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Pineapple legs

Well, it was a scorcher at the weekend, with a lot of the boys and girls of media turning out to (mostly) spectate along the route of the London Marathon. Some of the more insane of you actually took part in the race in temperatures approaching 20 deg C (so much that the ice kept on melting in Bitch's G'n'T).

One of the more adventurous was Mike Soutar, co-founder and chief executive of ShortList Media, the free magazine, who chose to run the 26.2 miles dressed as one of his vendors. Bitch likes the solidarity and the brand promotion Mike, but she suspects that, like a vendor at the end of his shift, that cagoule was off the moment the photo opportunity ended.

By Mike’s own admission, he didn’t manage to haul a fully loaded trolley of ShortList and Stylist around the course, but he did manage and time of 4 hours 43 mins to raise £7,000 for the British Heart Foundation from all the sweethearts in media, despite his knees being the "size of ripe pineapples". Don’t worry, Bitch has dealt with many a large swelling in her time darling, she’ll make it better.

Mindsharing the wealth

Another of the brave souls to run 26.2 miles (whatever makes them wake up in the morning and think that’s a good idea, Bitch doesn’t know) was Hannah Biscombe, account director in the press Exchange, who looks the picture of health in this photograph (before the race).

Strange how Bitch wasn’t given the after photo, but she hopes it was in the pub. Hannah’s first attempt in the hellish heat came in at a very precise 5 hours 43 minutes and 27 seconds, and raised more than £800 for Age UK.

Beer o'clock

Bitch hates to shame ex-editors of Marketing, but the pictures she was passed on of Gareth Jones (now brand engagement director at digital agency LBi), aren’t too far from the truth, according to the staff at Haymarket Brand Media that used to work with him.

Many a time he would sprint off at lightning speed at the promise of a social pint, (as long as he wasn’t paying), according to the very uncharitable boys at his old company.

Gareth set a blistering time (in that heat, Bitch thinks literally) to make it back to the bar in 3 hours and 53 mins and raised more than £800 for charity Warchild.

Second time around

Next up is one of the sisters – Jane Shackleton, marketing manager at Reed Business Information’s Estatesgazette.com, who managed to complete her second London Marathon this time (and her last, she says, like all the rest of them) who ran for Help for Heroes and Action on Addiction and raised more than £800 in the process.

Jane says she pushed for the sub-five hours, but came in at 5 hours 42 mins, but is just "glad she got round". Next year Jane?

Face for online. Shorts for the sideline

Last, but definitely not least, was Paul 'Silts' Silton, an account executive at Facebook who completed the course in 4 hours 20 mins and was "going fine until about 20 miles, when cramp really kicked in", the poor boy. Silts ran for charity Whizz Kidz and raise £2,300 through sponsorship "of which the media industry is heavily responsible for," he says.

Looks like he needed a bit of support at the end in holding his ribbon.

Anyway, well done to you all my babies. Until next time, Ciao xxx