I started today off by leaving the Clink at 9:30 and heading to Leicester Square with Phil and Colleen. From there we walked over to Trafalgar Square and found a spot along the Olympic Marathon course to watch the Women's race unfold.
The race started at 11:00 in a downpour and, since we were a little under a half mile away from the start, about two and and a half minutes later the field passed us by for the first time. They were in a tight bunch but both Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan were among the leaders and looking strong early. The race came by again quickly as the ladies completed the first 2.2 mile loop and then headed out, again, for their first of three 8 mile loops that would complete the 26.2 mile Marathon course.
After we saw them come by a second time Colleen and I tried to find a Tube station that would take us further out onto the course. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of the course and couldn't cross over it until the race was over, so we found a spot near the 1, 3, 8, 11, 16, 19, and 24 mile marks and just settled in to watch the rest of the race.
As the race unfolded Shalane and Kara hung with the leaders early but began to fade as they entered into the last of the 8 mile loops. They would finish 10th and 11th respectively. The race came down to 4 women in the last 2 miles and in the last stretch Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana pulled away from Kenya's Priscah Japtoo and Russia's Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova took 3rd.
After the race Colleen and I headed back to the Clink to dry off and eat before I headed out on my own to do some last minute shopping. We leave tomorrow so tonight will be our last night in London so we're hoping to make the most of it!
The race started at 11:00 in a downpour and, since we were a little under a half mile away from the start, about two and and a half minutes later the field passed us by for the first time. They were in a tight bunch but both Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan were among the leaders and looking strong early. The race came by again quickly as the ladies completed the first 2.2 mile loop and then headed out, again, for their first of three 8 mile loops that would complete the 26.2 mile Marathon course.
After we saw them come by a second time Colleen and I tried to find a Tube station that would take us further out onto the course. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of the course and couldn't cross over it until the race was over, so we found a spot near the 1, 3, 8, 11, 16, 19, and 24 mile marks and just settled in to watch the rest of the race.
As the race unfolded Shalane and Kara hung with the leaders early but began to fade as they entered into the last of the 8 mile loops. They would finish 10th and 11th respectively. The race came down to 4 women in the last 2 miles and in the last stretch Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana pulled away from Kenya's Priscah Japtoo and Russia's Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova took 3rd.
After the race Colleen and I headed back to the Clink to dry off and eat before I headed out on my own to do some last minute shopping. We leave tomorrow so tonight will be our last night in London so we're hoping to make the most of it!