They may not have been classed as elite but St Albans Striders made sure they were still well represented at the virtual London Marathon.
The usual mass participants were asked to create their own carnival atmosphere closer to home and other, smaller events.
Several Striders ran the Dorney Lake Marathon near Windsor, Matt Cooper the first of them home under three hours ahead of Sebastian Rowe, Phil Brindle, Donna Irwin and Peter Blessing.
Others opted for bespoke routes with the Alban Way and its new water hazard the choice for many.
Andrew McKillop also ducked under three hours while Steve Bowran was just 31 seconds outside that.
Kate Dixon, Lucy Jones and Jonathan Bird also ran, the latter featuring briefly on BBC as his Lewisham Hospital team set off, while Laurance Dine chose multiple laps of Ellenbrook Fields.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here