Brighton Marathon was absolutely fantastic. It was really well organised, and there was an amazing amount of uplifting support all along the route. My husband and children had come to cheer me on, but I had no hope of seeing them among the enormous crowds along the seafront at the finish.

My previous PB was 4:10:26, and I had set myself a target of beating 4 hours…as you can see I was elated at the finish to realise I had thrashed it, and I achieved 03:43:16.

I’ve relaxed my legs for a few days now, and going down stairs no longer makes me yelp! I wonder if all my toenails will ever grow back though?!

Alex Portwine