For Kitty, getting a place in the 1992 London Marathon is a dream come true. When by chance Kitty meets Malcolm, another new marathoner, they decide to train together. And so begins an unlikely alliance that not only affects them but also draws in Kitty's husband Rob, who is the landlord of the local village pub, and Malcolm's unhappy wife Celia. The relationship and emotions between these two couples, separated by class, age and life-experience, becomes more complex as the marathon training builds, escalating to the climax of Marathon day itself and its aftermath. Key elements of each person's struggles are exposed and brought to a head as the story unfolds: Kitty's dissatisfaction with her role in the pub, Rob's ingrained deference to his overbearing mother, Malcom's and Celia's grief and breakdown of communication.