I’ll be honest. The London Marathon (or any marathon for that matter) was not on my bucket list.

I’ve never been someone who thought the longer the better. When I was doing triathlon my goal was always to get faster, not go longer. Not that it worked – I remained stubbornly one-paced. And that pace was extremely slow so I was always chasing cut-off times. The longest triathlon I did was Standard (or Olympic) distance. A 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run. My time was usually around the 4 hour mark – not fast enough to make cut-offs for the next distance up.

My best 5km run time was set the week before Covid19 lockdown. I was desperately trying to get under 30 minutes and I missed it by 18 seconds.

Another attempt at sub 30 minutes went on hold during covid – and then I broke my ankle. It was a year before I could even walk 5km again.

As I struggled to rebuild my fitness, the one thing I really missed was events. I just love the buzz of like-minded people getting together and doing something they enjoy. Triathlons were out and I was really struggling to run so my only options were swim events. And I have done some fabulous ones in the last couple of years. Coniston – where it was beautifully hot and sunny – and The Big Welsh Swim in Llyn Padarn – where it wasn’t! Swim events do tend to be very relaxed and low key. In many ways it’s part of their attraction. But you don’t get much of a crowd cheering you on – and you probably wouldn’t hear them anyway.

I’m not someone who loves training – I need the prospect of an event to keep me motivated. Something that’s really lacking since my accident. Much as I love swimming, I don’t really enjoy putting in the hours in the pool. Especially as I no longer have the tri club sessions to provide support.

It was watching the London Marathon on TV in 2023 that I first got the idea that this was something I might try. The epic crowds and participants of all shapes and sizes – some even slower than me!

Apart from being one of the world’s most iconic races, London has established itself as an event that welcomes all abilities and prides itself on inclusivity. In 2019 there was a major problem for the slower participants which received widespread publicity. Since then they have made a big effort to make it work for those at the back of the pack. For a start there is a generous 8 hour cut off time – for most UK marathons it’s 6 hours. Walking a marathon in 6 hours requires a seriously fast walk. But 8 hours can be achieved with a brisk, steady pace.

As a cheerleader for slow athletes, this is something I want to support.

So I put my name into the ballot for 2024. And didn’t get in. The odds are about 2% so no surprise there. London places are highly sought after and the most common way to get in for those who are not fast is via a charity place. I decided that I would try again for 2025 and if I didn’t get a ballot place I would apply to a charity. Which is what happened.

When the “sorry you didn’t get a place” email arrived, I had my application to the Royal Osteoporosis Society already prepared. Charities pay a lot of money for London marathon places and they need to recoup that AND raise significant funds. The target is usually around £2,000 and they look for people who have a connection to the charity and a clear plan for fundraising. I applied and a couple of days later I had a phone call offering me a place. I was in!

I made an early decision that I would be walking. I’d tried so hard to get back into running, using run/walk intervals. But every attempt resulted in niggling hip or knee issues. The stiffness in my ankle and achilles tendon have clearly affected my gait. I have no idea how my ankle is going to hold up with all the training involved so I wanted to maximise my chances of a) making it to the start line and b) finishing.

I’ve been building up my walking and working on my overall fitness since the summer. I start a proper 12 week training plan at the beginning of February to take me up the marathon day on 27th April.

I’ve also managed to make it past the halfway point in my fundraising. If you’ve enjoyed reading this and would like to support me you can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/alison-wren-london2025