Running 42.2km is an achievement and a lot can happen in that time. The physical effort becomes a mental challenge once fatigue and muscle soreness seep in. However, the marathon team from Ararat took it in their stride and completed the London Marathon on April 21, which they had trained for over the past 18 months.
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"Our race was always planned as a tourist marathon, and we had organised to start and finish together," said Sue Blizzard of her two running mates, Nathan Bendelle and Helen McPherson
"Throughout the run, we took in the sights. The course started in Greenwich and wound around London, crossing and following alongside the Thames River.
"We passed many highlights, such as Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, on our way to the finish line. We enjoyed the run, supporting each other brilliantly the whole way," she said.
The London experience is a bit like a big street party, with an extremely energetic crowd along the way, providing entertainment and encouragement for the whole 42.2km.
Having some family to spur them on made it even more enjoyable, with Sue's husband Neil, complete with the inflatable kangaroo, and Nathan's wife Nicole popping up at several points on the course to cheer them on.
The runners said the event was well organized. Catering to over 40,000 runners is no mean feat, and the organizers did it well.
This was Nathan's fourth marathon, Helen's second, and Sue's tenth time running this distance.
"The run took six hours, " Mr Bendelle said. "The travel was tiring, and it took some time to recover after we got back, but the experience was worth it.
"The crowds were something out of the box. It was a 42.2-kilometre street party, with bands, DJs, and music and cheering the whole way," he said.
Mr Bendelle said he looks forward to the next international marathon in Germany in 2026, but there'll be plenty on home soil before then.
Ms Blizzard explained the process for the team to enter. "We gained our event entries by using a travel company that is allocated entries; they have a package to accompany the event.
"The other way to obtain an entry is through the ballot, which has very few spots due to the large number of applicants; over 840,000 have already applied for the 2025 marathon," she said.
The three runners' spent eight months in total planning for this adventure, including the travel plans and training,
Coming from the warmer Australian autumn, they found the mornings in London cold while they were in the assembly pens waiting for their starting wave.
Otherwise, they experienced perfect running weather with patches of sunshine and light wind.
"The finish line was very emotional; we were exhausted but elated to receive our finisher's medal after crossing the finish line.
"We would all definitely recommend the London Marathon as a destination event," Sue said.
"To run past landmarks like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Thames, and others, it was an incredible thing to do," Mr Blendelle said.
Blizzard Coaching trained the London-bound team, which has been busy over the last few weeks, preparing for several marathons in the next few months in addition to the prestigious London event.
Many of the team plan on running various distances at events like Run the Gap in May, Run Melbourne in July, and the Melbourne Marathon Festival in October. They also regularly run the races with the Stawell and Ararat Cross Country Club over the year's cooler months.
