Excellent Work Team!

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18:05 - They have both finished! 

Well done, what a fantastic achievement.

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Still chirpy after five miles!

Live camera:

2026: Tower Bridge - London Marathon - BBC iPlayer

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Coming up:

Monday: While David's sitting immobilised by lactic acid in his legs I'll get him to send a report on how the run went.

Wednesday: Marathon participants you probably aren't aware of.

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Posted by David & Nobby

 Someone trying to steal our strap line?

David on his way to collect his bib number yesterday.

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There will be lengthy television coverage of the event on BBC, so there's always a chance of spotting David, Olivia or other family and friends among the 59,000 charity runners! Here's the schedule:

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If you would like to follow the live progress of David and Olivia, or anyone else, you can do so by getting the TCS London Marathon app. Click on the link below, then either scan the QR code or choose between iPhone (iOS) or Android below it:

https://onelink.to/k66y83

Once you have the app, you can search for participants to track by name, but it is easier to enter their Bib numbers:

• David is 79322

• Olivia is 82254

As well as tracking their progress you can send a message of encouragement and support that may appear on the big screens. All messages are emailed to participants after the race ... 🤔 ... that seems a bit late to me!

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In case you missed it, a heartwarming story from the Boston Marathon ...

... Click to watch and read more: 

Esprit de Corps...

Here's someone else who had trouble getting over the finishing line:

Big Ben's in trouble!

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Good luck to David, Olivia and all the other runners!

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Coming up:

Sunday: David and Olivia will hopefully send a video as they wait for the start. I will post updates on their progress.

Monday/Tuesday: While David's sitting immobilised by lactic acid in his legs I'll get him to send a report on how the run went.

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Posted by David & Nobby

It's All in the Mind

Psychological tips to help your Marathon feel more achievable:

•  Reduce mental fatigue by planning proactively a mental taper: avoid overwork and stressful situations in the three or four days before the Marathon.

• Brace yourself: accept unpleasant feelings as something that must be endured.

• Smile every mile: smiles increase your positive thoughts and improve running economy.

• Break down the distance through chunking: for example, 6 X 7 km. Reward the end of each chunk with a gel or short walk.

• Heads, Shoulders, Knees & Toes: monitor your body and adjust your pace strategy or movement.

• Devise an instructional mantra: a short phrase which you can repeat in your head to remind your body how you run at your best; for example, 'Another mile for David Pyle'.

Use some or all of these tips and remember that, when we are exhausted, what stops is not our physiology but our psychology.

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How about a trip down memory lane with a motivational song? 

Everybody Wants to Run The World - Tears for Fears

This was recorded for Sport Aid 1986, how many athletes can you name?

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Coming up:

Next: On Saturday there will be a video message from David and details of how you can track him and Olivia live on Sunday.

Sunday morning: Will we get a video message from David and Olivia as they wait to start the 2026 London Marathon? Let's hope so, plus updates on their progress.

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Posted by David & Nobby

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From Head to Toe

The Anatomy of a Long Distance Runner

By far the most critical component of Marathon success is one's state of mind; the psychological preparedness for the highly arduous physical challenge.

With the exception of elite and seasoned club runners, the vast majority of runners on 26th April will be focused sensibly on completion of the course rather than personal best times. For them, the London Marathon is tremendously personal; the target finishing time of other athletes should be irrelevant. The streams of runners speeding past you during the early part of the Marathon may well be younger, more physically fit and anatomically attuned to distance running than you. Therefore co-habit the course with them but avoid getting involved in their race!

The depth of your sense of achievement is dependent on a wide range of factors: the quantity and quality of your training regime; the tapering period (last 2-3 weeks) before race day; negation of rapid changes of pace and regulated intake of liquids and energy gels.

Remember that there are no official prizes or appearance money for most of the participants so the overriding consideration ought to be how best to enjoy Marathon Day, bearing in mind that the experience is likely to be tougher than anything you have endured previously.

I have invariably used the acronym PACE to govern the mental aspects of my run where:


P = Positive outlook: aim high but do not overstretch the mark! Ignore the exploits of other runners particularly those who sprint past you, cut you up or are generally thoughtless in their pursuit of 'glory'.

A = Adaptation: be open to adjusting your race plan; listen to what your body is telling you and seek help from others if you feel 'under the weather' at any time. There is no shame in pulling out; safety and health must be the highest priorities.

C = Character: draw on the essential aspects of you as a person; namely, determination (quiet and understated); perseverance and resilience.

E = Enjoyment: breathe in the waves of joy and encouragement, emanating from the crowd.

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Coming up:

Next: On Thursday David will share some further thoughts on the psychology of marathon running.

Soon: How to follow David and Olivia live as they run the 2026 London Marathon.

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Posted by David & Nobby

Contact us: nobbydavid1981@gmail.com

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 Marathon Update III

One week to go...

Nobby: Last week we heard about David's preparations for the first London Marathon. So how did it go, did he hit the wall in Wapping, or was it a cruise to Constitution Hill?

The morning of 29th March, 1981 was overcast, soon to convert to rain; refreshing (with no fear of overheating) but also perfect conditions for chaffing and sore/bleeding nipples!

7,055 runners set off from Blackheath and 6,418 crossed the finishing line at Constitution Hill; a tremendously inspiring event, prompting the commentator David Coleman to state: "This London Marathon is surely the most remarkable success". 

The Guardian: Mass setting of watches as the start cannon fires and the runners set off on the first London Marathon, 29 March 1981.  
Photograph: PA

And so it has continued to be every year since, as the number of runners has grown and grown and innumerable charities have benefited from this festival of running. In 2025 over 56,000 runners crossed the finishing line. Back in 1981, in the spirit of friendship and to mark the first ever London Marathon, Inge Simonsen and Dick Beardsley crossed the line, hand in hand, in an identical time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 48 seconds.

Click on the link to see a video of the end of the race: The Hand of Friendship

21 year old David Pyle finished in place 1492 in a time of 3 hours 4 minutes and 25 seconds. To this day, I feel I could and should have recorded a sub 3 hour time if liquid intake had been available, especially on the Isle of Dogs which, at the time was still an industrial landscape, difficult to access and therefore devoid of crowd encouragement.

Nonetheless, to this day, I still consider this day and this event to be the overriding highlight of my sporting life. Not that I would have offered this viewpoint the day following the race as I shuffled on my bottom down the stairs from my third floor flat, lactic acid laden and unable to walk.

Nobby: An amazing achievement for someone who wasn't used to distance running. However, by the end, it sounds like you were ...

Running on Empty - Jackson Browne

More to come from David on Tuesday when he draws on his experience of distance and marathon running to share some thoughts on how to look after yourself mentally, emotionally and physically.

If you have found our Making a Difference in the Long Run blog posts interesting, please consider sharing a link with family and friends, thank you.

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Posted by David & Nobby

 Names behind the numbers.

In December 2025, Shelter estimated that at least 382,000 people were homeless in England.

People become homeless for a wide variety of reasons, but each of those 382,000 people have an individual story to tell. Click on the links below for real-life stories from people supported by The Passage, who have kindly chosen to share their experiences with the world.

Elizabeth’s story

Elizabeth once lived a life of elegance and luxury ... but her world changed dramatically through a series of devastating events.

Matt's story

Matt began rough sleeping after a family bereavement left him homeless.

Sean’s story

Sean moved to London to start a new job, but found himself homeless when the offer fell through and his landlord sold the property he was residing in.

Katie’s story

Katie – who fled Ukraine during the war – recently became homeless after a cancer diagnosis left her without employment or a place to live.

Philippe’s story

“When in my late fifties I found myself without a roof above my head and no money to speak of, I ended up in a situation that I had no experience of."

Bianca's story

Suffering from pronounced trauma due to her abusive father, life was a whirlwind of depression, anxiety, and debilitating brain-fog.

You can read more real life stories here:

Real voices with a lived experience of homelessness - The Passage

You can discover the range of services The Passage offers here:

What We Do

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Posted by Nobby

 Fossil Hunting

I felt I couldn't close the chapter on our trip to the Isle of Wight without mentioning our attempts at fossil hunting. 

The Isle of Wight is the richest source of dinosaur remains in Europe. Around 125 million years ago, this coast was a series of muddy lagoons. Dinosaurs left their footprints in the mud and sometimes, when they died, their bones became fossilised.

When the sea water and strong waves erode the soft cliffs around Compton Bay, dinosaur remains often fall down onto the beach. So far, fossils from over 20 different species of dinosaur have been found, some of them unique to this area. (National Trust)

Brook Bay and Compton Bay are hot spots for fossil hunters, but I have to admit that David and I twice walked the beaches without definitely identifying any fossils. It would have helped if we had looked up what we might find beforehand, preparation is everything!

Obviously we would be able to identify an ammonite if we found one, and possibly a dinosaur tooth, but beyond that it's tricky if you're not sure what you are searching for. I picked up something that looked like it could have been a dinosaur's vertebrae, but subsequent research suggested it was the wrong colour ... just an unusual shaped stone.

A dinosaur footprint

And then there's the dinosaur footprints ...

There are large three-toed iguanodon foot casts at the base of the cliffs just to the east of Compton Bay car park at Hanover Point. At 30-60cm across, they’re hard to miss. (National Trust)

Well, we managed to miss them! To be fair the tide was too high on one visit, and on the other we couldn't find anything that we could definitely say was a dinosaur footprint, the seaweed on the rocks doesn't help!

The wrong state of the tide to be looking for dinosaur footprints, but note the evidence of recent cliff falls beside David. Ironically, it may be the case that as new fossils are revealed, those on the beach become buried. There was, however, a small success to report ...

8,000 years old - Semi-fossilised hazelnuts

The layers of gravel at the top of Compton cliffs were deposited by a river that meandered towards Freshwater Bay. Occasionally, pieces of semi-fossilised wood can be seen. They would have fallen into the riverbed ... You can sometimes find semi-fossilised hazelnuts (known locally as ‘Noah’s nuts’) on the beach ... These come from the same layer of gravel as the semi-fossilised wood and would have been dropped into the river around the same time. (National Trust)

... Nobby found some nuts! In fact there were a lot of them in a recent cliff fall in Brook Bay. I had seen these previously on a television programme featuring Kate Humble and a local expert, so I was delighted to find some for myself. I have to say, David seemed distinctly underwhelmed.

Noah's Nuts

We weren't really serious about the fossil hunting, we just went for an enjoyable walk along the beaches and cliff tops, so we weren't desperately disappointed by our lack of success. However, if you are keen on fossils, it's a great place to visit, and you can go on guided walks with someone who actually knows what they are looking for! Click on the links below for more information.

Dinosaurs and fossils on the Isle of Wight

Fossil hunting and geology at Compton Bay and Downs

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Posted by Nobby

Marathon Update II

 

Two weeks to go...

Preparing for the challenge to come, my mind drifts back to the first London Marathon ...

Whilst studying Geography at King's College London and living in Woburn Square, I was fortunate enough to be allocated a place in the inaugural (1981) London Marathon. This was the brainchild of ex Olympic athlete, Chris Brasher, who co-founded the event with his friend John Disley.

My brother was a trainee doctor with accommodation in Greenwich Hospital; an ideal location for an overnight stay prior to the big race. It was, however, less helpful of him to invite several friends around for 'loud' drinks, thereby negating any possibility of an early and peaceful night.

My running pedigree was based upon club athletics middle distance running and so the marathon arena was somewhat of an anathema to me. Nonetheless, my training schedule was as thorough as possible, given the fact that the UK running epidemic was largely in its infancy. Hyde Park became my training circuit with speed track work and hill running focused on Parliament Hill Fields.

The technological running revolution had only just begun. Running shoes were limited in choice and expert advice on diet, supplements and clothing was scant and often contradictory. No wonder I felt nervous and poorly informed in the run up to the most challenging physical feat in my life to that date.

A New Balance trainer from 1981

Consequently, I made mistakes as did the vast majority of the other competitors. A case in point was the recommendation by the race administration of a particular wide wedged sole trainer made by New Balance. Virtually all non-elite runners bought them; virtually all non-elite runners could barely walk the day after the race! Other deficiencies in running equipment and services included no drinks stations or energy gels; no human pace-makers nor timing vehicles; no run through showers and no carpet covering the cobbles at the Tower of London! It was good, old-fashioned, elemental hard work.

Nobby: So did David actually make it to the finishing line? Come back to find out, but I think it's safe to say David was ...

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

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Posted by David & Nobby

 Slip Slidin' Away ...

The Isle of Wight is a wonderful environment for both physical and human geographical enquiry. As I ran the perimeter of the island, taking in the panoramic coastal views, I had plenty of time to contemplate the processes instrumental in shaping the landscape as well as the nature of human endeavour to control (or at least respond to) these forces; most notably, cliff collapse and mass movement.
On several occasions, I would conduct a Geography lecture in my head, outlining to myself how the landscapes within my field of vision had been formed.

Coastal Geomorphology: The Physical Story.

The Isle of Wight has lost land every year dating back to Victorian times and probably before. The island loses between one and three metres per year in some places. The last five months have been particularly devastating with regard to loss of land and property.

Coastal erosion is caused by high energy waves, heavy rainfall and weak geology (sands & clays). Primary types include landslips, mudflows, hydraulic action and abrasion, resulting in rapid cliff retreat.

Cliff slump between Yarmouth and Colwell Bay.

Erosion at the base of cliffs can more easily be slowed down or protected against with a range of coastal defence methods. Sea walls, revetments, rip-rap and gabions serve to dissipate wave energy whilst breakwaters accumulate sand, shingle and other sediment through the interruption of long-shore drift.

Rip rap defences.

Slumping at the top of cliffs is more difficult to avoid or control. An unbelievably knowledgeable resident in Bembridge explained to me the causes of cliff collapse near to his house:

"It all happened this year; heavy rainfall in the last five months has saturated the soil and rock, resulting in the upper cliff getting heavier and tilting forwards in a rotational movement (concave slip plane), leaving slump scars." 

Coastal Geomorphology: The Human Story

The settlement of Bembridge is in a precarious situation; however, in its favour is the wealthy status of the area and the strong likelihood that local residents will be well represented on agencies with influence over coastal defence plans and expenditure.

At other points during my runs, my geographical mind switched to the potential impact of cliff retreat on human communities. The stark reality is that humans are unlikely to win the battle against the sea. Countless families are at risk of losing their homes or businesses and this generates deep emotional and psychological strain. My view is that feelings of grief, anxiety and disconnection are all too often missing from national policy relating to the coast.

On a lighter note, how about a little bit of Paul Simon ...

Paul Simon - Slip Slidin' Away (Official Audio)

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Posted by David & Nobby

  King Charles III England Coast Path

There was much media coverage recently when King Charles officially opened his eponymous England Coast Path at an event at Seven Sisters. Linking existing paths with 1,000 miles of new access and improved infrastructure, the 2,700 mile-long trail is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world, giving unprecedented access to coastline.

(Photo by David Pearce: The Iconic Seven Sisters)

This launch was the culmination of more than sixteen years of work from Natural England and over 50 coastal local authorities, landowners and others across the country, including Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and access organisations such as the Ramblers Association, Disabled Ramblers and British Mountaineering Council.

One of the key features of the King Charles III England Coast Path is its ability to ‘rollback’ with coastal erosion. This means that the path can be easily moved inland to adapt to the changing shape of the coast and ensure access rights remain in place for the future.  

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds

The Isle of Wight Coast Path forms part of the King Charles III England Coast Path; there have been some improvements carried out already, and more are planned. However, contending with coastal erosion is going to be a major issue, and the rollback facility will be vital. Significant stretches of the path between Freshwater Bay and Brook Bay have already been closed and diverted inland. There is a short section behind Brook Bay where the cliff edge is only about three metres from the road, so that too is in imminent danger. David, a geographer, will be sharing his thoughts on coastal erosion in the near future, there's something to look forward to!

In his experience the management of temporary closures and diversions leaves a lot to be desired. Both on the Isle of Wight Coast Path and previously along the Norfolk Coast Path he wasn't alone in being confused by inadequate signage which on occasions led to frustration and running further than was planned, often on roads. This aspect of coastal path management needs serious consideration.

The official opening of the King Charles III England Coast Path is splendid news, but it will be an ongoing challenge, requiring significant commitment and investment to make all 2,700 miles truly coastal and sustainably accessible.

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Posted by Nobby