choose which you like but I was following the route in this year's Green Book so it was lucky I went the right way or I wouldn't have seen Christine!

Blossom was sprinkled across all the paths like confetti. White blossom against blue skies. Early bluebells in the woods - my first seen of the year - and primroses on the banks. Butterflies, peacocks, tortoiseshells and small whites. All this and a long run. It was the perfect Spring morning. 

I saw a few Northbrook shirts (my Coventry running club!) which was lovely and the club captain Spencer must have had a cracking turn of speed as he and Tracey seemed to pop up at all of the road junctions ahead of me! I swear he should get a spot at the Olympics, the speed he was going! I also spotted a buddy Craig and was so busy saying hello that I overshot the turning and nearly went the wrong way! I also saw Claudie who is always dressed immaculately in matching and pretty kit and was keeping an eye out for Liz who I hoped to see but because of the staggered start times I missed her. Saw Seb too running strong!

It was nice starting early for the run as I’d started a bit later in a previous year due to a late finish at work and the first couple of aid stations had no snacks left … I was absolutely gutted. I am VERY food motivated!!

There were a few trees down over the path which seemed strange as there hadn’t really been any strong winds but I guess on a 40 mile route there will be an occasional obstacle. I climbed over most trees but one was totally blocking the path and there was a queue of people crawling under it. I have the patience and attention span of a gerbil so I decided to go over and through the branches. Fine. It was fine. Normal for me to finish a run with tree in my hair. 

Usually I choose a good audiobook for the Coventry Way but this year I wanted a bit of speed so I popped on some music to keep me motivated and to provide a good beat to run to. The weather was so gorgeous and sunny that everywhere looked lovely and the music was the perfect accompaniment. 

Lots of blossom on the trees, bright and beautiful and it was like running through a wedding bower. So many flowers in the woodlands near Solihull and there were lots of butterflies. I saw a velvety peacock butterfly and some lovely tortoiseshells - gorgeous!! 

It started getting a bit tough towards the end with the miles and the heat taking their toll but I dug in. My daughter got a Parkrun PB yesterday knocking FOUR minutes off her previous time and I told her to have courage while she was running. I remembered that when it got rough for me and how brave she was and I used that to be my inspiration. When it started hurting I told myself to have courage and be like Lily. 

The ground was hard - so unlike normal April trails - and the rutted tractor tracks made it hard running. I could feel I’d run a few miles now and the springs in my legs were tired. 

The run back down to Meriden has a lovely long downhill and I took the opportunity to stretch my legs out and enjoy the bit of breeze. About half a mile from the end, going through a rough field I turned my ankle with a crunch. I could still run on it so took that as a sign to ignore it. Mile 40 was my fastest mile! The motivation of a cold pint of cider does wonderful things to a person. 

As I ran down the road, there were lots of Northbrook running club members waiting for their relay team mates so I got a lovely big cheer from them and other people waiting for their friends and family. I stormed up the hill to the finish … well … it felt like I stormed it but it probably looked like a gentle jog to every else - and to the finish where my time was logged and the tracker was given back. 

And the pint of cider. 

Thrilled to be fastest female and fastest overall finisher.