Robin Hood Marathon, Nottingham

A couple of weeks ago, some of the girls from my cheerleading squad and I were asked to cheer on those running in the Robin Hood Marathon. Therefore in the early hours Sunday morning we put on our pinkest lipstick, tied our bows in our hair and crawled sleepily into cars which drove us down to Nottingham.

Once there, we were given little cute outfits (with pompoms!) and were placed up and down the route. We then got ready to cheer our hearts out and encourage the brave runners on to glory.

Our first placement was quite near the start of the race so we got to see many of the runners, still with their happy smiles firmly in place, power past us. However our second placement was much closer to the end of the route and by this point, only the hardiest had survived. It was amazing to see the amount of effort people put into the marathon- some runners looked as if they could keel over where they stood but still they pushed on, whether at a jog or a walk. It was an impressive sight to behold indeed! What made it rather special however was seeing how a little encouragement could spark people back to life. We'd see a runner looking as if they were about to stop but after a big cheer from us and other spectators, they all managed to pick up their feet and push on forwards.

Around 4pm the last runner made it across the finish line to huge applause from the remaining spectators. The look on his face was one of relief and happiness and it struck me then that the runners were a good metaphor for life. On your own, there may become a point where it's just too hard to push on. But with a little encouragement from others, you'll have the support to get to the end.

A huge congratulations to everyone who ran in the marathon on Sunday and an especially big well done to all those who didn't just do it for themselves, but for charity! You were all truly inspirational.