Mrs M running her first marathon on April 26th. Would like to get to see her as often as possible around the course.Coming from up north not familiar with London. Particually the underground and Docklands Express. Any help much appreciated 😀

My advice would be to run it yourself, that way you can keep tabs on her at all times 🙂

I think Mrs Higs came with me to the start, walked through the tunnel under the Thames and saw me again at Cutty Sark then got tube to near the finish, saw me again with about half a mile to go and then made her way to the place I’d arranged a post-run massage.

I’d ask her what tube stations she used but she won’t remember!

I think the pack she will pick up at the expo will include a spectator’s map which should give you some idea of where to watch from. Failing that have a look in the latest issues of the running mags as they will have rehashed their standard pre-london issue.

Or you could sit at home, drink tea on the couch and hope to see her on the BBC….

I’ll be the bleary eyed, hungover bloke who’s cut a stag do short to see Mrs H run her 8th (I think) marathon.

A mate and I cycled bits and pieces of it a few years ago to support 2 or 3 friends who were running it. Believe it or not it was easier than it sounds, only the actual marathon roads were crowded with spectators, everywhere else seemed really quiet.

Docklands is easy, they go on and off it at almost the same point, spearated by 100yds of footpath (the marathon route is about 6 miles round Docklands). Also the route from Shadwell to Poplar is an out-and-back so that’s easy too and it’s quick enough to nip across the river from Rotherhithe/Bermondsey way.
There’s a pdf map here:
http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/images/course_map.pdf
use that in conjunction with an A-Z/Google Maps and it should be easy enough to work out your way around.

When I went to support my sister I saw her four times. Greenwich (at 6 miles), twice at the isle of dogs (15 and 18.5 miles where the route goes either side of a pub) and parliament square (where an official photographer took her picture and got me in the background).

The tubes weren’t as busy as I’d imagined, but it would be a hustle if your Mrs is planning to run under 4 hours.

Matt

Cheers for the help and advice.Would love to run the marathon with Mrs M but dodgy knees and the lack of cartilidge within them precludes that I and numerous friends and family will be watching from the sidelines along the route

one of these?

Slight hijack, anyone know somewhere reasonable to stay that’s well positioned for the race? Wife is running it for 1st time aftre having to pull out with injuries for last 3 years!

She refused to book anything before her 20 mile run last weekend in case she hexed herself again?

Hotels preferably. Ta.

Coming from up north not familiar with London. Particually the underground and Docklands Express.

LOL! You’re not, are you? It’s the ‘Docklands Light Railway (DLR)’!

DLR is great for the Marathon; You can get it from Greenwich/Cutty sark, up to the Isle of Dogs/Canary Wharf area, and then up into town to Tower Gateway.

I used to live on the route. Very handy for watching it. I told Paula to pop in, if she needed the loo, but the silly mare din’t bloody listen…