London – 2026
Marathon Weekend
London was the beginning stretch of a longer vacation in Europe with Kobe. Classic boys trip. But first, there was a marathon to conquer.
I arrived in London in late April with one mission: cheer on Kolbe in his London Marathon. Going in, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. He hadn’t given much away about his training, so when he crushed his best time yet, it was a genuine surprise. He had clearly been putting in serious work. Well deserved, and we made sure to celebrate accordingly! Kolbe’s family was in town for the race too, so the first stretch of the trip had a little solo exploring and linking up when the timing was right.
The Start and Recovery
Getting a spot to actually watch the race was its own ordeal. The turnout was enormous, and I spent a good three miles walking the course trying to find a gap in the crowd before giving up and planting wherever I could (Wagtail). Somewhere in that chaos though, I unknowingly watched the first place finisher pass by near the end of the race. That was Sabastian Sawe, the dude who went on to break the two-hour marathon barrier for the first time in history. Insane!
I’ll be honest, the day or two that followed were rough on my end. The jet-lag fueled headache was real and stuck around longer than I’d like to admit. What ended up helping more than anything was Hyde Park and Regent’s Park. Both are just perfect for finding a patch of grass, laying down, and drifting into a catnap. If I had to choose, Regent’s Park edges it out, but either are magical.
A small but necessary victory during the post-park recovery stretch: I got a haircut. Second time getting one in London, actually. Walked into a random barber, out in ten minutes, and the price was surprisingly reasonable compared to some of the more upscale spots around the city. Fresh cut, and on the uppity up.
Getting Mobile
When Kolbe and I reconnected, we planned out the rest of the time in London as best we could. One of the highlights was an early morning visit to the Horizon 22 observation deck, which I think beats the London Eye and The Shard. The main reason is you actually get to look at The Shard and other landmarks instead of being in them. The views were fantastic and going early meant the crowds weren’t there yet.
We also made it to the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, the same ship featured on the London Marathon medal, which was a cool full-circle moment. Getting there involved our first ever Uber Boat ride, which was a fun little experience in itself. We passed through the Isle of Dogs, London’s financial district, and it was interesting to see the business energy in full swing there. Not a typical tourist stop, cool to check out since it was included in the marathon track.
Borough Market also made the list. I had been steered pretty hard in the direction of the Black Pig and Ginger Pig sandwiches there, per Kolbe’s direction. Man’s gotta eat, and those were some good lookin’ sammies. Beyond the sandwiches though, the market itself was great. Vendors with cheeses, pestos, mushrooms and all kinds of a la carte tastings you can graze through at your own pace.
One of the better unplanned moments of the trip came from heading back to the parks. I spotted a group playing what looked like a cross between kickball and baseball and curiosity got the better of me. Turned out it was called Rounders! From talking with the group, it was apparently more of a schoolyard game, but now they had a full intramural league going. After talking a bit, I weaseled my way in a few matches and had a blast. Afterwards, a few from the group ended up at what they’d call a dive bar. Felt more like an extravagant Chilis to me! Good banter, cold pints, and plenty of jabs on British vs. American culture. One of those unplanned evenings that quietly becomes a trip highlight.
The Final Night
The trip wrapped up on a high note. A family dinner at an Indian restaurant called Dishoom, that had a custom spin on most of the dishes. Everything was delicious and mango lassi is a must. That same night I caught The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre. It was my first time seeing a production like this, and I’d go again. The show was hilarious and really like nothing I expected. It was a solid way to end the final night.
With London behind us, Kolbe and I said our goodbyes to his family and we made our way to the airport to keep the good times rollin’ into Zagreb, Croatia!
-ML
Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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