When I was 15, for some reason I decided to write down my ambitions in life. They ended up being a mixed bag, which you can now see in the photo below, taken from the original orange school exercise book I used.
 
You may have noticed that strangely enough running a marathon was not on the [...]

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So here’s the graph I’ve constructed based on the times given to me via the email alerts. The first section just gave the average time at each 5km point, but from 16 miles onwards I’ve worked out the exact pace per mile.
It peaks between 16 and 17 miles probably because at that point we’d just [...]

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I wanted to capture my whole marathon story and publish it, as much for me as for anyone else. I’ve broken it down into sections to make it easier to post and read. There’s a lot to tell so if you really want to live through all my twists and turns, heartaches and joy, then [...]

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The Quick Decision
Steve phones out of the blue and tells me he’s got a place in this year’s New York Marathon via his work if he wants it. Would I want to do it too? Completely un-Andy-like, I make a snap decision and agree. Before I know it, I’m looking on the web to see [...]

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T minus four days
4:30am: The journey that will take to me glory or despair starts with a simple, irritating buzzer from my alarm clock. I grab a few last-minute items and open the curtains, hoping that the blanket of white that unexpectedly descended last night has melted during my brief time asleep. My friend T [...]

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In the house
No sooner had I put my head down after midnight, then my phone’s alarm woke me up. 4:30am: Game Time. A quick physical check appears to indicate that I’m rested and stomach is fine. Relieved that this was the case, and not a bit disappointed that I had no excuse to quit, I [...]

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Early stages
I am hit by the scene that waits for me as I turn the corner and make my way up the first part of the bridge slope. Manhattan appears in the distance against a mainly blue sky, beckoning us to reach it. The struts and cables of the bridge climb high above us as [...]

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Grab everything you can
The medal. The glorious, hard-fought medal is handed to me. I thanked the helper, and kiss its metal surface hard. If I die now, this is coming with me. I stumble towards a small stage and get an official photo taken. Not particularly photogenic at the best of times let alone physically [...]

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Just thought it would be nice to show you all the route. Double click on an area to zoom in. Drag with mouse to pan around.

Please consider donating to the children’s charity that I have now painfully run the 26.2 miles for – details at: http://www.justgiving.com/andymales

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THE RACE
Starters
Men 25,354
Women 13,002
Total 38,356
Finishers
Men 25,072
Women 12,827
Total 37,899
Weather: Fair, 47°F, 41% humidity, wind NE 8 mph.
Finishers by Age Group
Men Women Total
.18-19 80 34 114
20-29 2,839 2,734 5,573
30-39 7,553 4,436 11,989
40-44 4,853 2,216 7,069
45-49 3,773 1,604 5,377
50-54 2,925 1,023 3,948
55-59 1,596 442 2,038
60-64 900 214 1,114
65-69 304 74 378
70-74 110 14 124
75-79 29 6 35
80-89 12 [...]

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