I didn't have London on my bucket list originally but maybe I should have! A group of running buddies were signing up via Marathon Tours so I joined the crew. Note, spots for internationals are EXTREMELY limited so we paid to join the Marathon Tours Seven Continents Club to get priority. When we got there I learned they had to turn away 1000 applicants, which made me truly realize how rare and special this opportunity was!

Overall, the city really shows up to support this race. Here's a breakdown of what to love and what could be improved:

WHAT TO LOVE:
Crowd Support - People cheering almost the entire 26.2 (other than the first mile or so of residential area)
Swag (except shirt) - AMAZING freebies at the expo AND post-race. Full boxes of vitamins, multiple chocolate/cookie bars, snacks, etc! One of the best I've seen
Course Highlights - Running on the tower bridge is one of the best parts of the entire course. It is SO gorgeous and just FEELS epic. Also finishing by running towards Big Ben and then at Buckingham was such a thrill. They also manage the crowd very well through controlled crosswalks.

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED:
Aid Stations - They use full bottle water/lucozade and it creates a HUGE liability for runners! It's also VERY wasteful since most are just taking a few sips and then throwing away the rest of the bottle. They also could've been a little longer to account for the crowding. I know multiple people missed a few stations. Plus there were signs for Buxton (water) and Lucozade (electrolyte) in places there were NOT aid stations which was very confusing! They were just ads, but as a runner you expect signs to mean there will be hydration.
Crowding - The beginning was SO SO crowded despite there being 3 start areas. They didn't space out the start of the corrals so all corrals started right after another so the first few miles were extremely treacherous and SLOW.
TShirt - This is why my swag got a 4-star because I think the shirt is VERY important!! There were no gender specific sizes!! As someone that wears a Women's XS I definitely cannot keep or wear my shirt :(

Those were the main highs and lows but overall it's one of most exciting and well supported races I've ever run (the only one to rival it is Boston crowd-wise). I didn't end up having a great race due to a slow start, trying to make up-time and that costing my legs in the end. But, the city support was amazing and made every second worth it!