London 2012 Paralympic hero David Weir has admitted he did not expect to win the 2013 London Marathon.
Weir fell short of winning his seventh Marathon, finishing fifth behind Australian winner Kurt Fearnley, seven months after he became a household name for his Paralympic triumphs.
His profile has risen stratospherically since the London 2012 summer party, but he is adamant his reputation didn't hinder him at the weekend.
"I took four months off after the Paralympics - that was always the plan," Weir told HuffPost UK Sport a day after the event.
"I was quite selfish last year but I had to have that break. My girlfriend was about to give birth to our third child and it wouldn't have been fair on her. You have to slow down at my age.
Weir competing during Sunday's Marathon
"I'd say I was in better shape for the Marathon this year than last year, but I didn't expect to win this time."
The build-up to the Marathon was dominated by the bombings at the Boston Marathon six days earlier, when three people were killed and 264 were injured by the blasts.
Following the sobering events on the East Coast, the Metropolitan Police increased security in the capital by 40% but Weir felt the atmosphere at the Marathon had never been more buoyant.
"It wasn't going to stop me racing. Everyone was focused on one thing," he stressed.
"We're quite close some of us [the athletes], so when it happened I sent text messages to people I knew who were taking part to make sure they were okay."
"The weather was great and the atmosphere wasn't heavy, so everyone was unified. They showed their respect to Boston with the minute's silence and £2 was donated for everyone who crossed the line to the people affected over there."
Now 33, Weir was non-committal when asked if he would compete at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, citing similarities to Sir Chris Hoy's decision to retire over doubts he could win at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year.
Weir boasts six Paralympic golds, having won two in Beijing, as well as two silver and bronze medals from competing in China and Athens 2008, but wants to "do more racing" despite his distinguished record.
Weir won his final gold medal on the last day of the Paralympics
His enthusiasm when reminiscing about London 2012 has not diminished either. Having registered four triumphs, he is able to pinpoint a favourite.
"It would probably be the marathon," he said. "That was the noisiest I've ever known when racing. I really wanted to win on that final day of the whole 2012 Games.
Weir celebrates one of his four London 2012 golds
"That and the 5,000m stand out. Tactically, I got that right and it was my first win. That was really special.
"My best race was the 800 and 1,500m because I felt so relaxed and comfortable in both because I had already won my first gold."
David is the latest Barclays My Space for Sport ambassador, helping to promote the 200 Barclays Spaces for Sports sites across the country. To find your nearest site, visitBarclays.com/spacesforsports