How the London Marathon restored my faith in humanity
Also featuring the Boy Room Show, Keir Starmer as an Easter Egg and toafers.
The United Kingdom is the second ‘most miserable’ place to live on the planet, according to a new study. And boy does it feel like it. Gone are the heydays of the 2012 Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2011 royal wedding. Instead, we are still grappling with the repercussions of the pandemic, the unrelenting cost-of-living crisis and great political uncertainty. Here in London, people reckon the capital is dying because it is hostile, expensive and depressing. You only have to switch on the news to see another stabbing, get scowled at on the tube or pay £5 for a flat white to understand this growing sentiment. And it’s certainly never helped by the old fella in the pub who loves to gnaw your ear off over just how much better London used to be.
But amidst the doom and gloom, there’s still an annual glimmer of hope that keeps this city alive. The TCS London Marathon.
Katherine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, said: ‘If you're losing faith in humanity, go out and watch a marathon,’ and I couldn’t agree more. Despite the world’s sombre atmosphere, rife with political turmoil and heartbreaking conflicts, on Sunday 21st April, it felt as though everyone had cast aside their troubles and London became the best place to be in the world once more.
From Deptford to Westminster, the streets were lined with people ready to support the whopping 53,000 who would be running through the capital that day. Spectators got out their DJ decks, perched on their balconies and amplified their cheers using megaphones, offering unwavering support to everyone, from professional athletes and everyday people to celebrities and those dressed up as Colin the Caterpillar and Big Ben. One man who was particularly popular among the crowds was Tom Gilbey, AKA “the wine guy,” who sampled 25 glasses of wine during the race, stopping to guess the drink’s grape variety, country of origin and vintage at each mile. He rightfully had a glass of champagne waiting for him to down at the finish line.
This year was my second time spectating the TCS London Marathon as several of my friends were running the gruelling 26.2 miles. But for every year I live in London, whether I know someone running or not, I will definitely go and watch (or maybe even run one year) because you see London at its best. TFL handout mini-packets of sweets at the stations, children are out in mass offering high-fives of support and spectators are cheering for strangers they will never see again, looking out for those who might be struggling and in need of a personal shoutout. The creative homemade signs that litter the streets always provide entertainment to both runners and spectators alike. Some real highlights from this year for me were: “Pain is temporary. Strava is forever,” “Taylor wrote 31 songs so you can run 26.2 miles,” and “Hot girls run marathons.”
But nothing beats the chats you have with strangers from around the world on the sideline. They share heartfelt stories about who they are, who they are watching and the personal motivations of their runner. It’s a profound experience to see how these strangers rally in support of each other as they try to find the other spectator’s family member or friend running among the stampedes of the new Nike bright yellow Alphafly 3s—a level of camaraderie rarely seen in the everyday hustle of London. I mean, you wouldn’t find a stranger helping a fellow stranger who had lost their phone on the underground on your typical Sunday in London, would you?
It is truly remarkable to see people of all different ages, races, genders and economic backgrounds come together to complete this awe-inspiring challenge. During that day, it felt as if we lived in this all-inclusive haven where everyone belonged. And in this collective endeavour, no one was left behind. Towards the finish line, participants striving to achieve personal bests selflessly turned back to lend a helping hand to those who were struggling, ensuring that pretty much every individual crossed the finish line, united in their triumph.
My friends who were running the marathon felt this sense of “togetherness” in the city too. At 6.55 am on the morning of the marathon, one friend was walking to Clapham Junction to get the train to the start line in all his gear, when a man out on a run wished him good luck from across the street: “That would never happen on any normal day. There is a sense of goodwill that you don’t see for the rest of the year. The marathon brings people together and there is a feeling that we’ve done this together. I was constantly amazed that with every passing mile, the streets remained packed with people cheering and shouting my name to keep me going. The level of noise was just incredible.”
Another friend said: “It was the most incredible thing I have ever done in my life but also the most horrible thing I’ve ever done too. I will never forget it.” For her, the crowds were amazing, but it was seeing her family and friends along the sideline which really boosted her endorphins: “I blubbed every single time I saw them. It gave me this huge wave of endorphins just to keep going and that was extraordinary. I never knew the body could do that.”
The ending for this friend was the most profound part of the marathon: “The number of people helping each other over the line was just incredible. The most amazing thing about it was when I finished, I was so overwhelmed that I was crying and the man who handed me my medal gave me a big hug and said ‘These better be happy tears because we are so proud of you.’”
As I walked home after congratulating all my friends who had completed this feat at the pub, I couldn’t help but feel this immense sense of gratitude towards London and astonishment at what the human body can do. I headed down my road following a couple pulling their suitcases who appeared to have just returned from holiday. Unlucky them, I thought. They’ve missed out on the best day of the year to be in London. However, before I could bask in this surreal daydream anymore, another man walking past proceeded to spit and shout at one of the suitcase pullers: “You look like a f***ing neek.” And with that, the bubble burst and I was transported back to London’s miserable normality.
Conversation Starters
Are boys okay? - Comedian Rachel Coster is on a mission to find out, as she ventures into the apartments of twenty-(and sometimes thirty)-something-year-old men in her new video series, Boy Room Show. In the episodes so far, Coster has explored some of the foulest, dirty-sheet-filled, cluttered male apartments in New York City. At the end of each “investigation,” she offers the Boy Room inhabitant some tips to help him get his domestic life back on track. Although this series might seem like a jab at men’s messy living habits, in an interview with The News Movement, Closter said her concerns run deeper as she is worried about the loneliness, self-hatred and simmering rage that can lurk behind closed doors. Through Boy Room Show, Coster aims to illuminate how loneliness, toxic masculinity, and the relentless pursuit of career success can leave little time for self-care. Recent surveys highlight the gravity of the issue, with 15% of US men admitting to lacking close friends. In the UK, this problem is even worse, with a staggering 25% of men reporting having no close friends at all. It's clear: we need Coster to bring her show across the pond.
How far would you go to avoid getting wrinkles? - In the never-ending race to turn back the clock on ageing, there has been a lot of talk lately about getting tweakments, the importance of SPF, Sephora tweens and the use of collagen too. But, anti-wrinkle straws are the latest au naturel hack. The anti-wrinkle straw features a uniquely shaped mouthpiece that allows users to drink from the side rather than the top, helping prevent lip line wrinkles by minimising straining or pursing of the lips. This latest gimmick is proving to be popular, with over 350 million views on TikTok so far. However medical professionals have said that these straws lack any scientific evidence as to whether they effectively prevent wrinkles. I think we need to take Posh Spice’s views on ageing, who told The Sunday Times last week, “Ageing? It is what it is.” (Although I’m sure she's on board with some of these fads).
What sweet treat would our political leaders be? - Former Deputy Chairman of the Conservative party, Lord Ashcroft, asks a daft, but revealing question on X, formerly Twitter, each week to find out the answers to the questions the general public really want to know. For “what sweet treats would our political leaders be?” pollers responded with:
And last week, to “what restaurant would a political party and their leader be?” the responses were brilliant:
IMO this would be a brilliant dinner party game. Please comment with your thoughts on what restaurant/ sweet treat our political leaders would be below!
Lorna’s loves and loathes of the week
Loves
Boots £10 Tuesdays - I think this might be one of the best money-saving hacks I’ve come across in years. Every Tuesday, Boots reduces a selection of its products to a tenner, with the deal lasting until 11.59 PM before the items return to full price. The deal applies to beauty, skincare, health and electrical items - all available both online and in-store. With the cost-of-living crisis and increasing pressures to spend money on our appearance, this weekly discount is the perfect opportunity to stock up on your wellness essentials while on a budget. Examples of items that were on this Tuesday’s £10 deal were the No7 Laboratories Dark Circle Corrector, which had a waitlist of 29,000 people, slashed from £28; St Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse (was £22); Boots Eucerin Dry Skin Relief Face Cream 5% Urea (was £18); and the hugely popular on TikTok L’Oréal Paris 2.5% Hyaluronic Acid and Caffeine Eye Serum (was £31.99). So make sure you set your alarms for Tuesday morning people, this weekly steal is a lifesaver for your wallet.
Reality TV - My flatmate tells me I can be unfairly critical of people’s TV choices. She often pulls me up on the side eye and backhanded comments I give her over her decision to binge-watch Vampire Diaries for the third time, her obsession with anything featuring Sydney Sweeny and her love for Netflix Christmas specials, such as Holidate. But I have a confession, I love reality TV - the genre that some people deem the dumbest in entertainment. There is something undeniably addictive about watching other people’s lives unfold on screen. The heartbreak, drama, tears, laughter and friendship - we’ve all been there before, making it feel so relatable. Reality TV also requires minimum brain power to watch after a long day and I’m a sucker for a cliffhanger - I won’t rest until I know what has happened. Also, for those who are a bit snobby about my TV choices (fair enough, I can be a snob too), there is actually a deep-rooted history to reality TV and its significance in wider culture, which Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale fantastically unpick in their documentary Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV. I won’t go into this as I want to do a whole other newsletter on this subject, but you cannot deny the impact that programmes such as Love Island have had on the way we speak, dress, date and so on. So don’t mind me kicking up my feet with my bar of Cadburys chocolate and mint tea as I devour the latest season of Selling Sunset, The Apprentice, or God forbid, Towie (The Only Way Is Essex).
Loathes
Snoafer/ toafer - The perfect shoe for business lunch at twelve, but a game of tennis at 4.00 PM has arrived. The snoafer (sneaker x loafer) or toafer for the English (trainer x loafer). And I cannot stand it. It seems that New Balance has decided to capitalise on the fact that both loafers and their trainers have been the must-have shoes of the last fashion year with this creation. The brand can’t fathom the idea of letting Russell & Bromley be the loafer market leader and so New Balance has decided to have its cake and eat it. TBF, with the relentless cost-of-living crisis people are short on change and can’t necessarily afford to buy themselves luxury treats like a new pair of trainers and loafers, so maybe New Balance has simply come to the rescue with this new combo? But I’m not convinced. I say stop the production line now, please.
People who use the Apple weather app - One of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning is check the weather. I go on to Google, search for Met Office and assess the day’s weather hour-by-hour. You might laugh, but for me, it’s very important to know what the weather is going to be like, as it will dictate what I wear for the day, whether I wash my hair, how I get to work and whether I might go to the pub or have a cosy night in that evening. My day revolves around the weather (and food). And so, if for some reason when I’m out and about and I can’t check the weather, it should be of no surprise that I will ask whoever I’m with for updates. As I live in England, they will probably say it’s raining. But as soon as they’ve told me the supposed forecast, I always follow up with an incredibly sceptical, “Where did you check it?” as if they might be trying to wind me up. But, that is because if they show me the Apple weather app, I go into instant despair. “Do you not know how inaccurate Apple weather is?” I grunt. “I can’t believe you use that.” Honestly, it must sound like I’m about to end our friendship. But anyone who uses the Apple weather app clearly doesn’t care that much about the weather. It is never right. Apple weather can’t even show you how windy it is going to be. What is the point in going for that spenny blow-dry if it is going to get ruined as soon as you walk out the hairdresser’s door? Call me over-dramatic, but the truth remains…
That’s all for now. I hope next time you strike up a conversation with someone, it won't have to be “The weather really has been awful lately hasn’t it?”, “Any fun plans this evening?” or even worse… “How was your commute today?”
Also, as I now have a full-time job (shock), I’m going to make this newsletter a fortnightly thing because I don’t want it to decline in quality. I hope you’ll understand :)
Love LP xx
P.S. Please follow me on Instagram @rawtalkwithlornaperry and comment with your thoughts below! Oh, and go share this with your friends, family, colleagues and sister’s ex-boyfriend’s brother if you enjoyed it.