As a runner whose main ambition is the marathon, I really only have one chance to perform each year – and last year did not go well. After a series of increasingly strong performances (2:53 in 2015, 2:46 in 2016, 2:44 in 2017), I hit the Championship Start at the London Marathon, and it all went wrong. An attempt at going under 2:40 on a warm day with blue skies, when I possibly wasn’t as fit as I thought I was, left me in a world of pain less than half way in and a performance I was far from happy with.

This year I felt much more confident going in for two reasons. My form was exactly where I wanted it to be. After only going sub seventeen for the 5K for the first time last year immediately before the marathon, I’d run under the mark three times in a month this year. I’d lowered my 10K PB and gone under 34 minutes for the first time. I’d run a strong half marathon on the tough Liversedge course. My training and long runs had gone well, and a week prior to race day I went out and ran 10 miles at 6:03 – under race pace (6 minutes and 6 seconds would be exactly sub 2:40 and no more) and it felt easy. Secondly – the weather report in the run up was for cold temperatures and an overcast day. Bliss.