The handicap times were calculated from our last 7 road marathons. My avaerage time was 4 hours 21, giving me a start time of 10:09am. It was quite odd to set off alone on a marathon, though I was caught up by the chaps who started at 10:10 after a couple of miles. By the third lap there were plenty of us out on the course so it felt a little more sociable.

There was a lovely atmosphere despite the cold (though it was sunny with only a hint of sleet for a short while), with lots of friendly, familiar faces. I finished in 4:13:51, a bit faster than my average, which seemed like a good start to the year. The medal has the 100 Club logo on it and it’s got me really looking forward to completing my hundred, hopefully in May this year.