As regular readers will know, I have recently taken up running as part of my continuingly developing mid-life crisis.

Training is going well and although the fact that I have entered the British 10K London Run in July still surprises me daily, I feel now that I might actually be able to complete it without causing any major damage to myself (or indeed to any innocent passer-by). So partly for inspiration, and mainly to support one of my best friends who is a proper runner, on Sunday Molly and I headed into London to watch the London Marathon.

It is embarrassing to admit that although I’ve lived in London for 27 years I have never ventured down to the race itself, but I have to say I absolutely will do it again. It was the most glorious day, warm with perfect blue skies, and the sunshine created the impression that London was showing off, bragging to all the visitors ‘Hey look at me, aren’t I just gorgeous?!’

But it was of course the atmosphere which really made it something special. We headed for Embankment and managed to find a place to stand at mile 25, right opposite the London Eye. We were lucky enough to get right to the barrier and were there in time to see the front runners of the men’s elite race which of course included Mo Farah to whom we screamed, in a way we hoped was encouraging, as he sprinted past.

However, it was actually when the non-elite runners started to come through that the atmosphere really got electric. The support from the crowd was constant and incredible, with whoops and cheers for the runners, particularly for those who were dressed up. (There seemed to be quite a few running dressed as toilets for some reason.) And the overwhelming encouragement for those who were struggling was wonderful and really personal thanks to the names of the runners being on their vests. Shouts of ‘Come on Dave, you can do it’ and ‘Only one mile to go Laura’ came from us and everyone else around us.

My dear friend Rachael who was running, completed the race in an amazing three and a half hours, raising an awful lot of money for her chosen charity, the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund. Rachael is a veteran marathon runner, having completed seven previous marathons and two ultra-marathons, and she is the fittest person I know. Seeing her and the other 35,999 runners take on this staggering challenge was truly awe inspiring. Apparently these extraordinary runners will have raised approximately £50 million for charity yesterday and that is something that we should all be hugely proud of.

It continues to stagger me that regardless of how difficult times are, British people will always dig deep to find money to give to charity. Whether it is Children In Need, Comic Relief or Sport Relief, the amounts raised are astonishing, with the most recent Sport Relief raising a fantastic £53 million. It would of course be wonderful if we didn’t need to raise money for charities in this way, but unfortunately we continue to because there are so many causes that need our help and our funding.

I found it very difficult to choose which charity to raise money for with my upcoming 10K run, but eventually plumped for Cancer Research UK, because it is fighting a disease that touches all of us far too often.

Being a spectator at the Marathon really did inspire me, and not just for my own comparatively small running mission. It actually inspired me about the charitable nature and good heartedness of the British people. We should be really proud of how we come together, challenge ourselves and support our friends and family while raising such a considerable amount for others. And if I can put just a small percentage of the effort that those brave runners did at the weekend and raise some much needed funds for Cancer Research UK, then I will be very proud of myself indeed.

If you would like to sponsor me for my 10k run, please visit www.justgiving.com/rachel-agnew

NOTE TO SELF: Keep on running - it will all be worth it in the end.