Elite runner takes to start line with charity runners

In 2024, Anya Culling came 16th in the London Marathon after joining the elite runners

An elite runner said she has chosen to join charity runners on the start line of this year's London Marathon to embrace the atmosphere, culture and community feel of the race.

Anya Culling, 26, from Watton in Norfolk, ran her first marathon in the capital in 2019 and said every one since had been the "pinnacle" of her career.

Gaining strides in the running world, she competed in the women's elite race last year and finished in 16th place.

She said: "When you're alone, it's hard to feel like you're in a race when there's no one around you to race. There's a lot of noise in your head when it's just you and yourself."

In 2019 she took part in her first London Marathon, completing it in four-and-a-half hours, which prompted her to start taking running "seriously" during the first coronavirus lockdown.

She said: "Last year was my first marathon in the elites and this year it feels like everything has come together and the puzzle pieces have slotted in.

"I've just tried to keep on enjoying it. It would be really easy to put too much pressure on myself after that, but I think a happy runner is a good runner."

Anya Culling ran her first London Marathon in 2019 and said each one since had been the highlight of her running career

Ahead of this year's race she has been putting her feet up and trying to avoid the marathon paranoia, which she has named 'mara-noia'.

While last year she ran with her surname on her back, this year she is among charity runners as she wants to reconnect with why she started running in the first place.

"The whole reason I run is community and having people around you to push you on," she said.

"You're not against them, you're all working together to get the best out of yourselves."

'It's so special'

As the women's race starts 30 minutes earlier than the men's, she said it could be "a very lonely solo race".

Instead, she said she was excited to "embrace the whole culture diversity vibes of the real London Marathon community".

She said: "You have people around you and you encourage each other. People you've never met before, they become your training partners for that 42km and you just work together.

"London Marathon is so special, you can't even explain it to anyone else.

"It's just the people that come out to support people they have never met before and everybody is running for a bigger reason for themselves."