Superb effort! Well done to you, sir. That's the thing about the marathon weekend. 18,000 individual stories all being played out in public. It's an amazing thing.
I got sucked into the whole running thing just from following my wife around at events and cheering her on (she's a proper runner). A running event is one of the few places where you see complete strangers wishing other complete strangers nothing but the very best of luck. There's no malice, ill will or ego anywhere. You see people setting aside their own goals to help people across the line. Basically you get to see people at their absolute best and it can be a real joy.
Now that I'm lucky enough to photograph a lot of these things I frequently end up surreptitiously weepy behind my lens, as I see people doing things they never thought they could do and being cheered wildly as they do so. Three years ago I was fortunate enough to get a spot on the finishing straight at the London Marathon, as I was getting media shots for Save The Rhino. However, I took plenty of pictures of other participants too. This was one of my favourites, as it really does seem to encapsulate that marathon day spirit.
Well done to each and every one of you. Runners, walkers, cyclists, volunteers and supporters. You make it the amazing weekend that it is.
. Hopefully see a number of BHA fans out on the streets.
I was working on a 2:10:00 finish time but the winner came in at 2:29:07 which is a normal time for Brighton. Better early than late.