In April, our very own Club La Santa Green Teamer and keen triathlete Lewis swapped Lanzarote for London as he took on his first ever solo marathon with Sports Travel International. Finishing the race in an impressive 3:35:29 and setting himself a new personal best, Lewis tells us about his London Marathon race experience, and how living and training at the World’s Number One Sports Resort, Club La Santa in Lanzarote, benefitted his marathon preparation!

Tell us about your sporting background:

I used to be a footballer, but in 2016 after I watched my dad take part in the Ironman Lanzarote, I gave up football and started to train triathlon instead. In 2018 my dad and I completed the Ironman Lanzarote together, which was a really special experience. Ever since then I’ve been hooked on triathlons. I’ve done a few smaller triathlons and have also since completed the full Ironman Lanzarote again.

What was it like training for a Marathon at Club La Santa?

Obviously working as part of the Green Team at Club La Santa and coming from a triathlon background I’ve always kept fit. I discussed with my coach whether I just solely run or continue to swim, bike, and run, and I decided to continue my usual training as the swimming and biking as a form of cross-training was beneficial for my marathon preparation to improve my strength and avoid injury.

In the lead up to London, I ran 4-6 times per week, gradually increasing my mileage. In terms of pacing, I knew that I had a specific pace to hold for the race, so the running track at Club La Santa was great for this as it’s much easier to run around a track in circles rather than hold the pace in one straight line.

For my longer runs, I would head out of resort to enjoy the views of the island and the incredible scenery and landscape surrounding Club La Santa. There are various routes and trails around Club La Santa which are ideal for longer runs. Club La Santa is a great place to base yourself if you are training for a major sport event like a marathon as the facilities here are world-class and there is also expert coaching available if you need it, such as running analysis to improve your technique. The all- year warm climate also definitely makes the marathon training a lot more enjoyable in the sun!

How would you describe the atmosphere at the London Marathon?

It was absolutely amazing. From going to the expo to collect your bib to the race day itself there’s a real buzz around London!

I panicked a little bit with the weather when it started raining, as I didn’t think that people would stand outside for four or five hours to cheer us on, but the streets of London were booming full of spectators and music throughout the entire course – the atmosphere was absolutely electric!

What was your favourite part of the course?

For me Tower Bridge was the best part of the course, as that’s the one point of the course where I knew all of the noise was going to be, and also seeing my family and girlfriend here gave me a massive boost to keep going.

I also saw some guests from Club La Santa at the side of the course who were wearing full Club La Santa gear who I didn’t know were going to be there. As I was running, I could hear the Club La Santa theme song playing and people shouting “Lewis!” at me which was a really nice moment.

What’s your next sporting challenge?

My next big sporting event is Ironman Copenhagen in August. I told myself that I would do the full Ironman in Lanzarote again in May, which is regarded as the toughest Ironman in the world, and the Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote in March.

However after running London, I think I’ve found a new love for marathon running, and I’m a bit torn as to whether I should go into full- time running or carry on with Ironman! As soon as I crossed the finish line in London, I wanted to sign up for next year straight away as it was just an unbelievable experience. I’ve also started looking at Berlin and New York and potentially running some of the other Majors!

What was your experience like running with Sports Travel?

I want to give a massive shout out to the Sports Travel team as the whole experience was amazing. On the Saturday morning I took part in the 5k run which was great because it gave me the chance to meet other runners, and then after the race when we all gathered in the hotel lobby I recognised other Sports Travel runners who I spoke to. They asked if I achieved my goal time of under 4 hours and we were taking group photos together, so it was really nice to feel part of a community.

Fancy taking on the TCS London Marathon next year like Lewis? Our partners at Sports Travel International offer guaranteed entry and accommodation packages to this iconic global event! To find out more information, click here.