Congratulations to Bret - an eventful completion of the London Marathon

C2C Cyclist Bret Crossley finished the London Marathon yesterday: 

"I completed the London Marathon yesterday but it was very eventful! Firstly I nearly missed the start as had problem with my chair. Then straight after the start the chair started bearing left all the time which I had to put up with throughout and was a total bind. The other problem I'd had before the start was also not completely sorted and was slowing the chair down.

Had to stop at halfway as I was burning up in my black top so took it off and did the rest topless and have a very red back as a result! Then got a puncture 5 miles from home which slowed me up dramatically and made the chair veer to the left even more. The wheel then came loose and I watched as the axle bolt slowly unwinded as I progressed. The wheel started rubbing on the chair and the resistance from it grew. With 3 miles to go I was going at about 3 miles an hour. There was a long gradual climb along the embankment which seems to take forever to get up and was torturous. With just over a mile to go the chair stopped and wouldn't budge, the wheel close to coming off. I needed an allen key to tighten it back up. 

As I waited a member of the crowd gave me a cereal bar which was gratefully received! Nobody had one but then a helper used a normal key and it was tightened up and I was off again, except I wasn't really. It turned out the wheel bearings had seized due to the wheel wobbling about so much. The chair would move but it felt like I was dragging some heavy bags of coal behind me. 

Still I wasn't gonna quit, even if it had taken me all day to get to the finish, I'd got that far. I could only work in short bursts getting me at best 50 yards at a time as I was completely exhausted. But the crowds were absolutely brilliant and I got so much encouragement from other runners I did get to the finish, eventually! It was by a very long way the most gruelling physical punishment I've ever had to go through but I've got my finisher's medal and some great memories that will last me a lifetime! 

(There, take that pissing wheelchair, Bret wins!!) :D"

Help Bret reach his London Marathon fundraising target for Aspire - supporting people with spinal cord injury.

http://www.justgiving.com/Bret-Crossley-2011