Totally out of breath, my pace reduced to a fast walk, I broke into a jog whenever possible but was concerned that to push too hard might result in injury. Winding my way along the ridge I thought of ways in which I might cross the finishing line. Would it be the triumphant jump and punch in the air? Or that casual wave to the crowd? This 3 mile stretch seemed endless but persistence prevailed and I eventually reached the 20 mile point where I was presented with a piece of Kendal mint cake.

The distance between Gorak Shep and Namche Bazaar is 20 miles, which presented a problem for those who measured the course. This meant that a loop of 6 miles 385 yards had to be added on to make the complete marathon distance. It was demoralising as I passed over Namche looking down on to the finish, knowing that I had a further 6 miles to cover. My stamina was severely under question and each step taken away from Namche had to be retraced. Legs feeling like lead, I reached the 23 mile check point amid a mass of spectating children and I set off once more. I was on the final stage...

The three return miles seemed twice as long and every step forward felt like ten! I wound my way through a small forest and emerged round that last corner to find myself staring down on Namche. For the last few emotional steps I selected the theme tune from "Chariots of Fire" on the Walkman which had helped so much in training and throughout the race.

As I wound my way down the narrow, rocky path towards the finish, I could hear the cheers of the crowd. Running through the town, locals and trekkers lined the streets on both sides, clapping and cheering. The finishing line was now in sight but it was the red and white striped tape of the funnel that symbolised the finish for me. The atmosphere was electric, I ran between the tapes, raised both arms, gathered every remaining ounce of strength and, as I crossed the line, leapt a clear two feet in the air. I had triumphed!