EVERYTHING about Sunday’s London Marathon confirmed exactly why Ilove running.It was the perfect answer to shocking scenes witnessed in Boston less than a week before and it typified the attitude of the athletics family to be able to come together safely and show the strength of unity and human spirit in the face of tragedy.

Comments such as: “If you’re going to pick on a group of people, marathon runners probably aren’t the best choice” summed up the mentality of runners – from my experience they are a very hardy bunch and a little mad (in a good way).

The event had it all: the weather, Mo Farah looking comfortable in his dry run, leads chopping and changing, and heart-warming personal stories.

Seeing the streets lined with a reported 700,000 people was inspirational enough from my sofa, so it must have energised tired limbs throughout the day.

The furthest distance I’ve raced is the half-marathon, which was tough in itself.

That was in the fields around Ledbury and Much Marcle, so I didn’t have the benefit of crowds of people to spur me on but fellow runners showed generosity and encouragement to one another, especially in the hardest moments.

Long-distance running is thought to be quite a lonely pastime due to the hard miles put in and this can sometimes be the case.

However, there is a great sense of camaraderie among runners – probably owing to that slightly mad streak.

And lots of people think I’m crazy for lacing up my shoes and heading out for a run as often as I can.

One of the biggest appeals of the sport is that I get a real buzz from doing it and when you head out into the fields and hills it provides a real escape that can be hard to find in our daily lives.

Add to this the chance of getting covered head to toe in mud and hurtling down steep hills, and you have a child-like appeal.

The competitive aspect also helps, with races largely being civilised and sporting affairs even with the drive to win being there for most.

But would I run a marathon?

I’ll never say never, though I would only take the plunge for a city marathon like London to share the moment with so many others competing and watching.