The London Marathon Expo

Today I went to complete final registration for the marathon and collect my number. A special exhibition is held in the Excel centre in Docklands from Wednesday to Saturday of marathon week, where everyone has to register in person. You can also get your name printed on your running vest, have a last minute chat with your charity, shop for yet more running kit and generally soak up the atmosphere of anticipation!

It is really hitting home now that we are just a few days away. It was odd getting off the DLR and walking into Excel with all those other people running the marathon. Yesterday I was about the only person I knew doing it – today, I was just another face in the crowd. Good preparation for Sunday I suppose!

A whole half of the Excel centre was dedicated to the marathon and there were a hundred of so stands. I started by collecting my number and timing chip, registering my email address so that sample photos can be sent to me following the race and scrawling an inane message on the ‘Adidas Wall’ nearby.

I then went to get my name printed on the front of my running vest so spectators can cheer me on along the route. I have decided to go for “JD” which, I think, will be distinctive enough for me to know when someone is rooting for me.

Up until this point, everything had the air of a well oiled machine about it. The registration process was breathtakingly simple (and high tech) crafted from years of practice. The name printing service however was 3 people (three!) guiding people through an automated system. The process itself was painless, but I had to queue for an hour – not exactly what you need 4 days before the marathon! They should have had 20 of those machines. I can’t imagine what it will be like on Saturday when all those not lucky enough to work flexi-time have to register all at once!

I was kept amused by the folk behind me in the queue however, who kept making amusing statements like “I’m running for fat kids” and “I know this is for charity, but I just can’t stand poor customer service!” You tell ‘em lads!

Afterwards, I wandered around some of the stalls, stopped off at the Lucozade store to pick up a free lid for their drinks (the ones handed out in the marathon have no lids so if you want to carry the sports drinks along with you, you need to bring your own) and paid in advance for a copy of next Thursday’s Evening Standard, which carries a supplement with the official marathon results.

I avoided eye-contact with anyone looking as though they were trying to sign you up for another marathon and chose not to humiliate myself in front of thousands by stripping down to my boxers for an oily massage (isn’t it a bit late for all that?!)

Go JD! This is what I'll be wearing on Sunday