Final London Marathon finishers given heroes' welcome at alternate finish line

The final finishers in the London Marathon were met with a heroes’ welcome at the alternate finish line on Sunday evening.

The last participants to complete the gruelling 26.2 miles were met by a jubilant crowd, crossing the same ribbon broken by the elite athletes earlier that day.

Clair Roberts, the final runner, eventually completed the race in 12 hours and 16 minutes, crossing the line just before midnight.

Roberts, from Milton Keynes , raised more than £2,000 for the suicide prevention charity Samaritans by taking part in the marathon.

She volunteers for the charity , having turned to them herself seven years ago when she had thoughts of ending her life.

The 35-year-old told the BBC: "I was battling a lot of emotions on Sunday; it was so much harder than I thought it would be.

But to be the last person to cross that line feels really special, and I'm proud of myself.

Roberts said she had a virus and injuries in the run-up to the race, as well as struggling with her emotions on the day.

She said: "You can prepare and prepare, but if it doesn't come together on race day, it's a very tough experience.

I have previously done a half-marathon, but I have never pushed my body that hard before.

"But I kept thinking, if I could get through that dark period in my life, I could get through this.

I want to show others that there is always hope."
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Another late finisher, Hannah Gavios completed her first London Marathon on crutches.

The psychotherapist from New York finished the run nearly ten years after surviving a 150-foot fall from a cliff while fleeing from an attacker in Thailand which left her with a life-changing spinal cord injury.

Gavios said: “There’s always a way.

Anything you set your mind to, you can accomplish.”
Both Roberts and Gavios finished their races at St James' Park, rather than The Mall, where there is an alternative finish line for participants who take longer than eight hours.

When participants drop behind the eight-hour pace, a team known as tailwalkers join them, accompanying them on pavements due to the roads reopening and providing encouragement and vital motivation through the final miles.

Tailwalkers were introduced after the 2019 race was criticised over the lack of support offered to slower runners - and Roberts said she would not have finished the race without their support.

NHS worker Jo Gennari, who was instrumental in setting up the group, said: “It's such a joy and a privilege to lead the tailwalker team.

We know how hard those participants work to complete the 26.2 miles on the pavement as the crowds thin and they head to the secondary finish.

"Their grit and determination and the stories they tell about why they are participating inspire us all to keep coming back."
Shreena Kotecha ran the marathon in 2022 in about eight hours, and was disappointed by the lack of crowds towards the end, so formed a group called Team Finish Together to celebrate the final finishers.

Kotecha said: "Witnessing the sheer joy and emotion on the faces of these participants as they crossed the line, knowing they had an entire community cheering them on, was truly inspiring.

"It's powerful to see them being celebrated as the endurance champions they are, and it reminds us that the marathon is about more than just speed; it's about courage, community, and achieving something extraordinary together."