NOVEMBER 2015

On the
cover
VOL 23
NO. 11
Cover photography
Tule Lillegraven

58
15 Up Your Stamina
By 12% In One Week!
Get stuck in to a melon
and you could increase
your staying power

19 The Mood-Booster
In A Glass
No, not that one. This one
costs a lot less and doesn’t
give you a hangover TAKE YOUR
23 Drop 7.6cm
MEDICINE
Off Your Waist The foods that
You just have to steer help you get well
clear of diet fizzy drinks

44 Run Strong For Life

Upgrade your health
and performance

50 Injury-Proof
Your Body
Rock-solid bones, tendons
of steel and pain-free running:
all these can be yours

58 21 Healing Superfoods
Sore muscles, PMS, achy joints
and headaches are no match for
these nutritional powerhouses

76 Perfect Pre-Run
Energy Meals
Take a well-deserved break
from the big plates of pasta
and watch your times tumble

81 50 Best Exercise 62
NEXT STEP
Moves for Runners Olympian Andy
Build a fitter, faster Baddeley on
body – no gym required his darkest days

99 On Test:
Fitness Trackers
We test 12 fitness bands to see
99
109
UNDEAD HEAT TIME MANAGEMENT
how they measure you up and Our money is Keeping an eye on
on the zombies your movements
keep you on the move

004 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 Regulars
8 Rave Run
Dunkeld, Perth and
Kinross, Scotland
130 I’m A Runner
Singer, actress and author
Clare Grogan on how
running helps her on stage
Warm-Ups
17 Fitness
How your run depends on
the season, and becoming
stronger using the old
snap and tap move
21 Take A
Deep Breath
Train your breathing
muscles for faster times
and less fatigue
23 Fat-burning
How a good brekkie sets
you up, and wise words
from a total Muppet
25 Mind + Health
A new dimension in
incentives, and how to
beat race-day nerves
27 Injury
When you’re injured,
who do you call to get
the right treatment?
Human Race
31 Real Runners
How Emma Timmis ran
across Africa. And why
34 What It Takes To...
Be a long-distance
double act, and run
with a passenger
36 Inbox
Your views aired
and shared
81
STRONG POINTS
The 50 moves you
should be doing
runnersworld.co.uk
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15
FRUIT FLY
Harness the power
of the melon
ASICS.COM / GO RUN IT
 RAVE RUN
Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Ian Alderman Adrian Davis

Autumn in the steep forested hills above

the historic town of Dunkeld is never
less than colourful. Adrian Davis, organiser
of the Birnam Hill Races, is no stranger
to training in these spectacular surroundings.

008 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 009
 THE RW TEAM FROM THE EDITOR

Editor
Andy Dixon Runners might have
diverse views on their
favourite distance, type
Art Director Deputy Editor Commissioning Editor of shoe or dream race,
Wayne Hannon Joe Mackie Kerry McCarthy
but there’s one thing
we can all agree on –
Chief Sub Editor Section Editor Senior Designer being injured sucks.
John Carroll Sam Murphy Dean Farrow Unfortunately, injury
is a recurrent problem for us, whether
Digital Editor Deputy Digital Editor it’s a manageable niggle (I hobble first
Ben Hobson Georgia Scarr thing in the morning while my rusty
arches grind into action) or an acute
breakdown that enforces a complete
layoff from the sport.
Building on my training for a quick mile, I’m gunning for a fast 10K. My In a revealing feature on page 44,
last time at the distance was 42:57, which I want to beat in Paris on running coach Phil Latter argues that
October 4. For more 10K training tips, check out rw.co.uk/perfect10k. physical injury is inextricably linked
to a runner’s psychology – because
many are highly focused, results-
driven, ‘Type A’ personalities, they
Fresh (or perhaps not so fresh) from running the Moscow Marathon often ignore the early warning signs
last month, I’ll be part of the RW Pace Team at the Yorkshire Marathon
on October 11, helping people to cross the line in four hours.
of injury, putting them at more risk.
If being laid-up is frustrating enough
for recreational runners, that feeling
must be multiplied for an elite athlete,
CONTRIBUTORS for whom running is a much larger
part of their life. On page 62, British
Philip Latter Bill Donahue 1500m runner Andy Baddeley speaks
The running coach, writer The freelance journalist has frankly about his battle with depression
and co-author of Faster written for titles such as after injury struck following the high
Road Racing (Human Men’s Journal, The Financial
of competing in the London Olympics,
Kinetics) offers a major Times, Wired and The New
shift in perspective that could Yorker. His eye for tales of cultural and his long road back to health.
guide you safely through the maze significance led him to the story of an The good news is there are proven
of your injury troubles, in Find epic pre-Olympic-era running rivalry ways to prevent injury – whether that’s
Your Way Out of Injury on p44 that gripped two nations. p68 strengthening your bones, tendons and
fascia (page 50), eating foods that ease
sore muscles and achy joints (page 58),
or introducing strength work into your
Contributing Editor Group Creative Solutions Senior Vice President, schedule with the help of our 50 Best
Jo Pavey Acting Project Manager International Business
Kathryn Tait Development and Partnerships, Moves For Runners section on page 81.
Contributors Group Creative Solutions Rodale International
Kieran Alger, Johnny Dee, Art Director Robert Novick
Bill Donahue, Adrian Monti, Ben Briley Andy Dixon, Editor, @RW_ed_Andy
Charlie Hanson, Philip Latter, Creative Partnerships Manager RODALE INTERNATIONAL
Pete Magill, Tobias Mews, Claire Knox
Jessica Migala, Veronika Ruff Multimedia Designer Rodale Inc, 33 East Minor Street, RUNNER’S WORLD
Taylor, Paul Tonkinson Aoife Marie Kavanagh Emmaus, Pennsylvania 18098, USA
Published by Hearst Rodale Ltd Rodale Limited – a joint venture
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010 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 NEED TO GET UP T
OU O
W S Y SP
EE
NE D

FRUIT FOR
YOUR LABOURS
Pick up a
watermelon
Words Sam Murphy Photography Pavel Dornak Prop design Emma Ritchie Calder 1 Obesity Review

INVEST IN A MELON
Watermelon is the latest fruit to flex its performance-boosting
muscles. Research1 shows its levels of the amino acid citrulline can boost
nitric oxide levels in the body, reducing blood pressure and enhancing
exercise performance. Study subjects given citrulline extract for a week
had 12 per cent more staying power in a high-intensity exercise test than
those taking another amino acid (arginine) or a placebo.
runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 015
 Poll position
When do you most
enjoy running?
25%

39%
OAutumn
OWinter
OSpring
OSummer
O I love it all 7%
year round!*

17%
12%

A RUN
FOR ALL
SEASONS
A Danish study has found cardiorespiratory
fitness is, on average, four per cent lower in Fab or fad?
autumn than spring, as a result of less activity. Polarised training
Coach Kim Ingleby, (energisedperformance. WHAT IS IT? WHAT ARE THE HOW DO I DO IT?
com), shows you how to hold on to your Restricting your BENEFITS? Make most your
training sessions It can boost runs (around
fitness as the weather turns cold. And wet. to intensities that fitness and 80 per cent of
are either very improve race mileage) easy.
Get your winter wardrobe sorted.
easy or very hard. times. One The remainder
Breathable layers, a waterproof
Words Sam Murphy Photography Hearst Studios Prop designer Lou Blackshaw

Proponents claim study recorded should comprise

jacket, hat, gloves and grippy shoes
that most of us an 11.7 per cent hard and very
will mean you can run in all conditions.
spend too much improvement hard intervals,
time somewhere in VO2 max in with plenty of
in the middle. nine weeks. recovery.
Plan your routes so you feel safe
running on dark evenings and early Verdict Worth investigating if you’ve been
mornings, or switch to lunchtime running for a year or more and have reached
Prop stylist Maria Lo *RW online poll of 532 runners

runs to get a daylight running fix. a plateau, or if your training needs a shake-up.

Join a local training group or run with

a friend. It’s easier – and safer – to
face the elements with others than
it is to head out by yourself.
Devise a strength and core session
that can be done at home so you
can work on your fitness even if
you don’t manage a run.
One key move
Snap and tap
This drill promotes explosiveness 1/ Hop quickly on one foot with the knee
and improves coordination, says of your other leg raised at 90 degrees
running coach Owen Anderson, 2/ On every third contact, tap the
author of Running Science raised foot lightly on the ground in
(Human Kinetics). It also teaches time with your hopping foot.
correct foot placement. 3/ Change legs after you’ve done 12 taps.

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 017

 WARM O UPS / FUEL
WATER WORKS
Lighten up
with a liquid
measure

Find your level

Watch the water rate
Women runners are more likely to
overhydrate than men, according
to a new study review1. While
women are typically lighter and
smaller, their fluid intake is higher,
relative to body weight, while
their total body water content is
lower. These factors increase
susceptibility to hyponatraemia
(when the sodium level in your
blood is too low) in endurance
events. The researchers
recommend female runners pay
more attention to their fluid
intake – drinking to thirst but not
exceeding 800ml per hour.

DRINK UP
Feeling blue? Then raise a glass…
of delicious water, that is. A study Have a wee look
from the University of Connecticut, Check your hydration level using the chart below. Pee should be pale
US, has found an association
In the clear Lemon drop
between water intake and mood
Words Sam Murphy Photography Kat Pisiolek Illustration Emma Ritchie Calder 1 Frontiers in Nutrition 2 Nutrients

Beyond the pale Yellow peril

state. The researchers monitored Fluid dynamic Amber alert
subjects’ total food and fluid intake Sunny delight Dark matter
for five days and found those
who drank the least water scored
highest on measures of mood Take three
disturbance. Meanwhile, recent Jazzy waters
French research has shown that
when people who customarily
don’t drink much water increase
their intake, their mood improves Birch water Maple sap Aloe water
and their mental fogginess is Tapped, Drink Wahta, £14.99 Aloe vera sugar free
£2.49 for 250ml, for 12 x 250ml cartons, juice, £5.99 for 480ml,
reduced. We’ll drink to that. healthysupplies.co.uk drinkwahta.co.uk basicayurveda.co.uk
Derived from Finnish This water is extracted Aloe water, extracted
birch trees, this crisp from Canadian maple from the plant’s leaves,
water is rich in saponins, trees. It’s high in the has been shown to help

57
THE PERCENTAGE compounds that can antioxidant mineral maintain healthy blood
BY WHICH
help lower cholesterol. manganese. glucose levels.
RUNNERS
UNDERESTIMATED
THE AMOUNT
OF SWEAT
THEY LOST IN
A ONE-HOUR
OUTDOOR RUN.2

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 019

 WA RM O UPS / FITNESS
TAKE A DEEP BREATH
BREATHING LESSONS
Strengthen your
inspiratory muslcles to
improve your running
Try this
PowerBreathe
Plus
£49.99, powerbreathe.com
Breathing in through the mouthpiece of
this handheld device 30 times twice a day
trains your diaphragm and rib muscles by
making it harder to inhale. (We tested the
medium-resistance model.) It’s adjustable,
so you can increase the resistance
as your breathing muscles
become stronger.
BRIDGE BIRD DOG
Lie on your back and lift yourself up Start on all fours. Maintaining a neutral
onto your elbows or hands (easier), with spine, brace the abdominals. Lift your
Words Sam Murphy Photography Pavel Dornak Illustration Lizzy Thomas
your weight on your heels and your left hand and right knee off the floor
body in a straight line. Raise one leg as and extend the arm and leg to
high as you can without sagging in the horizontal. As you do so, inhale through
middle or tilting to one side. As you your IMT. Pause, then lower on a slow
raise the leg, inhale forcefully through exhale. Go straight into the next rep as
your IMT before exhaling slowly as you your limbs touch down. Halfway
lower the leg. Alternate legs. On set two, through the set, swap the breathing
swap the breathing pattern so you pattern so you exhale as you extend the
inhale as you lower the leg. limbs. Repeat on the other side.
10 reps
1 set
10 reps per side
2 sets
runnersworld.co.uk
group you may be
neglecting in training – your
inspiratory muscles, which you
use to breathe in. The primary
inspiratory muscles are the
diaphragm and the intercostals,
which lie between the ribs. These
muscles also play a role in core
stability, says a new study.
Runners who did the exercises
below with an IMT – inspiratory
muscle trainer (left) – three or
four times a week for six weeks
improved their performance in
a time trial and increased core
endurance. ‘The athletes’ trunk
muscles delivered breathing
and core stability, without
compromising either,’ says
Alison McConnell, one of the
study authors. She is professor of
exercise science at Bournemouth
University and the author of
Breathe Strong, Perform Better
(breathestrong.com).
SWISS BALL SQUAT THRUST
Assume a press-up position, with the
tops of your feet resting on a Swiss ball,
your body in a straight line with your
spine neutral and your abdominals
braced. Lift your hips and bend your
knees to draw the ball towards your
hands, inhaling forcefully through
your IMT as you move. Exhale as you
roll the ball back to the start position.
Reverse the breathing pattern
for the second set.
10-15
reps
2 sets
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 021
 WA RM O UPS / FAT-BURNING
BUBBLES
TROUBLE

POP GOES
Time to can
the can

THE FIZZ
SWIZZ
You may think diet drinks help you
stay trim – but a new study suggests
otherwise. Researchers measured the
waists of 749 people over a decade and
found the more fizzy diet drinks they
consumed, the fatter they became. Those
who drank them every day had to loosen
their belts the most – by an average of
7.6cm. Even after factoring in initial
waist size and levels of physical activity,
the mean increase in waist size among
daily users was triple that of non-users.

Get a good start

A new study1 shows it’s what and how
much you eat for breakfast that affects
energy intake later on. Subjects ate
different breakfasts of equal calorie
value on different days. Here’s how
they fared at lunch and dinner…

60
2,250

2,000

1,750
Mean metabolism
1 European Journal of Nutrition. 2 Appetite Journal. 3 US National Institutes of Health

CALORIE INTAKE AT LUNCH AND DINNER

Some people are metabolic slow burners

1,500
Words Sam Murphy Photography Getty Photo manipulation Colin Beagley

When it comes to weight loss, not all metabolic rates are

1,250
PER CENT INCREASE
1,000 IN LIKELIHOOD OF
SNACKING WHEN AT WORK
750 COMPARED WITH BEING
AT HOME. BE PREPARED
WITH HEALTHY SNACKS
500
IN YOUR DRAWER – AND
EAT SENSIBLY.2
250
equal. In a recent study3, subjects whose baseline calorie
intake was cut in half for six weeks shed different
amounts of weight. Those who lost least had what the
researchers describe as a ‘thrifty’ metabolism – their
metabolic rate responded to the energy crisis by slowing
markedly, conserving energy and limiting weight loss. It’s
not yet known whether these metabolic differences are
innate or develop over time but it sheds light on why
some people find it easier to lose weight than others.

0
EGGS CROISSANT CEREAL
ON AND ORANGE WITH
TOAST JUICE MILK Instant wisdom
LUNCH DINNER
‘Never eat anything
bigger than your head’
Miss Piggy

runnersworld.co.uk
 WA RM O UPS / MIND + HEALTH

Two-way tip
Quell race- OFFBEAT TREAT
day nerves Need an incentive to get your trainers on? In a quirky
experiment, Australian researchers used 3D printers to print
chocolate treats for participants who stuck to their exercise
goals. More activity meant more chocolate faces, flowers and
‘rousing’ messages (such as ‘U rock!’), but even the most active
Say your name runners were limited to 30ml a day, for obvious reasons. Here
Use positive self-talk. are three less fattening – but novel – ways to mark your progress.
‘Changing what you say to
yourself can affect emotions,’
says Professor Andy Lane Drop a pound Create a unique Pick up a pebble
from the University of coin into a jar hashtag, then on every outing
Wolverhampton. Research after every run. Instagram or and build a cairn
in the Journal of Personality
Use the cash to tweet photos in the garden or
and Social Psychology found
using your name in self-talk buy new kit. when you run. on the doorstep.
is better than saying ‘I’. The
researchers believe it puts
distance between
you and the situation,
reducing anxiety.

Don’t fight
butterflies
Acknowledge nerves. ‘Being
nervous before a race
signifies you care about your
performance,’ says coach Jeff
Gaudette (runnersconnect.
Words Sam Murphy Photography Gallery Stock, Getty *Sammy Margo is a Rest & Run expert for Holiday Inn

com). But to channel your

nervous energy, stay in the
moment; a familiar warm-up
routine can help. ‘Push from
your mind things you should,
could, or would have done;
instead, replay moments of
strength,’ says Gaudette.

Quick-fire question
Any tips for pre-race
sleepless nights?
Eat foods rich in tryptophan, such as turkey or
bananas, in the evening, combined with carb-rich
Run maths
bread. In bed, try Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise longer, live longer
1 British Journal of Sports Medicine

(PMR) – tensing and relaxing your muscles from toes

to forehead – while breathing deeply. This lowers
cortisol, a hormone that affects your ability to nod off.
If you’ve been awake in bed for longer than 20
minutes, get up and do something undemanding, such
as emptying the dishwasher, then return to your bed. 150 MINUTES 10 YEARS 28% REDUCTION
If you wake in the night, don’t clock-watch. OF MODERATE-TO-VIGOROUS IN ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY
Sammy Margo, physiotherapist* AEROBIC EXERCISE/WK AMONG THE OVER 60S1

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 025


Find your level
NUMBER OF INJURIES
0 2 4 6
NEW
RUNNERS
FITNESS
RUNNERS
ULTRA
RUNNERS
SPRINTERS
DISTANCE
TRACK
ATHLETES
GET A GRIP
ON YOUR
INJURY
When injury strikes, a specialist sports medicine
practitioner can help you diagnose the problem,
ease symptoms and heal faster. But who does what?
OSTEOPATH
Osteopaths are masters
of palpation, using their
hands to detect sites of
tension, weakness or
strain. They look at the
body as a whole, rather
than just the injured site.
The aim is to redress
imbalances anywhere
to alleviate symptoms.
Sessions are likely
Photography iStock 1 Sports Medicine
to include passive
joint movements,
neuromuscular
techniques and high-
speed adjustments.
Best for Chronic injuries
and postural imbalances
Find one
osteopathy.org.uk
runnersworld.co.uk
8 10 12 14 16 18
A new study1
reveals injury rates
among different
types of runner
per 1,000 hours
of running
PHYSIOTHERAPIST
Traditionally, a physio
would focus on the
affected area, but some
now take a more holistic
approach to injury.
Treatment is more
exercise-based and less
hands-on than
osteopathy. Taping,
ultrasound, TENS
(transcutaneous electrical
nerve stimulation), laser
treatment or acupuncture
may be used alongside
stretching, soft-tissue
massage or manipulation
within the session.
Best for Acute and
overuse injuries
Find one csp.org.uk
WA RM O UPS / INJURY CLINIC
SPORTS THERAPIST CHIROPRACTOR
While osteos and physios Chiropractic treatment is
are trained to deal with aimed at treating
all musculoskeletal problems with the bones,
problems, a sports muscles and joints, with a
therapist specialises in focus on the spine. It’s
sport and exercise mostly used for back pain
injuries, with a strong and chronic problems.
focus on sports first aid. A Chiropractors use
treatment plan is likely to high-speed ‘adjustments’
include massage and to help restore movement
taping, along with to joints, sometimes
remedial exercises and, if resulting in a ‘crack’ or
necessary, specialist ‘pop.’ X-ray is often used
referral. However, the to assist diagnosis.
profession is unregulated. Best for Management
Best for Immediate and treatment of back
attention of acute pain and related
injuries, rehab plans neural conditions
Find one society-of- such as sciatica
sports-therapists.org Find one gcc-uk.org
FOR YOUR
PAINS
Make sure you
get the right
treatment
SPORTS MASSAGE
THERAPIST
These therapists are not
qualified to diagnose
injuries, but the
techniques they learn
(not just massage but
other forms of soft-tissue
manipulation, such as
assisted stretching) can
aid recovery and assist
healing. Regular
treatments also allow a
practitioner to spot the
warning signs of injury
before you become aware
of them. Unregulated, so
qualifications vary.
Best for Prevention
and recovery
Find one thesma.org
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 027
 HUMAN RACE
REAL RUNNERS,INSPIRATIONAL STORIES

‘A SCORPION
CHASED ME
AROUND
THE CAMP’
For Emma Timmis, an
epic trek brought joy,
terror and one day
of great indignity

T
 
his time last year, the first
thing Emma Timmis would
do when she woke up in
the morning was wiggle
her toes, flex her ankles and bend
her knees ‘to check they were still
working’. The 31-year-old from Derby
was midway through a gruelling
2,472-mile run across Africa.
Clocking a daily average of 35 miles,
Emma found the trip was taking a
Words Adrian Monti Photography Jon Enoch

considerable toll on her body. ‘Even

with daily massages I was horribly
stiff and I had problems with my knee,’
she says. The mental side was even
tougher. ‘I got through by breaking
every run down into manageable
chunks, so it felt less daunting.’
But there were some amazing close
encounters with nature to keep her

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 031

 HUMAN R ACE
going. One of her favourite moments
was encountering an elephant pulling
down branches to feed her babies just
metres away from the hot, dusty road.
‘It was incredible to see an elephant in
its natural habitat,’ she says. ‘She didn’t
seem bothered by me at all. And it was
so cool to see giraffes sauntering along.’
One day in Malawi, after a long climb
up a zigzagging road, Emma found
herself looking down on Lake Malawi,
the ninth-longest lake in the world.
‘It was a stunning sight,’ she says. ‘I
thought, why would you ever want to
be sitting in an office, surrounded by
four walls, when you could be here?’
Emma – now based in Manchester – is
no stranger to endurance challenges.
In 2011 she ran from Durban to Cape
Town – a distance of 1,425 miles – and
it was this achievement that prompted
her friend, charity worker Aysha
Madha, to suggest the trip, with an offer
to take on all the logistics and support.
‘The idea was to raise funds for small
charities that show real respect for the
people they work with, the countries
they work in and the people who work
for them,’ says Emma.
They began planning the epic trek
in spring 2013, but it wasn’t until the
following summer that Emma quit her
job as an RSPCA inspector and set off
for the Atlantic coast of Namibia, where
the transcontinental run would begin.
‘When I reached
halfway, it was
tough knowing
I had to do the
same again’
‘I was eager to get going, even though
I knew it would be tough,’ she says.
Emma was accompanied by her friend
Michael Whitehurst, who cycled, and
the pair had a small support team with
a car, who would travel ahead before
meeting the pair every few days.
‘I liked having a linear route to follow,
knowing that each step I took was one
step nearer to the finish,’ says Emma.
‘But when I reached halfway, it was
tough knowing that I had to do the
same all over again.’
One consolation was being able to
visit two of the beneficiaries of her
fundraising efforts. In Zimbabwe, she
met some of the staff at the SEED
Project (the acronym stands for
Sustainable Ecological and Economic
Development), a charity that helps
disadvantaged communities develop
skills and self-sufficiency; and in
Namibia she found out more about
an initiative by the charity Tusk to
prevent farmers shooting cheetahs and
032 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
HEAT OF THE DAY
Emma in the
Namibian desert
leopards. The third charity Emma was
running for was much closer to home, a
Manchester-based project offering
support and training to young people
who want to do something positive in
their community.
Once on the road, Emma’s days
followed a regular pattern. ‘I’d set my
alarm for 30 minutes before sunrise,
eat an energy bar and then begin
running. I’d run for two or three hours
before stopping for breakfast.’
After an hour’s rest, she would run
for another three hours, until it became
too hot to continue. ‘We would rest
in the shade before another couple
of hours’ running until sunset. After
eating, I’d go straight to bed, totally
exhausted,’ she says.
There were long periods when Emma
would run alongside Michael in
companionable silence, marvelling at
the landscape and wildlife around her.
‘Warthogs would cross the road in
front of us. At first, I was worried they
might attack us with their sharp tusks,
but they would run off squealing.’
The west-to-east trek also took the
pair through areas where lions roamed.
‘We didn’t spot any, but we had the
BREAK TIME
A brief rest in
Zimbabwe
support car right beside us at that
point. The plan was that if a lion was
seen, the guys in the car would drag
us inside straight away.’
Sometimes, nature did get a little too
close for comfort. ‘A scorpion chased
me around the camp one night when I
got up to go to the loo,’ laughs Emma.
‘And one time, we accidentally set up
our tent near a puff adder. Another
night, I was in the tent and could hear
an elephant crashing through the
forest. I was scared that it wouldn’t see
the tent and would crush me inside it.
But to my huge relief, it lumbered by.’
Though Emma developed some
running injuries, they occurred in the
early stages. However, in Mozambique,
with only three running days to go, she
picked up a nasty stomach bug.
‘It was a low point,’ she says. ‘Every 10
minutes I’d have to stop at the roadside
to go to the loo. I had no self-respect
left – I think everyone in the town must
have seen my white bottom.’
Emma somehow still managed 30
miles that day, but, totally drained of
energy, she had to rest on a church floor
all the next day before she felt strong
enough to continue.
‘I had 37 miles left to run on the final
day. I was so excited about finishing
that we set off at 3am wearing head
torches. It was great watching the sun
rise over the ocean.’
When they arrived at Pemba, on the
Mozambique coast, Emma waded into
the Indian Ocean before swigging
champagne with the team.
‘I actually felt quite empty and I was
not as emotional as I’d expected to be,’
she says. ‘But I was so relieved to have
finished and to know that I wouldn’t
have to run the next day.’
Emma took just 89 days to run from
coast to coast, including 13 rest days
along the way. ‘Even now, it’s crazy to
think I actually ran across Africa.’
O Emma has raised more than £6,600 for
the SEED Project, Tusk and Think Plan
Do. uk.virginmoneygiving.com/
EmmaTimmis
ON THE TOWN
Passing through
Mangochi, Malawi
@runnersworlduk
 HUMAN R ACE

WHAT IT TAKES TO…

Be a long-distance double act

California’s Death Valley is the driest
and hottest place in the United States,
with summer temperatures averaging
45C. But that didn’t deter Rhys and
Scott Jenkins, two brothers from Wales,
from tackling – in July – the ‘Death
Valley Double’, a brutal run across the
valley and back again, 270 miles in all.
‘We had to run along the white line of
the road to prevent our trainers from
melting,’ says Scott, 34.
All was going well until Rhys began
talking gibberish and passed out. He
recovered, but with an eye on breaking
the record of 94 hours and 39 minutes
the two had to run through the night
with just one hour’s sleep to get back on
terrain; and Rhys at the
schedule. Sixty miles in, trouble struck
again: ‘I saw Scott slowing down and
then he stopped,’ says Rhys, 27.
Scott had injured his knee. He stopped
to ice and compress it, and then pressed
on, using walking poles for support.
However, it soon became clear that he
would not be able to go the distance
without risking long-term damage.
‘When the realisation hit that I would
not be able to complete the double, I was
devastated,’ says Scott. ‘I didn’t want to
give up, because so many people had
sponsored us [the brothers were raising
money for two children’s charities]. I had
to complete the single crossing, at least.’
He did just that, covering 135 miles (75
of them with an injury) in just over 60
hours. Rhys now faced the second leg
alone. ‘I spent a lot of it in a meditative
state. The final 30 miles were horrific
– running tired into a stiff headwind.’
Rhys finished in 107 hours, becoming
ROAD WARRIORS
only the second (and the fastest) Brit to
(Clockwise from top) have completed the double. But he does
Scott and Rhys; tough not consider it to be a solo effort. ‘Scott
end of a long road pulled me through when I passed out,
and if it weren’t for injury he would
have finished with me,’ he says.
Scott is equally full of pride for his
younger brother’s achievement. ‘It’s an
amazing feat and I’m so happy he could
complete it for both of us,’ he says.
O virginmoneygiving.com/jenkobros

Run with a passenger The rules of running

When Natalie Dimelow to how the baby felt,’ No 36:

discovered she was
pregnant last December,
she expected her
running to take a back
seat. But the 31-year-old
from St Helens,
Merseyside, soon found
her runs helped her
thrive. ‘When I missed
my morning run I
could hardly get
breakfast – or even
a drink – down and
I would feel rough
all day,’ she says. She
was also inspired by
she explains.
So, wearing a sign on
Team up for
her back reading ‘23 morning runs
weeks pregnant’, Natalie
toed the marathon start Morning runs can be tough. Especially when
line. ‘Everyone was so it’s dark, cold, wet or icy outside. Add a few
kind to me,’ she says. margaritas the night before and the odds
‘People said how of rolling out of bed and pulling on your
amazing I was, and that I running shoes approach laughable. Unless
was giving my baby the you’ve promised to meet someone. Knowing
TWO’S COMPANY
Natalie on the run best start in life.’ there’s someone out there also getting
and (inset) Hugo Natalie ate up the dressed in the dark is motivation enough. 
miles, literally: ‘I
crazy to run it? devoured everything
‘I discussed it – cake, bananas, bread,
with my partner, Jaffa cakes, sweets, dried
Words Sam Murphy Illustration Son of Alan

reading about the
growth and brain-
development benefits
of exercising during
pregnancy. ‘I thought I’d
try to make my baby the
next Einstein,’ she jokes.
But the London
Marathon – in which
Natalie had earned a
good-for-age place – was
looming. Would it be
Michael, and he was
supportive of me doing it
as long as I took it easy.’
Her gynaecologist and
the midwife agreed it
was OK to continue
running, provided she
listened to her body –
something her running
years had got her used
to doing. ‘I felt that I
could zone in and listen
fruit.’ She was ecstatic
when she crossed the
line in five hours, despite
it being 90 minutes
slower than her PB.
‘I’m so proud that we
did it,’ says Natalie, who
gave birth to baby Hugo
in August. ‘The benefits
of running are endless,
and I thank it for making O Extract from The Runner’s Rule Book
my pregnancy so good.’ by Mark Remy (£11.99, Rodale Press).

034 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 HUMAN R ACE

INBOX LETTER OF THE MONTH When will manufacturers

realise that fat girls run?
Imperfect 10
Your article on the I’m a size 18-20 who
classic mistakes
runners make [RW, regularly runs 10K and
Sept] has been a
revelation to me. I’ve
been making all 10!
I cannot find proper
I’m 54 and have been
running for 18
gear that fits me.
months. I absolutely Jane Harle, Burgess Hill, West Sussex
love it, but I’ve had
two breaks – one RW says Do other larger runners struggle
due to injury and to find running gear? Let us know.
one, I now realise, OUT OF THE
due to overtraining. WOODS
Paul stays safe
I’m now going to so why can we not be confusing because it
change my whole given a T-shirt that frequently referred to
running strategy. actually fits? sodium, which isn’t
Kenny D, Leigh, Ode to the road Assuming these the same as salt. Salt
Lancashire T-shirts serve as contains 40 per cent
Every spring, runners seem to advertising for the sodium, so care must
Downsize be gripped by ‘off-road fever,’ event, organisers be taken when
Does anyone else which makes it necessary to see are missing out by reading food labels to
have a drawer full of providing ones that not confuse the two;
race T-shirts that are trees, green fields and squirrels many cannot wear. if sodium is listed,
too large even for en route. Our off-road club runs Dianne Lang, the amount needs
painting in? Smaller have led to tree-root trips, falls Northampton to be multiplied by
runners pay the same 2.5 to give the salt
and sprained ankles. Conversely, Team effort

entry fee to races as
‘larger’ competitors, I have spent many an enjoyable I beg to differ with Mr
dark winter evening running on Finn [The Greatest
HANG LOOSE
Race on Earth?, RW,
Dianne makes the well-made roads of Halifax. Oct]. Ekiden races are
her point
There never seem to be any not the secret he
accidents and it gives us all thinks. The Ipswich
the opportunity to test our Ekiden, a 26.2-mile
relay, has been going
technical wear. Roll on, winter. for more than 20
Paul Costello, Halifax, years and I invite him
to join a Haverhill
West Yorkshire Running Club team
next summer. It was
my third time taking
part this year, and it
was all the more
The month in mail special because in
2014 I had two head
operations and was
* Letters should be marked for publication and include your name, address and shoe size. We reserve the right to edit letters for space reasons
equivalent.
Pauline Foster,
Wigan
Run forest, run
This is my mother,
Valerie, and I out
for a run in Thetford
Forest. She had her
71st birthday this
year and is an
inspiration to my
sister Lucy and me
– the three of us
ran the London
Marathon together
this year.
Emily Davidson,
Barkway, Herts

2
missives thanked fellow
24
per cent of letter writers
1
mum of two told us a
paralysed for six
weeks. I never
thought I’d walk
again, never mind run.
Sil Clay, Haverhill,
reader Stewart Cole (RW, enjoyed our 101 Running baby jogger was the
Suffolk
Sept) for his tip on Upgrades feature best fitness investment
podcasts. (RW, Sept). she ever made.
Seasoning
error
I found the article on THE RIGHT PATH
Family time
‘It worked a treat.’ Sarah John, Pembrokeshire salt [RW, Sept] quite

What’s inspired or annoyed you this month? The writer of the winning letter WIN!

will receive a pair of Saucony ProGrid Hurricane 16 shoes, worth £110.*

Write Letters, Runner’s World, 33 Broadwick St, London W1F 0DQ Email letters@runnersworld.co.uk Twitter @runnersworlduk Facebook runnersworlduk

036 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk


Nicky Spinks
The record-breaking ultra runner on starting late,
mental strength and snacking on Hula Hoops
In April, 47-year-old
fell runner Nicky
Spinks set a new
women’s record for
the Bob Graham
Round, a 66-mile
circuit that takes in 42 of the Lake
District’s highest peaks. Last year,
the Yorkshire-based farmer won the
100km 10 Peaks Xtreme outright.
Spinks only took up competitive
running in her 30s, but she holds the
fastest women’s time for the UK’s
three toughest mountain challenges:
the Bob Graham Round (England),
Paddy Buckley Round (Wales) and
Ramsay Round (Scotland).
What motivates you?
Once I spot a record that I think is
achievable I can’t leave it unchallenged.
Since I had breast cancer [in 2006],
when there’s something I’d like to do,
I try to do it rather than putting it off.
How did it feel to set a new
Bob Graham Round record?
I’d describe it as a small victory. I’m
pleased to have done it but I knocked
only six minutes off my 2012 record
[Spinks finished in 18:06] – pretty
unbelievable given the bad conditions
I faced back then. I think I’m just an
18-hour-something runner!
You cut your hand during the run.
How do you push through pain?
In the early stages of pain, I tell myself
Words Sam Murphy Photograph Inov-8
runnersworld.co.uk
not to notice it. I have a high pain
threshold. I also think adrenaline blocks
it. My hand hurt a lot more the week
after the Round than it did at the time.
Do women have an advantage
when it comes to ultra running?
Not a physical advantage, but a lot of the
battle is mental. Women are generally
more cautious than men – they keep
more in reserve, which is key in the first
half of an ultra. Men have more of a ‘I’ll
see what happens’ attitude. I think that
as more women come into the sport,
we’ll finish higher up the field.
Tell us about your 10 Peaks win.
For about a third of it I was running
with the two men I eventually beat.
There were 10 or so in front of us.
But it got claggy on Helvellyn and
when we reached the checkpoint at
the bottom of the valley we found
we’d taken the lead. I pushed on
and finished 90 minutes in front.
Do men try to beat you now?
I think all women runners get that a bit.
It’s mostly at the beginning of a race that
men try to get in front of me. I’m happy
to let them go – I stick to my own pace.
Why do you excel at long distances?
I’m not the fastest, but I have the ability
and experience to keep going, and I’m
good at pacing. There are no prizes for
getting to the first checkpoint first.
You’ve got to hold yourself back. I’m
HIGH COMMAND
Nicky is winning on her own
terms and at her own pace
HUMAN R ACE
also strict about eating. My mantra at
L’Echappée Belle [a 95-mile mountain
race in France, in which Spinks placed
second this summer] was, ‘Forget your
stomach at your peril!’ I always carry
salt-and-vinegar Hula Hoops! The
tangy taste and the salt are perfect.
How did you get into fell running?
Before I met my husband, Steve, and
started farming in Yorkshire, I had an
office job and ran a few miles a week to
keep fit. I hadn’t run for ages when I
signed up for a local 10K with a friend
in 2001, and then trained for the Great
North Run. I was very average. Then I
started doing a few small fell races and
realised I liked off-road running a lot
more. I love to get away from civilisation
and be on my own. At first, when I was
descending, I’d think, ‘What if I fall?’
But you can acquire fell running skills
with practice – learning to relax and
concentrate at the same time.
How do you feel about the huge
growth of ultras and trail races?
A lot of the new events springing
up tend to go round the mountains,
rather than up them, and don’t require
navigation. It seems that there is room
for everybody – but it would be a shame
to see it over-commercialised.
Does the lack of recognition and
reward in your sport bother you?
I suppose if there was more money
there would be more people doing it,
too, which I wouldn’t want. I certainly
don’t do it for reward and recognition.
You just get used to the fact that there
are no prizes. I won a hamper in the
Pyrenees once, with local food, drink
and a bunch of flowers. That was lovely.
O Nicky Spinks is sponsored by Inov-8.
A short film about her Bob Graham
Round can be viewed at tv.thebmc.
co.uk/videos/nicky-spinks-bob-
graham-round
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 039
 RUNNING
COMMENTARY
Murphy’s
Lore
MURPHY
‘We humans were
born to run’’
Meet Morris. He’s a one-year-old
Jack Russell-Fox Terrier cross with
boundless energy, a thirst for life
and a glint of mischief in his eye
that’s worthy of the Artful Dodger.
His previous owners gave up on
him because he caused havoc in
the house and kept escaping from
the garden. And now he’s ours.
We reasoned that with our
sporty, outdoor lifestyle we’d be
more than a match for his need
for exercise and stimulation.
I thought that after a few weeks
I’d be relaying a heartwarming tale
about how Morris has become my
new favourite running buddy – and
how going for runs together has
created a bond between us. Instead
I come with proof of the contention
that we humans were ‘born to
run’, after the pint-sized canine
opportunist forced me to call upon
a primal skill: persistence hunting.
I was home alone, preparing for a
family dinner in the newly Morris-
proofed garden. I went to fetch
wine from the garage (not the first
time alcohol has been my downfall)
and failed to notice that Morris was
following me to the gate. He slipped
out like quicksilver and made a
beeline for the open fields at the
end of the lane, which, thus far, he’d
only been able to explore from the
end of a lead. I followed at full pelt,
calling his name in an increasingly
strained singsong voice.
Morris ignored me, his attention
drawn this way and that – to the
flash of a rabbit’s white tail, the
cry of a wood pigeon, the drone of
040 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
SAM
a bee, the awkward take-off of a
panicking pheasant. He watched,
listened, sniffed and, above all,
pursued, with unbridled joy.
Dogs, writes Bernd Heinrich in
his book Why We Run (Harper)
differ from many other meat-eating
quadrupeds in that they will run
even when they are not hungry,
and derive pleasure from the hunt
itself. Morris was proving the point.
Occasionally I’d lose sight of
him, only to see a dash of white
bursting from a distant hedgerow,
and I’d resume the chase. Over
gates, under fences, across fields
and through farmyards, I shadowed
him as best I could.
I’d had no warm-up for what was
turning into a relentless endurance
session over rough terrain. But I
didn’t give it a second thought. My
THOUGHT
T H AT
CO U N T S
body’s systems were primed by the
fight or flight response that nature
designed for this precise purpose
– emergency action. And now that
I was in hot pursuit, my inherited
running characteristics gave me a
good chance of staying the course.
‘Persistence hunting takes
advantage of two basic character-
istics of human running,’ explains
Daniel Lieberman, professor of
human evolutionary biology at
Harvard University and author
of The Story of the Human Body
(Allen Lane).
‘First, humans can run long
distances at speeds that require
quadrupeds to switch from a trot to
a gallop. Second, running humans
cool by sweating, while four-legged
animals cool by panting, which
they cannot do while galloping.’
Our ancestors didn’t outrun their
prey, they simply wore them down
through relentless pursuit until
they either collapsed or gave up.
Dogs, like us, are endurance
animals with a preponderance of
slow-twitch muscle fibres. But it
was a warm evening and my fur-free,
upright body and copious sweat
glands gave me an advantage over
Morris. My initial sprint had
slowed to a jog, but I was wasting
less energy by keeping my ‘prey’ in
sight and taking the shortest course
possible to track him.
We may not be super-fast but we
humans have staying power and
the wits to make the most of it.
Gradually, almost imperceptibly,
I drew nearer. When Morris
bounded into a wheat field, I
watched his progress through it by
the shimmer and ripple of the crop.
Speedy I closed in from the side, running
softly across parallel furrows until
stat I was near enough to reach out.
I held my breath and grasped his
2.7The average
percentage of
collar: he gave in immediately,
sinking to his haunches and
panting profusely. I like to think I
detected admiration in his eyes as
I picked him up. ‘Come on Morris,’
body fat new I said. ‘let’s go home.’
runners have lost
after a year of O Sam Murphy tweets
training @SamMurphyRuns
@runnersworlduk
 RUNNING COMMENTARY

Tonk
differently. There’s no judgement.
Talk PAU L
It’s a place where you can let it
all hang out. You can challenge
yourself and at the end they give
TO N K I N S O N
you a time that nobody else is
bothered about. It’s a personal

‘A race is like a disco experience. It’s a laugh. The best

for runners’
You won’t always find me in the
kitchen at parties, but you will
often find me on the edge of the
dance floor, nibbling at the crisps,
testing the weight and potential
of various bottles of alcohol and
latching on to any waifs and strays
who, like me, find the demands of
dancing too much. It was on such
a recent occasion that I stumbled
across a new subset of runner. A
woman and I had been chatting for
a while, friend-of-a-friend stuff,
and the chat turned to running.
She looked fit and she loved
running. And I’m always up for an
evangelical soundbite or two.
It was established that we’d both
run marathons, and so we did that
familiar, polite joust when both
people are about to tell each other
how fast they can run but are not
sure of the other’s level.
‘Oh, my time was nothing
spectacular. You?’
‘OK, I reckon. But I trained hard.’
If this kind of preamble isn’t
nipped in the bud it can last longer
than the marathon itself, so I put
my cards on the cheese-littered
table and dealt my very distant
and increasingly unattainable
3:07. She seemed impressed.
I sipped my prosecco and down-
played things a bit (‘It’s not fast if
you’re actually fast’, which is true).
She came back with a 3:22.
‘Are you training for anything at
the minute?’ I then asked.
‘Oh no. I don’t race any more.
I can’t stand it.’
‘Stand what?’
kind of fun!’
Now it was my turn to have
the crazed look in my eyes. I had
become quite ranty, it has to be
said. And some of it wouldn’t make
sense in the cold light of day. But
I could tell that she wanted to start
‘Everyone knowing. The
racing again, that she missed it
pressure. I just can’t do it.’ Runnerpedia
but was nervous. I wanted to be
It was only the next morning,
the catalyst that helped her across
as the fog cleared, that I realised
the start line.
she had joined the band of runners Neutral shoe (n)
‘Honestly,’ I repeated, ‘nobody
who are ‘too precious to race’. Footwear that
cares about times.’
These people seem to share similar refuses to take
At that very same moment a
characteristics. They have all raced sides in the bitter
young lad who had been hovering
before. They are all quite, or very, overpronation/
suddenly chipped in: ‘I’ve run a
fit. They all have decent jobs. They supination
marathon,’ he said. Then he popped
are high achievers. Perhaps this debate
a grape into his mouth.
contributes to the condition. They
‘Oh yeah, what time?’ We laughed
sometimes justify their response by
at the reprise of our exchange.
suggesting that races are nonsense,
After a beat he said, ‘3:02.’
and they moan about ‘everyone
I stopped laughing. At that
checking up on each other’s times’.
moment I realised that I did, in
Some even go so far as to claim that
fact, care about times.
they are ‘not competitive’ or ‘don’t
want to be judged’. But everything
they say is a lie. The crazed look in O Paul Tonkinson is a standup
their eyes when they posit these comedian who spends his time
theories is actually screaming, running and philosophising
‘I’m too competitive to race! I’m
obsessed with times. I’m my own
severest judge!’
The thing is, nobody else really
cares. This is, I have found, a very
liberating thought. Whenever I am
stuck in a stressful situation, I find
that most of the stress is of my own
making. The average person is so
bound up in his or her own drama
that your world is of little interest
to them. If fully embraced, this can
make life more of a laugh.
All of this I told her on the night.
‘Race!’ I said. ‘Race!’
‘I want to, but I can’t.’
‘You can. And you must!’
I pointed to the dance floor.
‘A race is like a disco for runners,’
I garbled. ‘Everyone does it

‘Running is a lot ‘Running is about ‘Running taught ‘One of the first

like life. Only 10 finding your inner me… I could lessons running
Wise per cent of it is peace, and so is a compensate for teaches us about
Illustrations Pietari Posti

Words
#38: Running
exciting; 90 per
cent of it is slog
life well lived.’
Dean Karnazes,
a lack of natural
aptitude with
success is that
there’s no-one else.
as metaphor and drudge.’ ultra runner diligence and No-one can do your
David Bedford, former discipline.’ workouts for you.’
long-distance runner Nelson Mandela, Adam Goucher,
statesman elite athlete

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 041

044 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk
 BEAT
INJURY
SPECIAL

Is your running diary telling the same old story of

enthusiasm and grand plans dashed on the rocks
of injury? It’s time to rethink your running health
with these key changes in habits and mindset

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 045

 oes your injury
history read like the
course syllabus for a
physiotherapy
degree? Strained hip
flexor, tender
Achilles tendon, pulled hamstring…
are you cursed? Do you need to see
a better physio? Should you go
barefoot? Or maybe your body
simply isn’t built for running?
Don’t despair. The truth is that
injuries are part of a runner’s life. We
are always on a continuum between
being unable to walk and running
freely without pain – the closest we
truly come to being ‘injury-free’
– yet even then we’re managing
defects, imbalances, scar tissue and
the stresses of the activity itself.
Running is physically demanding
and our competitive drive makes us
even more susceptible to injury.
That drive often makes us disregard
early warning signs or draws us
to fads that promise instant fixes.
But the bottom line is that we’re
less-than-perfect humans living in a
less-than-perfect world, and the
very process of getting stronger
involves a level of injury risk.
What we need is a more holistic
approach to understanding our own
susceptibility to injury, accepting
that we’re likely to get injured,
while also looking for ways to keep
our bodies healthy. We should
consider personality type and
biomechanics, muscular imbalances
and emotional distress. Most of all,
we need to recognise that we’re
unique individuals and we have to
know our strengths and limitations.
BREAK THE CYCLE
And that means more than just Rethink to run
finding the right pair of shoes. injury-free
‘You always hear people say that
running injuries are caused by handle them, either because the ever-improving technology. They
running,’ says Peter Larson, a body is too weak or the forces are built up heels to support the
professor of biology and exercise too great, says Larson. Avoiding Achilles, filled midsoles with air to
science, and author of Tread Lightly: injury is a matter of properly cushion the knees, added midsole
Form, Footwear, and the Quest For balancing those forces. medial posts to control pronation
Injury-Free Running (Allworth But if the physics are that simple, and inserted everything from air
Press). ‘That’s true, but I don’t think why can some runners average 100 pumps to microprocessors. When
it’s helpful. Runners run. We need miles per week with barely a purple all this failed to substantially lower
to figure out how we can run and toenail, while others limp after two injury rates, back-to-nature
minimise our injury risk.’ miles? This topic has been hotly movements – such as the Pose
debated for decades, usually Method and minimalism – grew in
focusing on what we put on our response. Today, there are more
Force and footwear feet. Every decade seems to sell a shoe models available than ever.
As a scientist, Larson likes to break new cure that promises to break Yet we still get injured on a
things down to an elemental level. our injury cycle for good. frustratingly regular basis.
In running, high forces are applied Before the 1970s, running shoes This is because shoes are only a
to our bodies with every stride. were tailored to a small and specific small piece of the puzzle, says
Post-run, our bodies heal and adapt, group: skinny males with good Larson. To fully understand our
making us stronger. This process biomechanics. When the first injury risk, we need to know why
is known as super-compensation running boom brought a more we push our bodies, examine our
and is the guiding principle in all representative population into the own physiological limitations
training plans. Injuries occur when sport, shoe manufacturers tried and then see how we can take
forces exceed the body’s ability to to limit runners’ injury risk with measures to eliminate injuries.

046 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 BEAT
INJURY
SPECIAL

mentality that can lead to PBs and

impressive training diaries. But
they also open the door to injury,
says Beecham. Compulsive training
relegates important cues, such as a
sore knee or tight hamstring, to the
back of their minds.
Rest is usually the best thing for
injury, but Type A personality traits
lead runners to ignore this until
their bodies impose it on them.
So hobbling through a minor
ankle sprain – and changing
biomechanics to accommodate it –
leads to a fractured toe, turning a
three-day rest period into six weeks.
Drawing too much of your
self-worth from your running can
also cause problems. ‘If you place a
high value on yourself as a person,
more so than as a runner, you can
stop when you’re in the early stages
of injury,’ says Beecham. ‘If too
much of your value comes from
your running, you’re going to press
on. And so your injury gets worse.’
Tackle injuries before they strike
Why don’t more runners
seek help before serious
injury strikes? In part
because it’s not the way
traditional healthcare is set
up. The medical profession
is generally focused on
treating problems, not
preventing them. And
runners are equally
culpable, seeking help only
when they’re hurting, not
when they’re healthy.
However, there are some
clinics/facilities that turn
this on its head, where
specialists will analyse your
running form and test your
flexibility and strength.
They’ll tell you where you
have muscle imbalances
that could cause injury and
how to strengthen areas
that need attention. Try:
O The University of
Salford’s Running
Performance Lab (running
performanceclinic.com),
O The ASICS running lab
(asics.co.uk/sports/
running/runninglab)
O Physio & Therapy
(physioandtherapy.co.uk)
O Coach House Sports
Physiotherapy Clinic
(cspc.co.uk)
O Six Physio (sixphysio.com)
O Stride UK (strideuk.com)

between completely healthy and

Pain and the brain
Pain feels like a distinctly physical
experience, but it’s interpreted and
processed by the brain. That means
the mind can play a critical role
in determining to what extent
a person gets injured. ‘Overuse
injuries have a lot to do with not
paying attention to your body, not
being in tune with your body and
Words Philip Latter Illustrations Matt Murphy
Ambition run amok
Ambition also leads runners to take
on more than they can handle.
Sports-injury specialist Dr Gunnar
Brolinson sees three major training
errors among endurance athletes:
increasing mileage too quickly,
increasing speeds too quickly and
increasing training density too
quickly. ‘Because people are always
trying to push themselves hard,
they ignore the early signs of injury
or illness,’ he says.
Old running standbys such as
increasing your mileage by no more
than 10 per cent a week may seem
overly generalised, but they strike a
note of caution that’s critical to long-
totally immobilised. Take Sage
Canaday, a US mountain ultra
runner who managed five years of
‘injury-free’ 90-mile weeks. He
recognises – and reacts to – shifts
on his running-health continuum.
‘Whenever I feel an ache or pain, I
back off training immediately,’ he
says. ‘And I’ve spent years slowly
building my mileage.’
Subscribing to health and injury
as an all-or-nothing proposition
makes us more likely to run through
any pain that doesn’t stop us in our
tracks. But elite coach Peter Rea
recommends acknowledging that
just because you can physically run
through an injury doesn’t mean you
should. ‘It’s not a sign of weakness
to admit something is bothering
you,’ says Rea. ‘Take the next couple
of days and back off.’
Biomechanics
and balance
The psychological and physiological
causes of injury go hand in hand.
Compulsive, Type A runners may

not trusting what your body is
telling you,’ says sports psychologist
Stan Beecham. ‘Injury is not simply
a physical event. It’s the mind-body
complex working together.’
Understanding your psychology
can play a huge role in staying
injury-free. Successful distance
runners tend to be Type A
individuals: motivated, proactive
and organised. These traits often
manifest in a never-miss-a-mile
term success. The next step is to find
your limitations. If speedwork
leaves you feeling worn-down and
excessively sore, Larson says, then
hitting the track three times a week
probably isn’t in your best interests.
Open your mind to alternatives.
It’s also important to redefine how
you view ‘injured’ and ‘injury-free’.
The reality is that they are not two
distinct states, but points on a
graph, with a great deal of grey area
drive themselves to overuse
injuries, while the most obsessive
runner with perfect form may run
for decades without serious issues,
and a laid-back runner with knock
knees might manage a 30-minute
jog before flagging down an
ambulance. But at a basic level,
injuries are physical, a breakdown
of bone, muscle, tendon or ligament.
So, to get the full picture of injuries,
we need to look at basic physiology.

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 047

 Thanks largely to the minimalist
movement, biomechanics has
entered the runner’s lexicon. By
adopting form that increases
efficiency while minimising
running’s shock to the system, we
can increase our chances of staying
injury-free. For a number of years
scientists advocated landing on the
forefoot or midfoot to lessen impact
forces and eliminate overstriding,
both of which should help a runner
stay healthier over time.
But with runners now a far more
diverse group, can any universal
standard for biomechanics hold up?
The huge differences in physical
characteristics and training
backgrounds among runners mean
that conducting and interpreting
any conclusive research on correct
biomechanics is problematic. Then
there’s the enormous difficulty in
changing your biomechanics. For
runners who have characteristics
such as flat or high-arched feet,
limb-alignment abnormalities,
bowlegs or knock knees, changing
biomechanics is impossible.
With perfect form hard to identify
or attain, Rea believes in adjusting
training based on physiology. One
of his most talented athletes was
severely bowlegged and never able
to hold consistent mileage without
major injury. After two years of
frustration, Rea switched him to
running only four days per week,
with three days of cross-training.
Although his mileage dropped he
was able to train consistently for
the first time in his life and he
qualified for the US Olympic trials.
Endurance plays a role, too. Even
someone with great running form is
at risk of getting injured if their
endurance is lacking, says author
and musculoskeletal therapist
Phil Wharton. ‘Biomechanics is
huge, but we’ve got to be able to
hold those biomechanics,’ he says.
‘We’ve got to maintain that postural
alignment through the whole stride
phase and when we get tired.’
Muscle imbalances are another
piece of the jigsaw. In recent
decades, physiotherapists have been
changing their focus, looking more
048 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
Pinning down reliable numbers on injuries is a difficult task
Perhaps you’ve seen this cent. As these injuries shifted from the Achilles
statistic floating around: are self-reported, and tendon in the early
70 per cent of runners the definition of a runner 1970s to the knee since
will get hurt in any given varies greatly in each the end of that decade.
year. In fact, studies over of them, it’s hard to Whether that’s caused
the last decade have discern any statistical by footwear changes
found the annual injury significance. or a more diverse
rate to be anywhere Interestingly, the top- running population
between 20 and 80 per reported injury site has hasn’t been fully settled.
closely at imbalances when they’re tempted by fast and processed food.
assessing the root cause of injuries. The variables may differ, but they
A muscle imbalance occurs when generally have one thing in common:
two or more muscles or muscle they all hamper our body’s ability to
groups that oppose each other are deal with the forces of running.
disproportionate in strength and/or Wharton educates his clients on
flexibility. Imbalances can be the role pollution plays in creating
present in antagonist pairings (like oxidative stress, how to optimise
the quadriceps and hamstrings) their diet for performance and he
and side-to-side pairings (eg left stresses the importance of truly
hamstring versus right hamstring). recovering. ‘Even if they think
A weakness or tightness caused by a they’re resting, they’ve got their
muscle imbalance can place undue iPads out,’ he says. ‘They’re always
strain on various joints and soft stressing, which is hard on the
tissue, disrupting biomechanics and adrenal system and the hormones,
eventually leading to injury. so everything is out of balance.’
When testing runners of all levels Rea looks for balance in another
Wharton sees weak abductors direction: he hopes that by mixing
(outer thigh) and adductors (inner the surfaces his runners train on,
thigh), and their glutes ‘are usually he’s able to engage the running
shut down and detrained, not firing muscles in many ways and keep his
at all’. This affects the hamstrings runners physically healthy, while
and quadriceps, which places also offering them the serenity of
unnecessary stress on the knee. training in natural environments.
This is what medical specialists To do so, Rea follows the running
refer to when they describe looking adage of the late, great coach Harry
up and down the kinetic chain, Wilson: every surface, every speed,
seeing how a dysfunction in one area every week. ‘I don’t know if we
can lead to an injury elsewhere. touch every speed,’ says Rea, ‘but
To fix muscle imbalances, physios we definitely touch every surface.
recommend exercises that isolate We run on grass, we run on dirt and
the weaker muscle and grow in we run on pavement.’
complexity. For instance, a runner Some experts will question
with weak glutes would start with whether mixing surfaces matters
an exercise that isolates the glutes, (several recent studies found no
then progress to complex exercises correlation between surfaces and
that incorporate all the muscles injury rates), just as they’ve
in the upper leg (such as lunges). questioned the use of orthotics,
Wharton is also a big proponent medial posting and lowered heels.
of running-specific exercises that But finding your way to optimal
use full of range of motion and running health requires finding
increase strength and balance. what keeps you healthy. ‘You look
at shoes, you look at orthotics,
you look at strengthening
Stress and surfaces programmes – it all comes down
Our world is not necessarily a to either reducing the force or
runner’s world. Many other strengthening the body,’ says
physical variables affect our ability Larson. ‘You can choose your
to avoid injury. We neglect our preferred way of dealing with
glutes and tighten our hamstrings that. However, I think arguing is
by sitting at our desks for hours; pointless because we’re all really
we become tight in the shoulders discussing the same point and
from stress; and we’re constantly trying to get at the same thing.’
@runnersworlduk

Pushing the prehab
With so many variables affecting
our ability to withstand the forces
of running, how can we increase our
chances of staying healthy? While
no universal cure exists, one of the
best ways is through prehab.
Prehabbing an injury means
recognising potential trouble and
addressing it before it sidelines you.
In many ways, prehab is similar to
practising mindfulness. To address
a trouble spot, we must first be
conscious of it and, perhaps more
important, be willing to accept what
the trouble spot is telling us. This
starts with accepting the idea that
running health is a continuum.
Going to a physio before they feel
runnersworld.co.uk
injured can be hard for runners
used to acknowledging only broken
bones and torn ligaments.
To offer one example, many
runners notice a tightness along
the outside of their leg weeks before
developing full-blown IT band
syndrome. Instead of waiting until
there’s severe pain and restricted
movement, a prehab programme
would begin treating the potential
injury the moment symptoms
presented. This might include using
a foam roller to break up adhesions
in the IT band, icing sore points,
stretching, and strengthening the
upper leg muscles.
Prehab can take many forms, from
performing static stretching at
night to getting a monthly sports
BEAT
INJURY
SPECIAL
massage, to seeing a chiropractor.
At the initial onset of an overuse
injury (such as IT band syndrome),
Brolinson recommends reducing
mileage by 10-20 per cent, seeing a
sports medicine specialist for a
comprehensive musculoskeletal
examination and incorporating
cross-training to maintain your
cardiovascular fitness. This offers
you the best chance to keep training
for the races that matter most. ‘If
you’re able to train consistently, no
matter what training programme
you utilise, you’ll get better,’ says
Brolinson. ‘If you’re injured, you
can’t train consistently. The
runners who have the poorest
performance over time are those
that are recurrently injured.’
Dealing with injury
Despite our best intentions, most of
us will get injured at some point. If
that injury is serious enough to
sideline you, getting an accurate
diagnosis from a professional is
critical, as rehabilitation varies
greatly from injury to injury. At
your first consultation ask three
questions: What is it? How do we fix
it? And how do I make sure I never
get it again? If they can’t answer
those three questions, consider
finding someone else.
In the meantime, Rea believes
staying engaged in cross-training
and focused on your long-term
goals is vital. ‘When my athletes are
injured, we’ll sit down and map out
a training plan as it relates to their
goals,’ says Rea. ‘We definitely don’t
put the goals out of their mind. We
keep them at the forefront.’
Most of us can cross-train in
the pool through even the worst
running injuries, and cycling and
elliptical training offer alternative
BALANCING ACT ways to keep the cardiovascular
Beat injury by staying
on the right path system primed. This helps keep us
in a healthy routine and speeds up
our transition to normal running
once we’re ready.
However, some injuries may prove
too devastating – emotionally or
physically – to train through. At
those points you simply have to be
ready to step away from running,
sometimes only for a few days,
sometimes for much longer. And in
that time, don’t worry about trying
to fit in the exercises or workouts.
Sometimes just being able to leave
it all alone is the key to ensuring
you come back in a better place
mentally and physically. And
that, if we’ve learned anything,
is the key to better health.
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 049
 Strengthen your
connective tissue
to dodge injury
and boost your
running

050 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 BEAT
INJURY
SPECIAL

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 051

Most runners don’t think about
connective tissue until it hurts.
We know that our bodies contain
support structures such as bones
and ligaments to prevent us from
collapsing into blobs of jelly, but
that’s where our curiosity ends.
Until we get Achilles tendinitis.
Or plantar fasciitis. Or IT band
syndrome. Or we sprain an ankle,
or tear our knee cartilage. Then
we become experts. We visit
physiotherapists and podiatrists,
learn all about the particular
connective tissue we’ve injured,
begin a lengthy course of rehab
and curse the day we overlooked
the importance of strengthening
this vital area. Because here’s the
scary truth: once connective tissue
damage is done, it’s difficult –
sometimes impossible – to undo.

CONNECTIVE TISSUE:
THE BASICS
It’s tissue that connects your body’s
muscles, organs, blood vessels, nerves
and other parts to one another. It
supports, surrounds, strengthens,
stores energy, cushions and protects
the components of your running body.
It’s the glue that holds you together.
Connective tissue is a catchall phrase
for tissues that take many forms, from
the gel-like areolar tissue that binds skin
to muscle, to the bones that comprise
your skeleton. The connective tissues
most relevant to running include bone,
tendons, ligaments, cartilage and fascia.
CONNECTED TRAINING
Most connective tissues adapt to
training, but there’s a catch: they adapt
at a much slower rate than muscle.
When your muscle development
outpaces connective tissue adaptation,
the result can be injury. Here’s how it
goes: runners begin training and their
muscles improve rapidly. Encouraged,
they increase the intensity and length of
their workouts. Next thing they know,
they’ve got Achilles tendinosis, tibial
tendinitis or stress fractures in their
feet. Their connective tissue couldn’t
cope with the increased workload, even
though their muscles seemed fine.
And some connective tissues won’t
improve much with training. For these
tissues, such as cartilage and ligaments,
your emphasis needs to be on injury
prevention. You must strengthen
muscles that directly affect the tissues
(these are often smaller muscles
overlooked in traditional strength-
training routines) and use stretching
and massage to reduce tissue tension.
Most of all, training to improve
connective tissue requires patience.
TRUCTURE UNDER
REMODELLING
Your adult body contains
206 bones. They form a
balanced and symmetrical skeletal
structure that puts even the best
Lego toys to shame. They’re also
your primary defence against
gravity, with your femur (thigh
bone) alone capable of supporting
up to 30 times your weight.
Of course, we runners tend to
push gravity defiance to the limit.
A single step during a distance run
creates an impact force about two
to three times your body weight.
Luckily for us, bone is a living
tissue that undergoes constant
renewal. Under normal conditions,
about four per cent of your bone is
broken down and replaced through
a process called remodelling. When
you run, this process goes into
overdrive. Just as your body
strengthens muscle fibres by
replacing damaged myofilaments,
it also uses remodelling and
modelling – a separate process that
fortifies bone with extra bone tissue
– to create bigger, stronger bones.
But rebuilding and fortifying
your bones takes time. At the
beginning of remodelling, cells
called osteoclasts dig out old,
damaged bone tissue, leaving tiny
cavities in your bones. It then takes
three to four months for other cells
– called osteoblasts – to fill those
cavities with new bone. In the
interim, you’re left with porous
bone that’s susceptible to injury.
During this phase, runners who
push too hard for too long often
end up with a stress fracture. If
that happens, then the waiting
will begin again. It will take three
to four months for your body
to repair the fracture. Training
too soon risks re-injury.
BUILDING BONE
Strengthening your bones begins
with nutrition (see Ten Foods for
Healthy Bones, p57). Poor nutrition
leads to weak bones. In fact,
calcium deficiency in your diet
can force your body to mine
bones and teeth (which, combined,
contain 99 per cent of your body’s
stored calcium) for the mineral.
If you’re diagnosed with a stress
fracture, pool running is your
best cross-training bet. Resistance
training triggers improvements
in bone strength, but more-
advanced runners might need
to increase their usual volume
of reps and sets by 25-50 per
cent to continue strengthening
their connective tissue.

052 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 BEAT
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SPECIAL

Selected
training for
connective
tissue
WOBBLE BOARD
EXERCISES
This routine works your kinetic
chain – the interconnected
muscles, nerves and other
structural components of your
running body. It helps protect your
body against shin splints, plantar
fasciitis, Achilles problems, patellar
tracing syndrome and IT band
syndrome. Recover for 2-3 mins
between sets. Repeat on
the opposite side.
RGANIC CABLES
Tendons connect muscle
to bone, transmitting the
force generated by
muscles to move your joints – and
hence your body. But tendons are
far more than just cables. They are
active, responsive and vital partners
with your muscles, so much so
that the two tissues are regularly
referred to as a muscle-tendon unit.
Muscles don’t end where tendons
begin. There is no line drawn.
Instead, there is a transition area,
the muscle-tendon zone, where
muscle gradually gives way to
tendon. In this zone, muscle fibres
and tendons merge, operating as a
unit. It is only at the outskirts of
this zone that tendons finally
emerge as the glistening, white,
fibrous cords that eventually
connect to bone.

WOBBLE FORWARD THE MEETING POINT

AND BACKWARD The point at which individual
muscle fibres meet tendon is
This is great for stabilising and
your muscle’s weak link. It’s here
supporting plantar flexion and
that most muscle strains occur.
dorsiflexion. Skill level: all levels
Powerful eccentric contractions
cause damage either at this
junction or directly above it.
A Hold on to a
If you’re lucky, damage will be
chair. Centre your
limited to a few fibres and short-
weight over the
lived soreness. If you’re unlucky,
middle of the
a complete muscle tear might
board, then rock
require surgery. The good news
forward to touch
is that the muscle-tendon zone
the front of the
gets a rich blood supply, resulting
board to the floor
in a healing rate that almost
(or as close as
parallels that of muscle.
you can). Limit
Achilles tendon injuries, the
your knee bend
plague of runners (especially
and focus on
those aged 40+), range from mild
using your ankle’s
tendinitis to complete rupture.
range of motion.
Achilles tendinitis is an overuse
injury marked by by painful
inflammation. Achilles tendinosis,
on the other hand, involves
B Rock backward
degenerative damage at the cellular
until you touch
Words Pete Magill Photography Hearst Studios

level that produces chronic pain

the floor (or as
without inflammation. Until
close as you can).
the late 1990s, almost all Achilles
One rep includes
pain was thought to result from
the forward and
tendinitis. Now, it’s understood
backward rock.
that most Achilles pain is
Start with 5-10
generated by tendinosis.
and increase
The best treatment for Achilles
by up to 10 reps
tendinosis is eccentric heel dips,
per week to a
a remedy discovered by Swedish
max of 100.
orthopaedic consultant and runner
(Continued over)
Hakan Alfredson. When Alfredson
developed severe Achilles pain, his

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 053

 boss refused to operate on the
grounds that the clinic couldn’t
afford to have him on sick leave.
WOBBLE SIDE TO SIDE So, desperate for the operation,
Alfredson attempted to rupture his
This exercise helps to stabilise against
Achilles with a high-volume bout of
inversion and eversion (rotating your
heel dips. Instead, he got better.
foot inward or outward).
For a study investigating the
Skill level: intermediate/advanced
long-term effects of heel dips,
researchers questioned patients
who’d previously treated their
A Begin as with Achilles tendinosis with 180 heel
the exercise on dips per day for 12 weeks. The
p53. This time, study, published in the British
rock inward and Journal of Sports Medicine, found
touch the side of almost 40 per cent of the patients
the wobble board remained pain-free five years later.
to the floor The researchers also noted that
(or as close two similar studies on the long-
as possible). term effect of heel dips showed
even better results, with 88 per cent
B Rock outward and 65 per cent reporting little or
until you touch no pain. It’s not calf strengthening
the floor (or as that does the trick. It’s stress on the
close as you can). tendon itself, and subsequent
One rep includes adaptations, that lead to healing.
both the inward In the absence of proactive
and outward treatment (such as heel dips),
rock. Start with damage done to tendons in the
5-10, increasing
by up to 10 reps
per week to a
max of 100.
white fibrous zone – a bloodless
stretch preceding the interface
with bone – has a gloomy outlook.
Recent Danish research tried to
determine the tissue turnover rate
(the time it takes to regenerate
completely new tissue) for this
zone. Previous estimates had
ranged from two months to 200
years. So when can you expect
damaged this type of tendon tissue
to regenerate? According to the
Danish study, almost never.
TENDON TRAINING
Running and resistance-training
exercises contribute to tendon
stiffness. The wobble board and
resistance band exercises on
these pages further strengthen
the entire kinetic chain (muscles,
connective tissue and nerves
from hip to toe); this helps to
prevent tendon inflammation
and damage. Active isolated
stretching is useful for working
the muscle-tendon zone because
it sidesteps the stretch reflex that
can lead to strains in this area.

TRAINING RUNDOWN
The table below shows a breakdown of the value of different training
approaches for connective tissues. Where running and weights workouts
WOBBLE AROUND THE CLOCK are listed, the percentage increase above what is achieved during the
normal workout routine refers to total volume, not intensity, of single
Wobbling in a circular motion builds on
sessions. You have to increase the training stress, in this case the volume
the strength and stability that you’ve
of weights work, to trigger improvements in your body.
developed from the previous exercises.
Skill level: intermediate/advanced

Tendon Muscle
Bones Cartilage Ligaments (white tendon Fascia
A Rock forward zone)
to touch the front
of the wobble Foam Roller * *
Very Low Very Low *
High *
Very High
board to the floor
(or as close as Nutrition *
High *
Very Low *
Low *
Low *
High *
High
possible), then
begin a clockwise Myofascial release Very*Low Very*Low *
High *
High
rotation, keeping
the edge of the
Running workouts
(25% above normal routine) *
Medium *
Medium *
High
wobble board
against the floor.
Running workouts
(50% above normal routine)
*
Medium *
High Very*High
After one full
rotation, reverse
Body-weight
strength training *
Medium *
Medium *
High *
High
direction. Use
the same reps Stretching *
Low *
Low * *
Very High Very High
progression as
Resistance
with the previous bands/Tubing *
Low *
Low *
Medium *
Medium *
High Very*High
wobble board
exercises. One
Weight training
(25% above normal routine) *
Medium *
Medium *
High
rep includes
both rotations.
Weight training
(50% above normal routine)
*
Medium *
High Very*High

Wobble board *
Medium *
Medium *
High *
High

054 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 BEAT
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Selected
training for
RESISTANCE BAND ROUTINES connective
tissue
Resistance bands help you improve all types of connective tissue, particularly
fascia and tendons. Exercises for the hips and lower legs build strength to help
protect runners against connective tissue injuries from the hips to the toes.

SIDESTEPS MONSTER WALK

This works your hip flexors, extensors and abductors,
Sidesteps are a good workout
providing a great hip-strengthening workout.
for strengthening and
Skill level: all levels
stabilising your hip abductors.
Most chronic lower-leg
connective tissue injuries A Loop the band B Step forward and
begin with weak hips. above your knees to the side at a
Skill level: all levels for less resistance 45 degree angle,
or below (as keeping the knee
shown) for more. bend. Repeat to
Bend your knees the other side. Walk
slightly, with 3-6 metres at first
your feet hip- and slowly increase
width apart. the distance.

JOGOUT BACKWARD JOGOUT

A Loop the band either above
your knees (least resistance),
below your knees (medium
resistance) or around your
ankles (greatest resistance, as
shown). Bend your knees
slightly, with your feet
hip-width apart.
These provide good kinetic- These strengthen the knee,
chain training, especially for especially the anterior cruciate
your knees. Skill level: all levels ligament. Skill level: all levels
Tie a low-resistance Tie a low-resistance
band to a doorknob. Tie band to a doorknob. Tie
the opposite end to a the opposite end to a
belt looped around your belt around your waist.
waist. Jog until resistance Jog backwards until the
interrupts your stride. resistance interrupts
Then let the loop pull your stride. Facing the
you back as you jog same way, allow the
backward to your loop to pull you back to
starting position. your starting position.
Repeat until fatigued. Repeat until fatigued.

ANKLE INVERSION
B Step to the side until the
This is great for preventing and treating medial shin splints
band offers significant
(pain along the inside of your shins). Skill level: all levels
resistance (to the point you
can reasonably go). Then slide
your pivot foot over to recreate A Sit in a chair B With your knee
your original stance. Repeat with one end of a straight, pull your
this sidestepping movement resistance band foot inwards. When
for three to six metres in one secured to an you reach your max
direction, then go the other anchor at ankle range of motion,
way. Gradually add distance. level. Loop the slowly return to
band’s other your starting
end around the position. Continue
inside of your foot. until fatigued.

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 BEAT
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HIP ADDUCTION
Hip adduction strengthening is often
overlooked. This move helps keep your
hips stable during footstrike and through
your full stride. Skill level: all levels

OVEN
COCOON
Imagine that a spider
with supernatural
powers lives within you. And
imagine that this spider spends its
days spinning a single continuous
web that cocoons your body under
the skin, a web that spreads inward,
surrounding and penetrating every
muscle, nerve, organ and bone –
every structure, cavity and tissue
in your body. That’d be some web.
Minus the spider, that web – a
weave of collagen and elastin fibres
that appears as membrane, sheet,
cord and gristle – is your fascia.
Once considered inactive, fascia
has recently been nominated for a
status upgrade by researchers who
now view it as a reactive tissue.
They believe fascia contracts and
relaxes like muscles, recoils like
tendons, provides sensory feedback
like nerves and links all 650 muscles
into a single working unit. They
also blame it for the majority of
chronic pain and injury in runners.
Dr Robert Schleip, head of the
Fascia Research Project in Ulm
University, Germany, says fascia is
an instrument for ‘structural
compensation’. In other words,
fascia is responsible for posture.
A Tie a resistance
band to an anchor
When we slouch at our desks, we at ankle level. Loop
create changes in our posture that the band around
can become permanent. In this your anchor-side
model, fascia is like a sweater. Tug leg, just above the
on one part and the entire garment ankle, with your
moves. Tension in one area affects opposite foot
every aspect of posture. Adhesions positioned slightly
that build up between fascial back. Hold on to
surfaces due to injury can create a secure object
chronic pain that radiates through for balance.
the body. Seen this way, plantar
fasciitis is not an injury of the foot; B Keeping your
it could be caused by problems with knee straight, pull
the hips, back or shoulders. Schleip your leg in, across
and others in the field say myofascial your opposite leg.
release exercises and specific Slowly return to the
stretches can improve posture, starting position.
reduce pain and resolve injury. Continue until
fatigued, then
IMPROVING THE WEB switch sides
You don’t have to be a true believer and repeat.
like Schleip to recognise the value
of stretching, foam rolling and
range-of-motion exercises –
everything from resistance training
ANKLE DORSIFLEXION
to plyometrics and form drills.
Ankle dorsiflexion (angling your foot
Excerpted and adapted toward your shin) training helps prevent
with permission from Build shin splints. Skill level: all levels
your Running Body: A
Total-Body Fitness Plan for All
Distance Runners, from Milers to
Ultramarathoners by Pete Magill
(Experiment)

A Sit on the floor with one leg extended

TEN FOODS FOR HEALTHY BONES in front of you, the other bent at the
knee. Attach the resistance band around
Our bones need more than calcium and vitamin D. They require protein, the top of your foot and anchor
magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, fluoride and vitamin K. These foods it to something secure.
contain high levels of various bone-boosting nutrients

Roasted Bananas Tinned Orange Raisins

pumpkin seeds sardines juice B Pull your foot back towards your shin.
When you reach maximum dorsiflexion,
slowly return your foot to its original
position. Continue until fatigued, then
switch sides and repeat.

Almonds Soy Broccoli Wheat bran Yoghurt

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 Some minor gripes – headaches, wind, itchy
skin – may not rank high on your fear list, but
they can knock your training (or race) way off
course. Certain foods worsen these problems,
while others ease them. We asked the experts
and looked at the evidence to see which foods
you should fill up on and which you need to
avoid so you can stay in your comfort zone.

Write your very own nutrition

prescription to feel better, fast
058 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk
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Sore muscles
Trigger foods Red meat, cheese
Healing foods Ginger, cherries
It’s hard to gear up for a run when your
muscles are sore from your last session.
To ease this after-burn, stay away from
foods high in saturated fats, such as
red meat and cheese. These foods,
which can have an inflammatory effect,
may exacerbate lingering soreness
in your muscles, says registered
nutritional therapist Vicki Lee.
Grating some fresh ginger into
your tea or smoothie, meanwhile,
may get you back to your training
plan sooner. While we’ve long known
that ginger is a natural stomach-
soother, researchers have recently
discovered that compounds in ginger
called gingerols can also help fight
inflammation and soothe aching
muscles. A study published in The
Journal of Pain found that people
who consumed ginger regularly (half
a teaspoon per day for 11 days) felt
roughly 25 per cent
less pain 24 hours after
a workout than those
who didn’t eat ginger.
It seems ginger doesn’t
have any beneficial
effect on how you feel
immediately after you
run, but it should help
you feel ready to get
back into action the
next day.
Cherries are also a
natural pain-zapper.
The antioxidants
that give cherries their
deep-red colour also help block
inflammation and the effects of pain
enzymes, working much like over-the-
counter painkillers. Several studies
have found that regularly drinking
tart cherry juice helps distance
runners recover more quickly.
Wind
Trigger foods Fruit, beans
Healing foods Peppermint tea,
liquorice
Fibre is crucial for runners but,
unfortunately, its positive effect on
our bodies – it slows the digestive
process to give a steadier supply of
energy – comes with an uncomfortable
and none-too-fragrant by-product.
Fibre is too beneficial for your general
health to be cut from your diet, but if
wind is hindering your training, there
are some ways to counter that heavy
feeling in your gut – and the effective
but embarrassing strategy your body
employs to relieve it.
First, carefully time your ingestion
of fibre-rich foods. It’s better to
060 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
avoid/minimise eating fibre in the
two hours before a run, says Marissa
Vicario, a certified integrated health
and nutrition coach, and distance
runner. And don’t eat too much of
it at once, she adds. It’s better to eat
smaller amounts at each meal.
Next, while fruit is a great source
of fibre, you may want to seek yours
elsewhere if wind is a problem. Fruit
is high in fibre and fructose, a natural
form of sugar that also causes wind.
Finally, add more carminatives to
your diet. This group of herbs and
spices – which includes peppermint,
thyme, caraway, nutmeg, cinnamon
and cardamom – helps curb wind.
PMS
Trigger foods Chocolate, pasta
Healing foods Unsalted nuts,
seeds, cheese
Many women runners find it tough
to stick to their training plans when
struck by monthly bouts of cramps,
bloating and fogginess.
The clichéd PMS-
driven food craving is
chocolate, but you’d be
advised to abstain.
Researchers have
found that chocolate
can aggravate the
mood swings that
often accompany
PMS. The sugar in
chocolate can also
heighten PMS
symptoms, says
Vicario. ‘Sugar causes
inflammation, which
leads to more cramps and bloating.’
Lee also recommends staying away
from high-sugar foods because they
cause your blood sugar levels to spike
and fall. ‘Imbalanced blood sugar
levels worsen PMS symptoms, so stay
away from white bread, pasta and
rice, and opt instead for foods high
in protein, such as lean meats and
cheese.’ These foods fill you up, are
slower to digest and will help keep
your blood sugar levels stable.
A handful of almonds, pistachios or
sunflower seeds is another PMS-
friendly snack. These nuts and seeds
are all high in B vitamins, particularly
B6 and riboflavin, which have been
found to reduce many common
PMS symptoms. But stick to the
unsalted varieties, as salty foods cause
your body to retain fluids, further
worsening the dreaded PMS bloat.
Dry, itchy skin
Trigger foods Tea, coffee
Healing foods Fish, nuts, avocado
Itchy, dry skin is irritating enough
for anyone, but it can be made much
worse for runners who may have
to deal with the rubbing of exercise
apparel. Drinks high in caffeine,
such as coffee, tea and caffeinated
sodas, can have a diuretic effect that
saps cells of liquid, so steer clear if
you’re feeling the itch.
Lee also recommends investigating
whether you have a specific food
intolerance – those with sensitivity
to wheat or gluten often suffer from
dry, itchy skin. And to build up the
layer of lipids that retain moisture
beneath the skin, load up on the
omega-3s found in oily fish, such as
salmon, mackerel and herring. Lee
says that in her practice she sees many
runners who follow low-fat diets and
suffer from dry skin because they’re
not getting enough omega-3s. ‘Any
of those good-fat foods – oily fish,
Words Veronika Ruff Taylor Illustration Oliver Burston
coconut oil, avocado, nuts – will help
alleviate dry, itchy skin,’ says Vicario.
Headaches
Trigger foods Pickles, cured
meats, aged cheeses
Healing foods Coffee,
watermelon, cucumber
‘Headaches are caused by a multitude
of foods and everyone should
investigate their individual triggers,’
says Lee. Common headache triggers
include high-histamine foods such as
aged cheeses, cured meats, red wine,
pickles, sauerkraut and yoghurt. Lee

recommends that headache sufferers
follow an elimination-diet plan to
work out which foods in their diets
may be the culprits for triggering
headaches. Try to eat only known
non-offenders for two weeks, then
slowly add in one suspect food at a
time to see which sets off the pain.
You can also turn to some foods
and drinks that may help counter
the effects of headaches. Coffee both
reduces pain-promoting compounds
and amplifies the effects of other pain
relievers, but only if you consume it
regularly and steadily. If you suddenly
have five cups (or none) in a morning,
when you usually drink two, coffee
can have the opposite effect, probably
causing a headache.
Vicario also recommends adding
more water-dense foods to your diet,
because dehydration is a common
cause of headaches, particularly among
runners. Top hydrating foods include
watermelon, celery and cucumber.
Achy joints
Trigger foods White bread, pasta
Healing foods Wholegrains,
curries, tofu
Inflammation is a leading cause of
joint pain for runners and certain
foods can exacerbate the problem.
The exact causes of inflammation vary
from runner to runner, but there are
some repeat offenders to be avoided
when you’re suffering from joint pain.
One of them is sugar. Stay away from
refined carbs such as white bread
and pasta when your knees are
bothering you – they break down
to sugar fast, leading to unstable
blood sugar levels and increased
inflammation. Switch to wholegrains:
research published in the Journal of
Nutrition found diets high in refined
(white) grains resulted in a greater
concentration of a common marker
for inflammation in study subjects,
while those eating diets with more
high-quality wholegrains showed
less of the marker.
Now top your bowl of brown rice
with a scoop of curry. Curcumin, one
of the key substances in turmeric
(used in many curries), has been
found to have anti-inflammatory
properties, which can help soothe
achy, inflamed joints. And throw in
some tofu or edamame: researchers
recently found that study participants
with joint pain who ate 40g of soy
protein a day for three months had
less pain at the end of the study, while
those who had the same amount of
milk-based protein felt no different.
Sluggishness
Trigger foods Pasta, sugary sweets
Healing foods Sweet potatoes,
quinoa, chia seeds, shellfish
One of the most commonly cited
reasons for skipping a run is general
sluggishness. It’s also one of the
easiest problems to solve with food.
If you’re getting enough sleep and
exercise but still feeling sluggish,
your diet is probably to blame. The
most common culprit is refined sugar,
which leads to spikes and crashes
POWER SOURCE
Sweet potatoes
can give you a jolt
BEAT
INJURY
SPECIAL
in your blood sugar levels, explains
Vicario. ‘Runners, especially, need to
seek out slow-release carbs to keep
their energy levels consistent,’ she
says. ‘Leafy greens will boost your
energy, and quinoa and sweet potatoes
will keep blood sugar levels steady.’
Lee says that runners have been
indoctrinated to load up on carbs, but
many tend to go for nutrient-poor,
wheat-based carbs such as pasta
and bread. ‘Fruits and vegetables
are usually better forms of fuel
for runners,’ she says. Chia seeds,
meanwhile, are tiny, nutrient-dense
energy bombs, crammed full of fibre,
carbs, protein and omega-3s, and are
great at regulating blood sugar. Add
them to your morning bowl of yoghurt
and fruit to keep your energy levels up
all the way to your evening run.
Some runners who complain about
sluggishness may actually be feeling
the effects of anaemia, which is often
caused by iron deficiency. If, in
addition to feeling sluggish, you feel
foggy and cold, see a doctor to get your
blood-iron levels checked. To boost
your iron levels, load up on seafood
– mussels, oysters and prawns are
among the best food sources of iron.
Heartburn
Trigger foods Cheese, nut butters,
acidic fruits, onions
Healing foods Beans
Heartburn occurs when the tight
muscle at the base of your oesophagus
relaxes, allowing the acidic juices that
are supposed to stay in your stomach
to shoot up your oesophagus and
cause that uncomfortable burning
sensation. Different foods give
different runners heartburn, but some
common offenders are fatty foods
(such as peanut butter, cheese and
red meat), acidic fruits (eg oranges
and tomatoes), along with onions
and peppermint. ‘I recommend that
runners who suffer from frequent
heartburn or digestion issues skip
large amounts of fatty foods for at
least 24 hours before a long training
run or a race,’ says Vicario. ‘It’s OK to
have a bit of avocado on toast or a little
peanut butter, but too much fat could
lead to heartburn while you run, along
with a heavy feeling in your stomach.’
If you’re suffering from acid reflux,
identify and cut out your trigger foods
and eat more beans. A study in the
journal Gut found those who regularly
eat high-fibre foods such as beans are
20 per cent less likely to report
symptoms of GERD (gastroesophageal
reflux disease) . Fibre prevents
reflux-causing heartburn by swiftly
moving food out of your stomach.
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I FELT LIKE A

FRAUD CALLING MYSELF A

RUNNER After experiencing the highs of the London

Olympics, 1500m runner Andy Baddeley became
injured, which led to depression. Here, he tells RW
about his long journey back to good health

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 063

ll runners can empathise with
the deep frustrations of an
injury lay-off. The suffering
goes beyond physical distress;
as the mileage zeroes stack up
in our training diaries there’s
the added mental trauma of
seeing our fitness slip away,
and we’re denied the stress-
relieving benefits we draw
from the sport we love. For
many runners it goes deeper
still; running is such an integral
part of who they are that
when they can’t run they lose
a lot more than fitness – they
lose a part of themselves.
For Olympic 1500m runner
Andy Baddeley, those feelings
were amplified to a crushing
intensity. After the London
2012 Games, he developed a
leg injury. Unable to run and
repeatedly knocked by failed
attempts to treat the problem,
Baddeley became depressed.
He spoke about his experience
earlier this year in a blog post
published in association with
mental health charity MIND.
Here he tells us he how he’s
finding his way out of a dark
place, and offers advice on
how you can cope with the
stress of your own injury woes.
064 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
You described the London
Olympics as an ‘amazing
experience.’ Where were you
in your career and confidence
post-London 2012?
I had a few niggles, but I was
excited about a new challenge –
stepping up to the 5000m. I set the
world record for Parkrun a week
after the Olympics, running 13:48
in Bushy Park (the ‘original’
Parkrun). The course is flat, but
on gravel and grass, so I was very
confident I could move up in
distance. However, when I started
winter training, it wasn’t long
before something didn’t feel right.
That was the beginning of my
injury troubles and a long period
of misdiagnosis and false hope in
multiple recovery attempts. During
this time, depression crept up on
me insidiously, without me being
able to put my finger on exactly
why I was feeling how I was.
What made you decide to
speak out about depression?
I hoped it would encourage other
people to talk. One of the worst
things about feeling depressed is
guilt about having those negative
feelings. I had never felt depressed
before. In fact, I’d have described
myself as a positive person, but
suddenly I couldn’t get out of
bed in the morning or do simple
tasks. I had trouble accepting
my feelings, as I had plenty to be
happy about – a beautiful wife,
an amazing baby daughter and
a great circle of friends. I just
couldn’t run because of injury.
And, just like the pain in my leg,
it was impossible to compare how I
was feeling with others’ experiences.
Was my leg that painful? Was I
depressed enough? I was worried
about expressing feelings that were
maybe just the same as everyone
else’s. I felt down, but I thought
others must have it worse than I
do. That’s why I went through
MIND – for a kind of validation.
Talking has been the most
powerful thing for me over the last
three years. You worry whether
your problem is big enough to be
worth other people listening to.
And talking is not a very ‘male’
thing to do. But I’ve found that
saying things out loud helps you
realise how irrational they are. I
think I would have gone into a
much darker place if I hadn’t
@runnersworlduk
 BEAT
INJURY
SPECIAL

FACT FILE

ANDY
BADDELEY
Age 33 Hometown Woburn
Club Harrow AC
Two-time Olympian
Olympic, World, Commonwealth
and European 1500m finalist
Parkrun world record holder
(13:48)
Cambridge University
engineering graduate
PBs
800m 1500m Mile 3000m 5000m
1:46.32 3:34.36 3:49.38 7:39.86 13:20.85

pursuit, which perhaps doesn’t

spoken out. If I ever doubt
whether I was depressed enough to
qualify to speak out I re-read what
I wrote and remind myself how
bad I felt – and sometimes still do.
What was the reaction
to your blog?
It’s been overwhelming. Writing
the blog felt like an incredible
weight being lifted. So many
people have said they
identified with my
experiences, and shared
their own. I felt like a bit
of a charlatan reading
some of the responses –
people who had reached
out having gone through
Interview Sam Murphy Photography Stuart Hendry
BACK ON TRACK
Andy Baddeley
has his eye on
the future
Did you get professional help?
I discussed medication with a
doctor, but decided I wasn’t at the
point where that was required. I’ve
had lots of talking therapy with
sport psychologists throughout my
career – and particularly during
this time – and have always found
it very effective. I am lucky enough
to have lots of friends – both in and
out of the running world – to talk
to. My close friend and
long-term training
RUNNING IS partner Mike Skinner has
been brilliant – in just
NOT LIFE OR listening to me and giving
DEATH BUT me support and feedback.
Once I’d confided in him,
IT CAN FEEL he checked up on me
suit my personality. I’ve always
combated that by having lots
of people around me.
Do you set high standards
for yourself ?
Yes, for sure, which was perhaps
one of the most difficult things
when I could not train or compete
in the way I would like – not being
able to do things as well as I had in
the past. There have been times in
my career when I have been very
critical of myself. No-one wants
me to do well more than me. I
worried a lot about how people
would react if things didn’t go
well for me in a race. But when I
became injured after the Olympics
it was quite a hard thing to realise
that you go very quickly from a
place where people are excited
about your future to where they
move on and forget. Someone else
takes your place. I felt a fear that
was hard to articulate, of someone
else stepping in and achieving

terrible life experiences
and I was depressed just
because I hadn’t been able
to run for a while. An old
friend from school – one
of a bunch of people who I
stay in touch with – sent a
message saying he was more
proud of me for the blog than
anything I could ever achieve
in athletics. It was very out of
context to receive such a message
from him, and all the more
powerful because of it.
more, without being asked
LIKE IT – something I’m deeply
SOMETIMES grateful for. My wife has
also been fantastic.
How would you describe
yourself ?
I’m a private person, in terms of
keeping what I’m doing to myself.
But that jars a bit with the fact that
I’m very social – I get energy from
being with other people. I’m at my
happiest when I’m surrounded by
friends. Running is a very solitary
what I had not yet managed to.
Is running who you are
or what you do?
I wrote about feeling as if I have
lost my identity without running.
When I started, running was just a
hobby that went alongside other
things, like studying, but when it is
your job it becomes all-consuming.
It’s not life or death, but it can feel
like it sometimes.
We moved out of London in
November 2013, during the time I

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was injured, and I’d introduce
myself as a runner when we met
new people. And then they’d ask,
‘When is your next race?’ and I’d
say, ‘I don’t know.’ It was very
difficult – you wouldn’t say you
were a teacher if you didn’t teach.
Following the publication of my
blog, it’s clear that lots of athletes
have gone through a similar
struggle with their identity
when they’ve been injured.

Including other elites?

Yes. One Olympic athlete told me
that reading my blog had felt like
reading their own diary. But people
of all levels of ability reached out
and shared their experiences.
I appreciate that it’s just as hard
for people who are amateur
enthusiasts to cope with feeling so
lost without their sport, because to
other people it might look like it’s
not meant to be anything more
than a pastime. They feel guilty
that it matters so much to them.
It’s no less painful to not be able to
run when you want to, regardless
of your speed or ability.
If you’re at the track on a Tuesday
night in the rain in winter, getting
ready for a race, it’s irrelevant
whether it’s a four-hour marathon
or an Olympic qualifier. You’ve
experienced that affinity that sport
gives you with people who put
themselves through pain and hurt
for a similar reason to you.

Why was the loss of routine

because of injury such a big
factor in your depression?
As an athlete, your life follows
a very strict routine. I often
don’t know what day of the week
it is other than for my training.
Being injured, that routine was
taken away. You might think it’s a
good feeling to not have to run 100
miles a week but, ironically,
rehabbing and cross-
training can be more
time-consuming – and
draining – than training
itself. It’s also quite
isolating. When I go
training, I meet up with
training partners who
are all great friends.
Thrashing it out in the
pool or on the bike on
your own is hard and I
don’t find it enjoyable or
therapeutic. Experts often
say that routine and
regular exercise are good
antidotes to feeling down.
I had lost both of these.
How did injury affect your
relationship with other
athletes – and the sport?
At one point, a friend told me that
I was becoming a ‘bitter old man’.
It was brutal but honest.
He was reacting to my
I’M EXCITED bitterness at watching
the success of others.
ABOUT RUNNING He said, ‘Why is anyone
AGAIN – BOTH else less deserving than
you?’ And he was right
WATCHING – I know how hard people
work for success in
IT AND athletics and I’d lost
DOING IT sight of that. During
that time the most
nerve-racking races for
me to watch were 1500m events.
It was good that we moved away
from southwest London [probably
the capital’s biggest running hub].
It was a hard place to be when not
running myself. The last thing I
wanted to do was be around people
in the elite running community.
The experience of injury has
been likened to the grief
cycle. Does that make sense?
Definitely. I feel like I’ve been
going round and round the whole
cycle constantly. There were
periods when I was in denial –
hitting the gym, bike and pool hard
and hoping things would get better,
but I just got mentally burnt out.
I’ve probably spent the most time
being angry. Angry that I was doing
everything I possibly could, yet I
wasn’t able to train or compete. It
didn’t seem fair. During the whole
process I was always thinking
there was something I should be
doing. And my motivation waned
every time I didn’t get a result.

066 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 BEAT
INJURY
SPECIAL

COME BACK STRONGER

‘The physical hurt you feel when you get injured is only one small part of the
overall pain that you go through,’ says Dr Alan Goldberg, a sports performance
consultant and author of Sports Slump Busting (Llumina Press). ‘The mental pain
caused by your injury and the loss of your sport, be it temporary or permanent,
can be far more devastating. Unless you address it, your recovery will be slow and
incomplete.’ Here are Goldberg’s top tips for weathering the storm:

BE SAD DEAL WITH REALITY  SET NEW GOALS

Allow yourself to feel
whatever loss you are
feeling. Hiding your feelings
will interfere with effective
coping and recovering. Your
emotions are an important
part of the healing process.
Injured athletes tend to Leave old goals in the past
focus on ‘should haves’ and for now, and set fresh ones.
‘if onlys’. Giving energy to As you recover, you will
these thoughts will take need to measure your
away from recovery and successes differently,
rehabilitation. You have to perhaps in minutes
deal with your reality. instead of miles.

KEEP ACTIVE THINK YOURSELF STAY POSITIVE

Embrace rehab and keep up
as much of your training as
possible. If you can’t, use
mental rehearsal daily (5-10
mins) to see, hear and feel
yourself running. This will
keep your neuromuscular
MAKING PROGRESS connections activated.
Andy is beginning to
enjoy running again
BETTER
Practise healing imagery
every day. If you’re
recovering from a stress
fracture or torn muscle,
spend 5-10 minutes
imagining that bone or
muscle beginning to heal.
Try to maintain a positive
attitude. This can speed up
the healing process and
lessen your emotional pain.
If you feel overwhelmed,
consult your GP or consider
counselling. Seeking help
is a sign of strength.

What marked the turning
point for you?
Deciding to have surgery [Andy
had major surgery to repair knee
tendons in March this year]
removed the possibility of
competing in 2015 and that took
the pressure off. In 2013-2014 I
was constantly battling to get fit to
compete. I wasn’t in excruciating
pain, but I couldn’t run properly
– it was always limiting me. I felt
like a fraud calling myself a runner.
So once that decision had been
made, I decided to finish a blog I
had been writing for almost a year
and to put it out there, marking a
fresh start mentally and physically.
Thanks to that process I feel I’ve
developed a healthier relationship
with running in the last few months.
I’m excited about running again –
both watching it and doing it.
What would your advice be
to other injured runners?
Try to find time in the day to switch
off from running. Mindfulness
really helps – I did some with a
psychologist and I also used the
Headspace app Talk, especially to
people who are less involved –
friends and family, people who will
listen to you non-judgementally.
Are you feeling more positive
about the future?
I’m more optimistic. I feel quite
distant from the elite running
scene at the moment, but I’m
running a little bit and making
enough progress for it to be
satisfying. It feels a bit less like this
is going to define me, whether or
not I get where I want to. I’m now
also an ambassador for the Dame
Kelly Holmes Trust, which helps
athletes transition from sport
to the real world through the
mentoring of young people. Being
part of that has given me a sense of
purpose. It’s made me think a bit
more about what I’ll do after
athletics. Being out for so long has
made retirement feel more real,
but I’ve never seriously thought
about giving up and not trying to
qualify for Rio. I don’t yet know
how realistic that is. If I can get
my body right, the mental strength
I have as a result of this whole
experience will definitely help
when I get back on the start line.
You can read Andy’s original blog
and get information, advice and
support to help you deal with
mental health issues arising from
injury or other reasons, at the
MIND website, mind.org.uk.

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 067

Before the great international rivalries of the modern Olympics, a grand
and thrilling sporting narrative gripped two countries, filled the front
pages and drew unprecedented crowds as two runners went head-to-
head in an epic, multi-race duel not for mere financial gain or shiny
medals, but for national pride and, more importantly, to find out who
was the world’s greatest runner. This is their extraordinary story
runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 069

A lean and ropy young man who
stood 5’8’ and weighed just eight
stone, Lawrence ‘Lon’ Myers was
23 years old that summer of 1881,
and the pride of the Manhattan
Athletic Club. He ran with his bony
arms held low, his skull wrapped,
pirate-style, in a bandanna, and he
held US national titles in the 100
and 220, and world records in the
440, 880, and 1,000 yards. He had
no equal in America.
So, in June, he sailed across the
Atlantic to test himself in the
Amateur Athletics Championships
in Britain, where modern athletics
had been born. When Myers
boarded his ship, the British ruled
the track – as the Empire did much
of the world – and held nearly all
the world records. One British
athletics authority scoffed at the
foreigner’s dazzling times. ‘There
isn’t a man in America who can
properly hold a watch,’ he sniffed.
‘Let Myers come. He will go back a
sadder but wiser man.’
But Myers won six of his seven
races in Britain and he was so
dominant that he finished one
440-yard race running sideways,
taunting his opponents. Spectators
were amazed, while The London
Land and Water raved, ‘It is
impossible to speak too highly
of Myers’ style and pace.’
Still, there was something hollow
in Myers’ victorious tour. He’d
sailed to England to face one man
in particular, Britain’s premier
runner, Walter George. A strapping
23-year-old pharmacist’s assistant,
George had grown up chasing
070 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
hounds in the Midlands, and
developed a training regime that
involved the ‘100-up’ (leaping,
high-kneed, on the spot) and
taking baths in brine. George was
Britain’s top amateur and star of
Birmingham’s Moseley Harriers.
He’d recently run the mile in 4:19.
But asthma sidelined him for the
championships that July and his
club’s secretary, Harry Oliver,
winced as he announced that
George would be ‘deprived of
competing [against Myers] for
his own honour and for the honour
of England’, lamenting, ‘Never
before and perhaps never again,
will there be such a chance.’
But the chance would come
again. And soon. On the other side
of the Atlantic a new powerhouse
was emerging to promote US
athletics. The New York Athletic
Club (NYAC) was an exclusive,
all-male club, a magnet for the
hedge-fund types of its day that
would soon have as members
George W Vanderbilt and John
Jacob Astor, America’s first
multimillionaire. In late 1881,
NYAC president William Curtis
wrote to George inviting him
to battle Lon Myers at the Polo
Grounds, a baseball park on the
Upper West Side of Manhattan.
The club needed George’s star
power in its attempt to trump its
rival, Myers’ Manhattan Athletic
Club, in a battle for eminence in
New York society.
Writing back, George said,
‘I should like to know whether
[Myers] will promise to run me a
friendly match on what I consider
fair terms… three races – say
half-mile, three-quarters and one
mile.’ The best-of-three series
would play out over three weeks
and, to remove any taint of the
corruption that scarred 19th-
century professional athletics,
Myers and George would provide the winner nothing
raced at a time
when new running
but bragging rights as the ‘best
techniques were runner in the world’.
being developed:
illustration from
How to Sprint,
(Spalding’s
was a
Athletic Library) hugely important runner
in the early history of
athletics. He was the Jesse
Owens of his era; his
explosive performances
over a range of short and middle
distances inspired awe among
spectators and gave the fledgling
sport legitimacy in the US. His
off-track style added to his star
quality, while the physical and
psychological challenges he
faced, along with his background,
brought complexity to his story.
Myers was Jewish, at a time when
anti-Semitism in America was
taking on a keen edge, with Jews
being barred from some hotels,
restaurants and social clubs. As
a Jew, Myers was a rarity in
NYAC president track and field, which was then
William Curtis, dominated by immigrant Irishmen
far left, wrote and the pedigreed White Anglo
to George about Saxon Protestant elite of the
the duel. Left,
Manhattan NYAC. In fact, the NYAC retained
Athletic Club its reputation for anti-Semitism
@runnersworlduk

long into the 20th century: the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency wrote
in 1959 of the club’s ‘tight bars
against Jews and Negroes’, and in
the mid-1930s, Marty Glickman, a
Jewish world-class sprinter, was
shunted from the NYAC lobby by
the club’s president, Paul Pilgrim.
The first African-American was
not admitted until 1989.
Myers was a Sephardic Jew,
with roots in Spain and Portugal.
His ancestor Myer Myers was
one of colonial America’s top
silversmiths and Myers himself
grew up as part of a Jewish elite in
Richmond, Virginia. He began
running when he was 20 to ward
off consumption, a pulmonary
disease, but he never really got
well. Throughout his life he
suffered frequent bouts of malaria,
shivering with fevers in an age
before antibiotics. He was often
beset with pneumonia and in
letters he frequently wrote about
his afflictions: ‘I was sick for two
days, I caught cold all through my
body and my head ached so that I
Words Bill Donahue Illustrations Bruce Emmett
could not lift my eyes.’
Jaunty and ebullient at times,
Myers bet on horses and taunted
those ‘wiseacres’ who criticised his
easy-does-it training regime. He
once played poker all night and,
without eating or sleeping, broke a
world record the next day.
However, he often lapsed into
depression. According to The New
York Times, ‘He would be irritable
without cause, cruel to the ones he
loved best, and combative to the
runnersworld.co.uk
point of truculence. . . . No training
methods suited him then, and
no one could handle him.’
Old photos of Myers reveal
coal-black eyes glaring with
intensity. In races he’d push
himself so hard that his locker
room agonies of retching, coughing
and vomiting became ritual. The
New York Times wrote after one
of Myers’ races that he reached the
finish line ‘thoroughly exhausted
and in great distress. The effort
to excel in athletic sports is
undoubtedly to be commended,
but there can be no question that,
carried beyond certain limits, it is
not only unwise but harmful.’
His intensity, however, drove
spectators wild, inducing some of
his most ardent fans to leap off the
grandstand or dash out onto the
track. He was the first in the world
to break 50 seconds in the 440
yards – despite losing a shoe with
120 yards to go. In 1880, he won
national titles in four events in a
single day. He could run 100 yards
GEORGE VS MYERS
In England, Myers in 10 seconds and a mile in 4:29.30.
silenced his critics. And he had a gift for theatre: he
He won six of
seven races; he once challenged a top ice skater to
finished one race a race wearing ice cleats. He won.
running sideways
was a more
straightforward
sporting hero.
When asked to
predict the outcome
of his duel with Myers, he said, ‘I am
not at all sanguine that I shall win a
majority, or even one, of the three
events as I know what a really
splendid runner Mr Myers is. All I
ask is a fair field and no favour.’
Handsome, with pale blue eyes
and a fine auburn mustache,
George hailed from Worcester.
He was nearly six feet tall and
10st 10lb, and as an athlete
trained with the ‘dedicated
concentration… of a Zen Buddhist’,
and ‘with the poise of a ballet
dancer’, writes Peter Lovesey in
Five Kings of Distance. When
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 071
George travelled to races, female
admirers tracked him down via
telegram; before one event, he
stayed up all night, then met a
young lovely from Brighton for
breakfast, riding with her through
West London in a hansom cab.
George sailed for New York on
September 28,1882. As an athletic
star, he travelled in luxury on the
S.S. City of Rome – then the world’s
largest ocean liner. A delegation
from the NYAC greeted him when
he reached Castle Garden port in
Manhattan on October 7, and he
stepped ashore into a crowded and
complex metropolis.
New York in 1882 was a city split
between the rarefied world of
white tie balls and fetid, often
violent tenements where two-
thirds of the city’s population
lived 20 to a room. There was
horse manure in the streets,
and epidemics of cholera and
typhus frequently devastated
communities. By the time George
arrived, there was also electricity.
Thomas Edison had opened the
world’s first central power plant,
the Pearl Street Station, the
previous month, electrifying
a few streets in the financial
district. George and his coach,
Will Caldicott, a 30-something
hop and seed merchant, strolled
amid the bright lights.
Nine miles uptown, on a stretch
of Manhattan newly converted
from farmland and bordered by a
sprawling squatters’ colony, the
Polo Grounds sat in darkness.
weeks leading up to
his showdown with George,
Myers trained in the warm
autumn sun at the Manhattan
Athletic Club. He ate heartily,
putting on three pounds.
Reporters hounded both runners,
and in saloons and on street
corners fans placed bets that were
not quite legal but still tolerated by
the police, who often got a cut.
And then it was race day. When
Myers awoke on November 4 for
the first of the three races, the 880
yards, it was cold and extremely
windy. George, the heavier man,
was the early favourite, but as
the afternoon start neared and
the winds slackened, the odds
shifted towards the hometown
hero. Myers did, after all, hold the
world record for the 880-yard
distance: 1:55.36.
Despite the chilly weather, there
were some 2,000 spectators in the
072 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
stands, and the pre-race buildup
took its cues from heavyweight
prizefighting. George came out,
according to London newspaper
Bell’s Life, ‘enveloped in an ulster
[an overcoat with a cape and
sleeves] and, accompanied by his
friend and an attendant, he walked
down the path to the starting
point. The applause bestowed
upon him was enthusiastic.
Two minutes later, Myers and
his faithful Scottish trainer, John
Frazier, forced their way under
the rails through the crowd.’
The runners took their places
on the starting line and at the gun
George took the lead. But the Polo
Ground’s one-third of-a-mile
cinder track was makeshift, and
the going was difficult. In one
sandy section, Myers and George
sank to the tops of their shoes and
in another 150-yard stretch, their
spikes left inch-deep marks in the
freshly laid ashes. Other patches
were as hard as pavement.
After about 300 yards, the
runners reached the grandstand,
with George ahead by two yards.
He ran bent at the waist and
grimacing, his arms working
violently. Myers ran with head
erect and arms swinging loosely,
and at about 400 yards, he drew
close to George before again
drifting back. He made his move
with 130 yards to go and nipped
George by two-fifths of a second,
winning in 1:56.36.
Fans waved handkerchiefs and
threw hats into the air, and soon
the track swarmed with Myers
supporters. Myers seemed pleased
and a little cocky. ‘I could certainly
have run 1:53, maybe 1:52,’ he said,
implying that he’d simply toyed
with George. The wind didn’t
bother him much, he said later.
‘I was chilly during the race and
caught a cold. Nothing serious.’
race, the
mile, took place on a warm
afternoon seven days later,
November 11. The
favourable weather
brought out the hooligans,
and the NYPD were out in force
between the track and the stands,
but less than a minute into the
race, fans in the free seats went
berserk. ‘This ungallant 300 rose
simultaneously, rushed across the
southeast corner of the field with
deafening yells, and took partial
possession of the lower end of
the path,’ reported The Spirit of
After arriving in the Times: The American
New York, George
(left) and his
Gentleman’s Newspaper.
coach, Will The real drama at the Polo
Caldicott, Grounds that day, however, took
walked its newly place inside Lon Myers. His cold
illuminated streets
had worsened and his gift for
transforming pre-race jitters
into horsepower eluded him. He
stepped to the line preoccupied,
worried that his ardent fans had
bet heavily on him without
knowing how weak and sickly he
was. From the gun he trailed
George, who loped along with
dazzling efficiency, and with a
quarter of a mile to go, led by 10
yards. Myers tried to close, but it
was hopeless. ‘If all New York City
@runnersworlduk

Myers collapsed at
the finish line of
the final race. The
crowd fell quiet as
he was carried
away by officials
had been offered to me,’ he said,
‘I could not have run down the
straight any faster.’ George
finished in 4:21.24, but before
Myers could cross the line, six fans
crowded him. One, thinking he was
too tired to finish, grabbed Myers
by the waist and tried to drag him
off the track. By the time Myers
wriggled free and finished, the
stopwatches had him at 4:27.36.
Afterwards, Myers was gracious
about the scuffle, saying, ‘I am
heartily glad this hindrance befell
me instead of our guest,’ but he was
also filled with self-reproach. ‘I am
sorry I was not able to run faster,’
he said. ‘My friends and myself
have paid a high price.’
So it was Myers one, George one.
‘You could have predicted that,’
runnersworld.co.uk
says Edward Sears, author of
Running Through the Ages.
‘Myers had speed – he was sure
to win the half – and George had
endurance. The mile was his. The
real race was the three-quarters,
where they were evenly matched.
That’s the one that mattered.’
This third and final event was
scheduled for the following
Saturday, seven days away. But
suddenly Myers disappeared. For
six days, no-one heard from him.
GEORGE VS MYERS
George trained hard all that
week, doing speedwork under
Caldicott’s watch on Wednesday
and Thursday. On the Friday,
November 17, he took the day off
and lazed about in the suburb of
Mott Haven, where the NYAC had
put him up in a lavish hotel. His
reverie was broken by a telegram
from Myers: the American was
sick. He had caught a cold in that
first race and was ‘suffering from
muscular debility’. Myers had a
doctor’s certificate excusing him
from ‘athletic sports’ for 10 days.
George had not crossed the
Atlantic to win by forfeit and when
a reporter met him at The Grand
Opera House, he did not mince his
words. ‘Anyone can get a doctor’s
certificate,’ he said, apparently
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 073

forgetting his own asthma attacks,
which had sidelined him the year
before. ‘I don’t believe he is ill. A
man who is able to walk about is
able to run. If Myers doesn’t run me
on Saturday… we’ll show him up in
the English papers, and he’ll never
show his face over there again.’
The New York press pilloried
George for his comments, while
Bell’s Life in London and Sporting
Chronicle suggested Myers
conveniently ‘caught cold’ after
‘George’s extraordinary time in
his trial on Tuesday’.
Eventually, George calmed down
enough to meet Myers. He scolded
the American for cancelling at
such short notice, saying, ‘I’ll run it
if I have a broken arm or leg,’ but
the two then shook hands and
agreed to reschedule the race for
074 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
Thanksgiving Day, November 30.
When they met on the Polo
Grounds at noon on that dramatic
day, George asked after Myers’
health. With five new pounds on
his ribs, the American replied,
‘I am feeling first-rate today.’
It was another cold day. In the
shade, the temperature was
below freezing; up in the stands,
spectators shivered. Shovelled
snow was piled high along the
track, and officials and reporters
stood on the frozen perimeter.
The final race was three-quarters
of a mile, slightly over two laps of
the track. The pair took off together
and for the first 150 yards they ran
stride for stride. Then, as was his
habit, Myers let his opponent
drift ahead until the Englishman
was leading by a stride.
Myers, his arms held low, his
bony feet dancing over the frozen
cinders, was still trailing when
they ran into a headwind at
about the half-mile mark. But
as they made the final turn, the
wind pushed against his back.
‘They came up the stretch like
racehorses,’ reported the The
New York Times. But Lon Myers
couldn’t close an inch on Walter
George. As George crossed the line
in 3:10.30, Myers disintegrated.
His head rocked and his legs
wobbled. He lurched through
the last six yards at a near walk,
finished in 3:13, then crumpled to
the track, unconscious. As officials
carried him out of the cold, the
crowd was mostly silent.
George’s few fans at the Polo
Grounds, however, were joyous. By
the time he returned to his locker
room, a giant flag hung over the
doorway. The Union flag fluttered
in the brisk wind, resplendent
against the white snow.
came
home, there was a
grand celebration at
his local horse-racing
track, Pitchcroft.
‘For nearly an hour,’
reported the Berrow’s Worcester
Journal, ‘the sky was radiant with
coloured fires, sky rockets and
streamers. A device in pink and
green lights containing the words
‘Welcome Home, Champion of the
World’ was let off, while the band
of the Worcester Artillery played
See the Conquering Hero Comes.’
At an ensuing banquet, coach
Will Caldicott said of his star
athlete, ‘We ought to be thankful to
George (left) and him for upholding the prestige of
Myers in New York the old country over the new.’
in 1886, the year
they ran a rematch Worcester’s mayor praised George’s
duel at Madison ‘pluck, skill, and endurance’,
Square Garden before adding that his victory
‘attested the superiority of the
English race over any other’.
However, George’s dominance
was fleeting. In 1886 he and
Myers met for a three-race duel
in Madison Square Garden, in
New York, where the American
won all three races in front of
capacity crowds, while a band
played Yankee Doodle Dandy.
After the final race – the mile –
the New York Herald wrote,
‘Pandemonium seemed let loose,
men by the hundreds jumped
down from the boxes, smashing
seats and chairs and, like a great
tidal wave, overflowed the center
@runnersworlduk

of the building… The excitement
continued for several minutes until
the gas was extinguished, forcing
everyone out of the building.’
In 1886, Myers following decades,
(above left) and George worked as a coach and
George ran a
rematch duel in
groundsman for the Mitcham
Madison Square Athletic Club. In 1937, when
Garden, New York. Sydney Wooderson set a mile
Above, the event world record, George, now a
programme
stooped old man, was present to
shake his countryman’s hand. That
same year, when the former athlete
celebrated his 50th wedding
anniversary, King George VI
sent him warm wishes. Today, a
bronze plaque marks the runner’s
birthplace in Worcester, where
you can still buy a commemorative
Walter George plate.
There has been no such lingering
celebrity for Lon Myers. For the
man who legitimised athletics in
America, who thrilled crowds with
record-setting, often theatrical
performances, who heralded the
emergence of the US as an athletic
powerhouse, there are no plaques
runnersworld.co.uk
or statues. The Manhattan Athletic
Club didn’t last long enough to
perpetuate his memory; it shut its
doors in 1893 after losing its battle
with the New York Athletic Club
to land the city’s elite business
tycoons as members. The NYAC’s
own two-volume history contains
only fleeting mention of that first
showdown at the Polo Grounds.
Why such obscurity? Perhaps
because he was Jewish and, as
such, ineligible in the late-19th
century for membership in the
NYAC, which has been the
principal guardian of American
track-and-field history for nearly
150 years. ‘If he’d been a member
of the New York Athletic Club,
they would certainly have kept
his memory alive,’ says running
historian Roger Robinson. ‘Their
clubhouse is an important archive
of tributes to the role their
members have played in the sport.
But given attitudes [toward Jews]
at that date, Myers would not have
been eligible.’ And even among
Jewish sports fans, Myers lacked
a constituency that may have kept
GEORGE VS MYERS
his name alive over the years, says
Alan Katchen, a US athletics
historian at Capital University in
Ohio and a former director of the
Anti-Defamation League. ‘He was
a Sephardic Jew with deep roots
in America,’ says Katchen. ‘He
didn’t speak Yiddish. He had very
little in common with the poor
immigrants living in Manhattan
then. He wasn’t one of them.’
Perhaps, too, he simply didn’t live
long enough for times to change.
After a brief post-athletics career
as a horse-racing bookmaker,
Myers died of pneumonia when
he was 40. He was unmarried.
Services were held at the home of
his father, Solomon, in Manhattan.
When Solomon buried his son in
Kensico Cemetery, outside the city,
he did so with a gesture befitting
his career as a jeweller. Beside the
family headstone he placed a small
marker carved with the diamond
insignia of the Manhattan Athletic
Club. He inlaid the diamond with a
pane of cherry-colored glass. The
glass is shattered now. There are
only a few splinters left.
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 075
 1

packs a
PUNCH
Think beyond pasta for your pre-run carb fix
to get extra flavour and heaps of nutrients

W
hat’s on the menu the night before your long run or race? Probably
pasta, right? It’s not that you’re on the wrong track: ‘Eating ample
carbs stocks your muscles with glycogen, so you get the maximum
available energy for your run,’ says sports dietitian Lauren Antonucci. 2
But pasta isn’t the only food that provides that energy. From root veggies to rice,
many other options will deliver, with the bonus of adding variety and different
nutrients. The key is making sure your choice is also low in fat and fibre, to
keep your gut happy, says Antonucci. These tasty options do the trick.

 1 Pizza +
Chicken
This is when you want a
thicker dough rather than
the thin and crispy option.
If you’re making it at
home, go for white dough
(skip wholewheat today).
Spread with tomato sauce
and a sprinkle of cheese.
Top with cooked chicken
and veggie slices. Don’t
bother with a side salad,
says Monique Ryan,
author of Sports Nutrition
for Endurance Athletes
(Velopress). You don’t
want to go fibre-crazy
before a long run.
2  Rice +
Veggies
+ Fish or Tofu
Start with a fairly hefty
portion of rice, says Ryan
(she suggests using
350g). Normally, she’d
recommend wholegrain
varieties for the extra
fibre and nutrients,
but you want quick-
digesting white rice
when preparing for a
big run. Top with a small
amount of veggies and
some low-fat protein,
such as fish or tofu.
3
Drizzle soy sauce
on top to supply your
body with sodium.

076 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15


Quick carb hits
TROPICAL MEDIUM ENERGY
FRUITS BANANA BAR
These tend to be Contains 27g of Larger grain-based
higher in natural carbohydrate and bars, such as Clif,
sugars, thus 12 per cent of contain around 45g
providing more your daily of carbs and can be
carbs per portion. potassium needs. eaten on the go.
3  Pancakes
+ Syrup
+ Eggs
This is an acceptable
indulgence the night
before a race. Pancakes
are a great source of
carbs (one six-inch
pancake packs 22g) and
you can pair them with
one or two eggs to add
some protein. Again, opt
5 for non-wholegrain to
keep the fibre content
low and don’t go wild
with the butter, as you
want to keep the fat
in check, too. Serve
with strawberries and
maple syrup for added
carbs, says Antonucci.
4
Baked
Potato
+ Cottage Cheese
+ Salsa
Bake your preferred
potato (standard spud
or sweet) and the bigger,
the better. Both types
offer similar amounts
of carbs and potassium.
Add low-fat toppings
Words Jessica Migala Photography Matt Rainey
such as cottage cheese
for protein, and some
easy-to-digest veggies,
such as spinach. While
beans may be a good
source of carbs and a
popular topping for a
6 baked spud, skip them
unless you know your
stomach can handle
them pre-race.
NEW FUEL
BAGEL
Smear one with
antioxidant-rich
honey to get
an even faster
carbohydrate
hit, says Ryan.
5  Quinoa +
Veggie
Salad
‘Quinoa is great to carb-
load with because it has
protein but is easy on
the stomach,’ says Ryan.
It’s also a good source
of iron, which is needed
to ferry oxygen to your
muscles. A study in the
Journal of Nutrition
found that when
women with low iron
levels increased their
intake, they experienced
a boost in exercise
performance. Combine
340g of cooked quinoa
with chicken or tofu and
some cooked veggies
(tomatoes, green beans),
which are easier to
digest than raw. Lightly
drizzle with dressing
to add flavour without
too much fat.
6 
Beef and
Barley
Soup + Turkey Roll
Soup is easy to digest
and contains a good
amount of sodium.
‘Barley is a wholegrain
that’s not particularly
high in fibre,’ says
Antonucci. With your
sandwich, go for a big,
thick roll with a miserly
amount of turkey, a
smear of hummus and
a slice of avocado and
tomato, says Antonucci.
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 077
 BEST
MOVES
Photography Agata Pec Grooming Alexis Day using Kiehl’s and Mac Pro. Female model wears Lija tank and leggings (lijastyle.com), male model wears Asics T-shirt and shorts (asics.co.uk)

50
Best
Moves
For
Runners
RW presents the
w
Welcome. In this guide we’ve gathered
the 50 best body-weight resistance moves for
runners from the Runner’s World archive over
the last 10 years. They’re a mix of classic
strength exercises, plyometrics, prehab moves,
flexibility improvers and core builders – and
every one has been recommended by physios,
biomechanists and running coaches.
There’s plenty of evidence to show that
adding regular strength work to your training
could help you run further and faster with
fewer injuries. A 2007 review published in the
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
found an average 4.6 per cent improvement in
running economy and a 2.9 per cent boost in
5K performance among runners who strength-
essential body-weight trained compared with those who only ran.
moves that will build And a 2013 British Journal of Sports Medicine
review of 25 studies on ways of reducing
your strength, help sports injuries (evaluating 26,610 participants)
found that strength training could help prevent
protect you from both acute and overuse injuries – the latter by
injury and make you almost 50 per cent.
You can perform all these moves using only
a better runner your own body weight (with occasional help
from a wall, chair or step). You can do them if
you’ve got space at home or in the park, at a
time that suits you – there’s no gym required.

p84-85 Whole body

p87 Neck, shoulders and chest
p88-89 Abs and back
p90-91 Hips and glutes
p92-93 Upper legs
p94 Calves, ankles and feet

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How you build the moves into your schedule is up to you. You can either… BEST
MOVES

A) CHOOSE A BENEFIT-LED WORKOUT

THE BASICS A go-to workout that touches on all the key running muscles

p93 Step up p92 Lunge p90 Bridge p94Calf drop p88 Ab crunch p87 Press-up p87 Chair dip

POWER BOOST Plyometric (explosive) movements to build strength and power

p93 Plyometric lunge p93 Jump squat p92 Box jump p93 Lateral jump p85 Burpee p94 Directional hops

PREHAB ESSENTIALS Exercises to strengthen injury-vulnerable areas and improve balance

p92 Single-leg squat p90 Hip hike p91 Clamshell p93 Star touch p89 Superman p89 Bird dog p94 Toe towel curls

CORE STRENGTH Moves to build stability in the abs and lower back

p88 Bicycle crunch p88 Reverse crunch p88 Metronome p88 Plank p88 Side plank p89 Upper
back extension

FORM UPGRADE Exercises to encourage quick feet and more efficient running form

p92 High knees p89 Reverse plank p85 Wall drill p91 Lateral p91 Donkey kicks
with leg lifts speed runners

MOBILITY MOVES Moves to stretch and improve range of motion and flexibility

p94 Heel-toe walks p91 Scorpion p84 Downward dog p84 Flipped dog p84 Triangle p87 Scapular
wall slide

B) BUILD YOUR OWN Adjusting sets and reps How often?

If you want to work one area, or you feel like
mixing things up, put together your own series
of moves. Combine 5-10 moves per workout to
make a set, which you can perform 1-3 times,
depending on how hard you want to work.
With each move you’ll find explanatory notes,
as well as suggested repetitions (‘reps’ – how
many times to repeat a move), sets (blocks of
reps) or the amount of time to hold a position.
Adjust these according to your own level.
Aim to strength-train at least once a week
(ideally twice) on easy or non-running
days. Avoid doing intense strength workouts
the day before quality running sessions
such as speedwork or long runs.

To view videos of all the moves in this guide, go to runnersworld.co.uk/50BestRunnerMoves

11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 083

WHOLE-BODY
MOVES From the downward dog
position (see move 1), lift
your left leg into the air
and press your heel
towards the ceiling. Bend
your left knee and bring
your left heel around your
right buttock while you
begin to transfer your
weight to your right arm
and the outer part of your
3) FLIPPED DOG right foot. Then lift your
A full-body move that left arm off the floor and
works your core, legs, rotate your body towards
shoulders and glutes the ceiling. Cross your left
foot over your right and
drop it to the floor behind
you and lift your hips up,
bending your back. If
comfortable, allow your
head to drop and reach
your left arm up and away
from your midsection.
Drop your hips and
reverse the move to
return slowly to the
1) DOWNWARD DOG start position.
Boosts strength and flexibility by Sets/reps Hold move
working your core and stretching for 5-10 seconds on
your hamstrings and calves each side of the body.
Start in a press-up position. Exhale, push into your
hands and lift your hips so your tailbone points
up, and press your heels towards the ground.
If your legs are tight, bend your knees
slightly. Relax your neck and shoulders,
breathe deeply and hold the pose.
Return slowly to the start position.
Sets/reps Hold for 10-15 seconds, repeat.

(b)
2) TRIANGLE
Stretches your core,
hips and shoulders
Stand with feet 3-4 feet
apart. Turn your right foot
in slightly and your left
(a)
out to 90 degrees. Stretch
your arms out (palms
down) so your upper
body forms a T shape.
Bending from the hips,
extend your torso to
the left over the plane Start in a press-up
of the left leg, keeping position, hands wide.
the left leg straight. Rest Engage your abs and
your left hand on your bring your right
shin, ankle or the floor. knee to your chest
Now stretch your right (a). As you push
arm toward the ceiling. the leg back to
Turn your head to look up start position, bring
at your right hand. your left knee in
Sets/reps Hold for 10-20 4) MOUNTAIN CLIMBER (b). Continue, alternating
secs on each side. Works chest, arms, glutes and legs. Sets/reps Two sets
core; also works cardio system of 15-20 reps.

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5) INCHWORM BEST
Works your arms, chest, shoulders and core, MOVES
and stretches your hamstrings
Standing straight, bend at the waist and touch the floor
(a) (if you can’t do it with your legs straight, bend your
knees slightly). With your core braced, walk your hands
(a)
out (b) until you are in a press-up position, supporting (b)
your body on your hands (which are underneath your
shoulders) and toes (c). Your body should be straight,
with no sagging in the hips. Take small steps to walk your
legs back up so you return to the bent-over position.
Sets/reps Do five forward, then five in reverse.

6) BURPEE
Strengthens your
body and boosts
aerobic capacity
Stand with your feet
hip-width apart. Squat
and place your hands on
the floor (a), then jump
your feet back into a
plank position (b). Now
jump your feet back to
your hands, and from this
(c)
crouched position return
(c)
to the standing position. (a)
To add difficulty, jump up
with your hands in the air
at the top of the move
(c), and/or add a
press-up at the
bottom of it. 7) WALL DRILL
Sets/reps Boosts stride turnover by
Two sets of emphasising quick, short steps
10 reps. Place your palms flat against a wall at shoulder
height and walk your legs back until your body is
at a 45-degree angle. Run on the spot, focusing
on quick, light steps off your toes, while your body
weight pushes into the wall.
Sets/reps Perform for one minute.

(b)

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 BEST

NECK (a) MOVES

SHOULDERS
& CHEST
MOVES (b)
8) PLANK JACK
Strengthens the shoulders, triceps, adductors and core
Start in a press-up position, shoulders over your wrists and feet together (a). Keeping
your core braced and hips as low to the ground as possible, jump both legs out to the
sides (b). Jump back to starting position. That’s one rep. Sets/reps One set of 15-20 reps.

(a) (b)
9) SCAPULAR
WALL SLIDE 10) PRESS-UP
Strengthens the Works the pectorals, shoulders
lower trapezius and and triceps; strengthens the core
opens your chest Lie with your weight supported on your toes
Stand with your back to and hands. Your hands should be slightly
a wall, legs straight, feet wider than shoulder-width and directly under
shoulder-width apart. Lay shoulders. Keeping your body straight, without
your arms against the wall sagging the hips, bend your arms to lower your
so they and your head body close to the floor. Push back up until your arms
make a ‘W’ (a). Keep your are extended. Sets/reps Two sets of 10-12 reps.
neck muscles (upper
trapezius) relaxed so your
lower traps do the work.
Slide your arms up the
wall and straighten them
as high as you can – don’t
tense your neck (b). Slide
your arms back down.
Sets/reps 15-20 reps.

12) HEAD UP
Activates the front
of your neck and
lengthens the back
of your neck
Lie on your back, head on
the floor, arms by your
sides. Tuck your chin
towards your chest until
you feel a stretch in the
back of your neck. Lift
your head slightly off the
floor, keeping your chin in
the tucked position it was
11) CHAIR DIP in when your head was on
Builds triceps and shoulders to enable good form when you’re tired the floor. Hold for 10 secs,
Sit on the edge of a bench or chair, hands supporting your weight. Position your feet then relax back to the
away from the bench, legs straight and heels on the floor. Lower yourself until your upper floor. Sets/reps One set
arms are parallel to the ground, then push back up. Sets/reps Two sets of 10-15 reps. of 10-15 reps.

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ABS & BACK
MOVES
15) METRONOME
Strengthens the oblique
(side) abs
Lie on the floor, knees bent and
raised over your hips. Engaging
your core, rotate your legs
slowly to the left side, bringing
your knees as close as you
can to the floor without
touching. Return to centre (one
rep), then repeat the move on
the right side. Sets/reps Two
sets of 10-12 reps.
16) SIDE PLANK
Strengthens oblique
abs and lower back
Lie on your right side with
your knees straight. Prop
up your upper body on
your right elbow and
forearm, with your legs
straight and stacked one
on top of the other. Raise
your hips until your body
forms a line from your
ankles to your shoulders.
Repeat on the other side.
To add difficulty, lift your
top leg toward the ceiling.
Sets/reps Hold position
for 30 seconds on
each side.
088 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
13) BICYCLE CRUNCH
Strengthens the abs, including obliques (side)
Lie on your back, with your hands at the side of your head,
your knees bent, feet off the floor, your thighs at right
angles to the floor and your calves parallel to it. ‘Cycle’
your legs and tense your abs at the same time so that
your left elbow rises to touch your right knee, then your
right elbow rises to meet your left knee. That’s one rep.
Sets/reps Two sets of 10-15 reps.
(b)
14) AB CRUNCH
Strengthens your
abs and improves
core stability
Lie on your back with
your knees bent and feet
flat on the floor. Place
your hands so that your
fingers are by your ears.
Contract your abs and
curl forward to lift both
shoulders off the floor
(a)
without tucking your chin
to your chest. Hold very
briefly, then lower to the
start position. Sets/reps
Two sets of 10-12 reps.
17) REVERSE CRUNCH
Works rectus abs (six-pack) and transverse
abs (innermost abdominal muscle layer)
Lie on your back, hands behind your head (a). With feet
together, bend your hips and knees at 90 degrees. Raise
your hips and crunch inward, moving your knees towards
your chest (b). Your hips and lower back should rise off the
floor. Pause, then slowly lower your legs until your heels
nearly touch the floor. Sets/reps Two sets of 10-12 reps.
18) PLANK Lie face down on the
Strengthens abs and floor, forearms on a mat,
builds core strength elbows under shoulders
and your legs together,
balancing on your toes.
Brace your core and raise
your hips so your body is
in line. To make it more
difficult, raise one foot off
the floor. Sets/reps Hold
for 30 secs, rest, repeat.
@runnersworlduk
 BEST
MOVES
(a)

21) BIRD DOG

(b)
19) SPIDER ROCK Lie face down on the
Strengthens the abs, and stretches
floor, legs straight and
the back and hamstrings
arms by your sides.
Sit on the floor, grab your shins and pull your knees to
Contract your glutes and
your chest (a). Rock back and forth from your upper to
the muscles of your lower
lower back (b). At the bottom of the move brace your
back, and raise your head,
abs to change direction rather than letting your heels
touch the floor. Sets/reps Two sets of 10-15 reps.
chest, arms and legs off
the floor. Rotate your
arms so your thumbs
point towards the ceiling.
Only your hips should be
touching the floor. Sets/
reps Hold for 10 seconds,
rest, repeat.
Strengthens the
upper back, glutes
and the muscles
along the spine
With your hands under
your shoulders and knees
under your hips, extend
your right leg behind you.
At the same time, reach
your left arm out in front,
parallel to the ground.
Hold for two seconds,
then repeat on the other
side. That’s one rep.
Sets/reps Two sets of
20) 10-15 reps.
PRONE COBRA
Works the lower back and
glutes, improves posture

24) SUPERMAN
Works the deep abs
and erector spinae
muscles
22) REVERSE PLANK WITH LEG LIFT Start face down on the
Works the erector spinae muscles (either side of the spine) and glutes
floor, with your arms
Lie face up, weight on your hands and heels. Raise your hips, then lift your left leg up.
extended in front of you.
Hold for five seconds. With your hips still raised, switch legs and hold for five seconds.
Raise your head, your
Continue alternating legs for the duration, without allowing your midsection to sag.
right arm and left leg
Sets/reps Hold position for 30 seconds.
about five inches off the
floor. Try not to raise your
shoulders too much. Hold
for a count of three, then
lower. Repeat with your
right arm and left leg.
Sets/reps Two sets of
10-15 reps.

23) UPPER BACK EXTENSION

Strengthens your spine-stabilising muscles
Lie on your stomach, arms at your sides. Place a folded
towel under your pelvis. Lift your head and chest and roll
your shoulders upward. Pause briefly, then slowly return
to the start position. Sets/reps Two sets of 8-10 reps.

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HIPS &
25) BRIDGE
Builds muscles in
(b) your glutes and
lower back, to boost

GLUTES core strength

Lie on your back, knees

MOVES
bent and feet flat on the
floor (a). Raise your pelvis
so your body forms a line
from knee to shoulders
(b). Hold for 30 secs and
then lower your pelvis. To
add difficulty, try doing it
with one leg extended.
Sets/reps Three
(a) 30-second holds.

26) Y REACH
Strengthens the glutes for a more
efficient running gait, and aids balance
Create a ‘Y’ on the ground with tape. Stand on your left
foot at the centre point of the Y. Bend your left knee and
reach your right foot out along the front line of the Y.
Return to centre and repeat this to the next line of the Y
diagonally behind you to your right (a). Return to centre
and repeat this to the next line of the Y diagonally behind
you to your left (b). That’s one rep.
Sets/reps Two sets of 10 reps
(one set on each foot).
(a)

27) RUNNER TOUCH

Activates the core muscles and boosts (b)
flexibility in the glutes and hamstrings;
improves balance
Balance on your right foot and hinge forward
at the hips, extending your left leg backwards.
Touch the ground in front with your left hand,
then slowly return to the start position.
Sets/reps Do 10-12 reps on each leg.

28) HIP HIKE

Works the hip abductors
Standing sideways, with one foot on a step or
stair, raise the other foot by lifting your hip on that
side, while taking care to remain in a straight,
upright position. Slowly lower the hip to the
bottom of your range of motion, while
keeping your standing leg straight.
Sets/reps 10 reps on each side.

29) ABDUCTOR LIFT

Works hip abductors (to stabilise the pelvis)
Lie on your side. Bend your bottom knee to make a
90-degree angle. Keep your top leg turned inward from
the hip to focus on your abductors, and raise the leg to
make a 45-degree angle with the ground. Slowly return
to start position, using your abs to keep your pelvis stable.
Sets/reps Two sets of 10 reps on each side.

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30) DONKEY KICKS (a)
Targets the glutes to improve running form
Get on all fours, with your knees below hips and wrists
below your shoulders. With your core engaged, hips and
shoulders square to the floor, left leg bent and left foot
flexed, slowly lift your left leg until your thigh is parallel to
the floor. Lower to starting position. By balancing a small
bar across the small of your back you can teach your
body to fire the glutes without arching your back. (b)
Sets/reps 20 reps with each leg.

31) ADDUCTOR LIFT

Strengthens hip adductors, which stabilise
your knee and help the leg swing efficiently
Lie on your side with your body in a line. Rest your top
leg on a chair, making a 40-45 degree angle (a). Move
your lower leg up to meet your top leg (b), then return to
the start position. Once this is easy, perform using an
ankle weight. Sets/reps Two sets of 10 reps on each side.

32) SCORPION
Improves hip mobility, coordination and flexibility
Lie flat on your stomach with your arms stretched out and your feet together.
Lift one leg off the floor, crossing it over to your other side while twisting your
hips until your foot touches the floor. Ensure the movement is centred in your hips
rather than your lower back. Hold, then return to the starting position.
Sets/reps Two sets of 10-15 reps on each side.

33) CLAMSHELL
Activates the gluteus medius to help 34) LATERAL
your hips fire during running SPEED RUNNER
Lie on your left side, legs together and Works hipabductors
knees bent. Activate your side abs and and adductors,
squeeze your glutes (a). With your feet and your core
together, slowly raise your right knee (b). Stand with your feet
Hold for five seconds, then lower back to hip-width apart, your
the starting position. That’s one rep. arms at your sides. Hop
Sets/reps Two sets of 10 reps on each side. to your left, landing on
your left foot while
balancing your right foot
behind your left leg. As
(a)
you do this, swing your
arms to mimic their
movement during
running. Hop sideways
onto your right foot.
Continue, while focusing
on speed, control and
(b) measured arm
movements. Sets/reps
Two sets of 20 reps.

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UPPER LEGS
36) SIDE-TO-
SIDE LUNGE
Strengthens glutes,

MOVES
quads, abductors
and adductors
Stand with your feet far
apart, toes forward. Shift
your weight to your left
leg as you push your hips
back. Your lower left leg
35) HIGH KNEES should remain nearly
Builds speed and power, emphasises lower perpendicular to the floor.
abs and legs; also works cardio system Your right heel should be
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Lean back slightly and down. Without raising
lift your left knee up higher than hip level, towards yourself back up, lunge to
your chest. As you lower your foot to the ground, the right. Sets/reps
bring your right knee up high towards your chest. Try to Alternate back and forth
lift your legs as high as you can, and for 30 secs, rest, repeat.
perform the move at speed.
Sets/reps Two sets of 30 seconds.

37) SINGLE-LEG SQUAT

Works the quads and glutes
Stand on one leg, with the other leg and your arms out in
front of you. Squat, bending at the knee and sitting your
hips back. Keep the other knee in line over your foot. Once
you feel the squat in your quad and glutes, extend your
leg back up to standing. Sets/reps 5-10 reps on each leg.

38) BOX JUMP

Builds quad, hamstring and glute strength
Stand in front of a platform about 12-18 inches high. With
your feet slightly apart, push your hips back and swing
your arms. In one explosive move, swing your arms
forward, spring up and land on the box with soft knees.
Step back to the start position. Sets/reps 10 reps.
39-40)
LUNGE &
BACKWARD
LUNGE
Works the quads
and glutes

Lunge: stand facing forward, hands on hips. Lunge

forward with your left leg and lower your body by flexing
the right knee and hip until your right knee almost
touches the floor. Keep your torso upright throughout.
Your lead knee should point in the same direction as your
foot and shouldn’t move further forward than your toes.
Return to the start position. Repeat with the other leg.
Backward lunge: stand with your legs shoulder-width
apart. Step back with your right foot and lower into a
lunge – your right knee should almost touch the ground
and your left thigh should be parallel to the ground. Keep
your back straight and your left knee over your toes.
Return to start position and repeat on the other leg.
Sets/reps Two sets of 10-15 lunges.

092 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 BEST
41) STEP-UP MOVES
Works the quads and glutes
Place your left foot onto a bench and push
up through your heel to lift yourself up,
bringing your right foot through in front 42) LATERAL
of you. Step back down with your JUMP
right foot, concentrating on flexing Teaches you
the hip and knee of your left leg. how to minimise
Repeat on the other side. impact on landing
Sets/reps Two sets of 10-15 reps. Place a broom on the
ground and jump over it
quickly side to side,
staying on the ground as
little as possible. To add
difficulty, replace the pole
with something higher,
such as a foam roller (as
shown) – the added
height creates a bigger
challenge. Sets/reps
Three sets of 10 jumps.

43) STAR TOUCH

Improves hamstring and glute flexibility (b)
Stand with your feet wide, toes pointing forward.
Keeping your legs straight, reach your right hand
across your body and try to touch your left toe.
Return to the start position, then repeat on the
other side. Sets/reps 10 reps on each side.

(a)

45) JUMP
(b) SQUAT
Strengthens your
glutes to power you
through runs and
(a)
reduce strain on
your knees and hips
With your feet turned out
slightly and your arms
extended out in front of
you, lower down into a
squat position until your
bum is just lower than
your knees (a). Jump up
quickly (b), landing as
44) PLYOMETRIC LUNGE softly as possible without
Works the muscles of your entire lower body letting your knees fall in
(c)
Lunge forward with your right foot, lowering down until toward each other.
your left knee almost touches the ground, and swinging Sets/reps Two sets
your left arm forward (a). Explosively push up off the of 10 reps.
ground and switch legs in midair (b), landing with your
left leg forward (c). Repeat on the opposite side. That’s
one rep. Sets/reps Two sets of 15 reps.

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 BEST
MOVES

46) SINGLE-LEG DIRECTIONAL HOP

Improves ankle and knee stability for
a stronger push-off and landing
Standing on your left leg, with your right knee folded
back, hop forward, landing softly. Hop back to the start,
then hop diagonally (halfway between 10 and 11 on an
imaginary clock face) and back to the centre point. Hop to
the left (9 o’clock) and return to the start. That’s one rep.
Sets/reps 10-15 reps on each leg.

50) CALF DROP

Works the calf
muscles and
Achilles tendons
Stand on the edge of a
step. Push up with both
feet into a calf raise. Lift
one leg and slowly lower
your other leg so your
heel drops below the step.
47) BODY SAW Return to the start.
Improves mobility of the toe joints; Sets/reps 10 reps on
also strengthens the core each foot.
Start in a plank position on your forearms. Push your heels
back so you feel a stretch in your calves. Then shift your
body forward so that your shoulders move beyond your
elbows, rocking from the balls of your feet to your toes.
Sets/reps Perform move for 30 seconds, repeat.

(a)

48) HEEL/TOE
WALK
Strengthens calf
muscles to better
absorb the impact (b)
of running
Walk with your forefoot
off the ground (a),
then walk back on 49) TOE TOWEL CURL
your tiptoes (b). Works the toe flexor muscles that run along your arch
Sets/reps Two sets of to increase overall foot strength
10 steps on heels, two sets Lay a small hand towel on the floor, and place one foot on it. Using just your toes, scrunch
of 10 steps on toes. the towel toward you, hold, then slowly push it away from you back to the start position.
Sets/reps Two sets of 10 reps on each foot.

094 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

RW PROMOTION

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CHOICE
LETS GET
TRACKING
Looking for a gadget to manage your training
and general activity? We tested 12 fitness bands
to see which will keep you on the move
runnersworld.co.uk
EDITOR’S
Moov Now
£45, welcome.move.cc
The genuinely innovative and useful
Moov Now was by far the most capable
fitness tool for runners in our test. A
comfortable wearable band that tracks
daily activity and sleep, it also pairs
with an app to become a training tool
for five sports – running, cycling,
swimming, cardio box and a seven-
minute body-weight workout. The real
smarts come from sensors that track
even the most minor movements of
your arms and legs. This enables you to
measure the usual metrics such as pace,
as well as cadence, landing impact and
the range of motion of each leg while
you run. Similar sport-specific insights
are provided for the other activities.
There’s real-time audio coaching, too,
keeping you on pace during your
interval-based training sessions and
giving form-fixing tips – such as ‘keep
going’ and ‘shorten your stride’ – while
you run. Throw in a six-month battery
life and an eye-catching design and
you’ve got one of the best fitness
tools we’ve seen in a while.
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 099
 Garmin Vivofit 2
£90, garmin.com
The Vivofit 2 is built to last. The
replaceable battery will run for a year
and the soft silicone strap means this
device can take a fair bit of rough
treatment. (You could also wear it
swimming.) Fitness-wise, you can
monitor steps, distance, time and BEST FOR:
BATTERY
calories, and there’s an optional LIFE
heart-rate monitor. There’s sleep
tracking, too, although the data
is limited. The band syncs to the
Garmin Connect app/site via your
smartphone to unlock social features
such as group challenges. The Vivofit
stops short of being a real-time run
tracker, but for logging daily activity
its simplicity is hard to beat.

Basis Peak Jawbone UP3

£170, mybasis.com
Styled like a normal digital watch but
with many extra features – including
activity, heart-rate, skin-temperature
and perspiration sensors – the Basis
Peak is close to being a brilliant
fitness-tracker-cum-smartwatch.
Sadly, the lack of GPS means your
distance and pace stats are inaccurate.
Its ability to sense the difference
between walking and running (and
cycling) would be excellent, but every
time you stop and go at a pedestrian
crossing, the Peak thinks you’ve started
a new run, leaving you with lots of mini
sets of unusable stats. Smartphone
notifications are good, while sleep
tracking has more detail than most,
and there’s a four-day battery life.
£130, jawbone.com
The smallest, most advanced tracker
yet from Jawbone, the UP3 tracks
everything from walking to running,
cycling and even yoga, as well as sleep.
It also has sweat and body-temperature
sensors to make slumber and heart-rate
tracking more accurate. However, your
heart rate is only taken during sleep
and first thing in the morning, so there
are no zone-training options. The lack
of display means you are forced to
rely on the partner smartphone app
for insights – there’s no real-time
running data, for example – but that
does offer myriad tips on diet and
training to gently edge you towards
healthier lifestyle decisions.

BEST FOR:
SLEEP
TRACKING

100 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk

 GEAR
Epson Pulsense
PS-500
£110, Epson.co.uk
Epson is still relatively new to the
running game and, unfortunately, it
shows. While there’s a lot to like about
the Pulsense 500 – such as built-in
heart-rate monitoring, which powers a
range of clever BPM-based features
(including zone training and an accurate
calorie-burn estimate) – it’s badly let
down by a lack of GPS, uninspired design
and a screen that’s often tough to
read when you are on the move.
If you’re after an activity tracker that’ll
tell you when you’re burning fat or
building aerobic capacity, this might
be what you’re looking for, but don’t
expect accurate distance or real-time
pace. Epson still has some way to go.

Runtastic Orbit
£79.99, runtastic.com
This activity tracker features a tech pod
that pops into either a belt clip or
a rubber wristband. It’ll track metrics
such as steps, calories and active
minutes – the times when the sensors
pick up that you’re taking steps or
moving at a certain speed. It displays
your vitals via a fingernail-sized screen, BEST FOR:
or can be paired with the Runtastic 24-HOUR
ACTIVITY
running app, an excellent runner’s tool, TRACKING
with the Pro version well worth the £5
upgrade. While the Orbit is a capable
fitness band, as a runner’s gadget it’s
limited by the small screen, and lack
of built-in GPS and heart monitor.
However, Runtastic offers a well-priced
(under £40) heart rate-monitor belt
for the more serious runner.

V Fitbit Charge
£100, fitbit.com
The Fitbit Charge is all about 24/7
activity tracking, aiming to motivate
you to move more and sleep better,
rather than improve your running.
Motion sensors keep tabs on your
daily steps, an altimeter tracks how
many flights of stairs you’ve climbed
Words Kieran Alger Photography Agata Pec

and, unlike a lot of sleep trackers,

it’ll automatically detect when you
nod off at night. There is run tracking,
but only by piggybacking your
smartphone’s GPS to use the FitBit
app’s MobileRun. It’s one of the more
comfortable devices to wear for
long periods and the battery lasts
7-10 days. If heart-rate monitoring is
important, it’s worth spending £20
more for the new Charge HR version.

11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 101


V Samsung Gear Fit
£77, samsung.com/uk
A cross between a smartwatch and a
fitness tracker, with a beautiful curved
HD colour display, the Gear Fit is loaded
with smart tech. Not only can you track
walking, running and sleeping, but you
can also read emails, texts, see calls
and get third-party-app notifications.
There’s a heart-rate monitor to offer
zone training for more tailored
workouts, and a feature that uses your
recent data to suggest what your next
session should be. Apps such as Nike+
and Endomondo have been tailored to
display neatly on the screen, provided
you carry your smartphone. The big
downside? The Gear Fit only works
with other Samsung devices.
102 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
BEST FOR:
A RUNNING
SMART-
WATCH
V Microsoft Band
£150, microsoftstore.com
The Microsoft band is a great example
of a wearable that’s trying to do it all.
A fitness band, a smartwatch and a
running watch (you can even use it to
tap and pay at Starbucks), it’s crammed
with sensors to track everything from
daily steps to run stats. It has optical
heart-rate sensors for strap-free zone
training, and a built-in GPS means you
can leave your phone at home. Other
features include the ability to send
training sessions to the band from your
phone and you can race against your
best times on recent routes. Battery life
isn’t great – with heavy use it will need
daily charging – and the clunky design
will bug minimalist-inclined runners.
V Huawei Talkband B2
£170, gethuawei.com
A familiar mix of step, distance, c
alories and sleep counting, the B2
is a classic ‘lifestyle’ tracking
band, with an odd twist. The hybrid
functionality lets you pop the metallic
module out of the strap and plug it
in your ear, turning it from a wrist-
based fitness tracker to a hands-free
headset. It’s a nice idea, but how many
runners would want to stop mid-run to
reconfigure their fitness band so they
can take a phone call? The B2’s makers
also claim it automatically detects
activities such as running, walking and
cycling, but it failed to pick up a single
run for us. The battery life is solid and
you can pair your data with MyFitnessPal
for a detailed view of your progress.
@runnersworlduk
 GEAR
Withings
Activité Pop
£119.95, withings.com
The Activité Pop is the least sporty of
all our options on review, eschewing the
digital in favour of analogue to produce
a stylish watch that doubles as a basic
activity tracker. Your daily movement
is logged on the accompanying
Healthmate app, where you can also
set targets, and the percentage of the
targets you hit is displayed on the 1-100
dial on the watchface. This elegant a
device also features vibration alarms
(for periods of inactivity), sleep tracking
and Bluetooth syncing so you can dig
into your stats on your connected
smartphone. The eight-month battery
is a bonus and the chic retro look (it
comes in a variety of colours) makes
this one stand out from the crowd.

Apple Watch Sport

From £299.99, apple.co.uk
This much-heralded wearable is the
ultimate lifestyle manager: it performs
most of the functions your iPhone does
(NB: there’s no point getting an Apple
Watch if you don’t have an iPhone 5 or
later), including receiving and making
calls, receiving texts, emails and
notifications and being able to reply
using voice commands and syncing
with most of the apps on your phone
– you can even pay for items using
Apple Pay. The activity tracker monitors
your daily movement in three ways:
Move (calorie counter), Stand (tracks
how sedentary you are and prompts
you to stand up every hour) and
Exercise (how much time you’ve spent
moving at anything other than an
amble). A Workout app lets you to
choose from a list of exercises and it
syncs with an accelerometer, GPS in the
phone and the optical heart monitor in
the watch to give you a more detailed
breakdown of your activity. It’s intuitive
and the high-spec hardware is a joy,
but the fitness functions are better
suited to beginners and those who are
looking for lifestyle changes rather
than more committed exercisers; and
the need to charge the watch every
night will be a pain for many.

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 103

 GEAR
ON TEST

BAG OF
TRICKS
A sport-specific holdall with all the
compartments you’ll ever need

Ogio Endurance 9.0

£129.99, ogiobags.co.uk
Dimensions 32cm x 68cm x 31cm
Pockets 18 Capacity 80L
Make digging through your kit bag a thing of
the past with this extremely well designed
holdall. It’s not cheap, but for the hefty price
you get a solid mobile home for everything
you need when you’re training or racing.

Reinforced shell Separate pocket

pocket to protect for wet or smelly kit
delicate items such
as sunglasses Reinforced section
for swimming kit/
External bike- towel/wetsuit
helmet strap
Tarpaulin base
Ventilated shoe for durability and
pocket that can store water-resistance
two pairs of shoes
Adjustable shoulder
Two exterior straps, which allow
water- bottle pockets you to carry it like a
backpack (as shown)
Interior valuables
pocket for easy High-vis fabric for
access to small items low-light commuting

RW verdict
The numerous compartments were easy
to access and the bag stood up to being
dropped, kicked and generally mishandled
over three months of gym workouts and
races around the country, without showing
any signs of wear. The only slight negative
was the mid-90s-style colour palette.

60-SECOND GEAR GUIDE

Words Kerry McCarthy Photography Agata Pec

MAKE A GOOD CALL

Three secure phone-carrying options to keep you in constant touch

Incipio Sports Armband Nathan SonicMount Belkin Sport-Fit

From £10.30 plus £5 £27.99, nathansports.com Armband
shipping, incipio.com This has ‘no-slip slide locks’ £19.99, johnlewis.com
Light and with a soft band that grip the sides of your This is a good option if you
that’s quick-drying, this phone and can be adjusted have an iPhone 6, 6+ or an
comes in a range of sizes to to suit different widths of Android phone of similar
fit various iPhones and iPod device. The grip is vice-like size. The armband is light
Touches. The see-through and the whole screen is left and the neoprene band
cover allows easy access. free for easy access. stays firmly in one place.

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 105

 ROUTE RECCE P 113 TAKE YOUR PICK P 114 RACE FINDER P 121

LET YOUR TRAINING LO OSE

DEAD
ON THEIR
FEET
Running courses can be tough
but things get really messy when
hungry zombies are on the loose.
Tobias Mews faces the fear

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 109

 GORE EXERCISE
Nothing like being
ESCAPE ROUTE chased by the
Zombies are undead to make
easily distracted you feel alive

Y
ou get all sorts of hideous called to attention by a chap dressed as a
facial expressions at races. military sergeant who explained that
THE RUNDOWN
The effort required to push there had been a zombie apocalypse and
yourself up a hill, over a stile, emergency procedures had been put in
across a boggy field or along place. Our task was to try to make it across Zombie
a marathon course means some gurning the parkland to the military compound
and grimacing is par for the course. (and thus protection) without being taken
Evacuation
But I had never before encountered a out by any of the undead. Run
chap standing in my way, missing a left Each runner had three Velcro lifebelts London (2014 stats)
arm and with gore dripping from his attached at the waist. Those who reached
scarred face and bloodstained teeth. the other side without all three being First male
Ordinarily this would be an deeply snatched by the undead would receive a survivor
alarming moment, but it’s only to be ‘survivor’ medal. The unlucky would get a David
expected when you’re taking part in one of medal declaring them ‘infected’ and they’d Sandford,
24:28
the many Zombie chase events that have be taken off to a corral to be hosed down
been popping up around the country over First male
the past couple of years. It’s not yet an Infected
epidemic, but the virus is spreading.
This one, the Zombie Evacuation Race
Aren’t zombies Denver
Anderson,
in northwest London, is one of the biggest,
and it’s enormous fun. I turned up to the
race village at Allianz Park in Hendon
supposed to 24:25

First female
unsure what to expect: the course looked
like a post-apocalyptic landscape, with an
move slowly? survivor
Alessandra
Distefano,
apparently disused military compound at 28:28
one end and a bunch of twitchy-looking with ‘zombie antidote spray’.
Photography Epic Action Photography

runners (or ‘evacuees’, as we were called)
corralled at the other. In-between were
five kilometres of woodland, fields,
shrubbery, barbed wire, fences, streams
and plenty of other places for zombies
to lay low and take us by surprise. A
blanket of smoke was drifting slowly
and unnervingly across the course.
As we stood in small groups, speculating
on the horrors that lay ahead, we were
Runners who register for the race can First female
sign up to be a zombie or an evacuee, so if infected
being chased down by gore-drenched Fiona Love,
creatures is not your thing you can still get 24:33
involved by going to town with some stage
make-up and getting your shuffle on – Last finisher 3:14:18
indeed, the organisers had laid on a team No of starters and
of make-up artists on the day for those finishers 1,439
zombies who felt that they needed to (100% finished)
up the gore factor at the last minute.

110 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk


Being an ultra-marathon runner, I
generally spend my time tackling 100K
races rather than trying to dash through
a 5K, but while this was clearly not as
testing on my mental stamina, it sure
felt as if my adrenaline levels were hitting
new highs. Crawling army-style under
barbed wire, wondering if one of the
undead was going to jump out just
as I was face-down on the ground was
surprisingly stressful (and knackering),
as was leaping over a six-foot wall with
no idea what was on the other side.
Rain the previous night had turned
much of the course into one giant bog so
when I did encounter a hideous figure
making a speedy beeline for me (aren’t
zombies supposed to move slowly?), it
was actually pretty tricky to put on a
burst of speed or sidestep like Jonny
Wilkinson to make your escape.
This is where tactics came in. Rather
than trying to keep going at top speed
from start to finish, I found it was smarter
(and much safer) to hang back a bit and
allow my fellow evacuees to act as bait
for the undead. Once I saw that plenty
of nearby zombies had others in their
sights, I’d sneak forward a few hundred
metres before pausing to scope out the
lay of the land once again. The ruse
worked far better than I expected and to
my surprise I found myself coming home
in second place among the survivors.
While I allowed my heart rate to return
to normal at the military base, race
runnersworld.co.uk
LIVING PROOF
Being among the
undead can be fun
ORANGE ALERT
Stay calm and
make your
terrified way to
the nearest exit
director Jon Ford explained to me how club runners looking for something less
the race came into being. pressured and more fun; obstacle-race
‘Myself and my business partner had devotees; fans of fancy dress; and zombie
worked in events for years and saw the aficionados. It was interesting to talk to
obstacle-race industry as mostly the traditional running types, in particular
preserve of fitness fanatics,’ he said. ‘We – their scepticism about this type of
wanted to create a fun race that was more ‘gimmick’ had been overcome and in this
entry level and had appeal to families, and type of event they saw a link back to one
that would get them off their couches. At of the reasons they’d started running in
a late-night brainstorming session our the first place: to have fun.
other passion – zombies – somehow got The consensus, it seemed, was that the
bound up in the discussion and we started best way to feel truly alive was to spend a
to think “What if…” and so here we are.’ bit of quality time with the undead.
Chatting to other runners it was clear
that the field was made up of people from O Run it The next Zombie
all backgrounds: non-exercisers looking Evacuation Race is on October 31
to kick-start a fitness routine; burnt-out Zombieevacuation.com
LIKE THE SOUND OF THIS? T R Y. . .
THRILLER RUN ZOMBIE ZOMBIE EARTH
Gloucestershire SURVIVAL RUN East Midlands
(2016, date tbc) Cheshire (Oct. 17) (May 2016)
Yorkshire (Oct. 31)
Jump, crawl, sprint and A mini-series of three events
climb your way to safety Try to get as few blood- (Apocalypse, Origin and
by tackling 23 obstacles stained zombie handprints Prison Break) that require
(Death Alley, Tunnels of as possible on your white you to solve problems as
Blood, that sort of thing), T-shirt while running well as use your speed
and avoiding the fleet- through Marbury Park and agility to avoid the
footed undead in a field (Cheshire) or Ripley zombies, who move
in Cheltenham. Castle (Yorkshire). at different speeds.
Thrillerrun.co.uk Zombiesurvivalrun.co.uk Zombieearth.co.uk
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 111
 RACE
ROUTE RECCE C LOW N E H A L F M A R AT H O N

Race organiser MILE 10 You’ll spot

Dennis Learad the 12th-century
guides you along this St Lawrence’s Church
undulating slice of in Whitwell. It’s the
rural Derbyshire village where former
snooker and billiards
START The race world champion Joe
11 begins on a closed Davis was born.
12
road outside Clowne’s
10 community centre. MILE 12 After
Clowne is a former heading back along
mining village whose the Chesterfield Road,
pit closed in the late you’ll finish, pleasingly,
1920s after a flood. on a steady downhill
9 so you can really
MILE 1 You’re open out your stride
13
immediately on a before getting some
START gradual climb hot food and a hot
into the Derbyshire shower at the finish.
countryside. To
B
FINISH A your right you’ll INSIDE STORY
8
catch a glimpse of Dennis Learad says:
Bolsover Castle (A). ‘The race is celebrating
its 30th anniversary
A MILE 3 There’s an this year. Numbers
enjoyable fast descent have swelled in recent
1 7 towards Bolsover times and we usually
Moor. Much of this sell out our 800
area makes up the places. Its popularity is
constituency of Labour down to many factors.
MP Dennis Skinner, One is a lack of half
6
aka the ‘Beast marathons around
of Bolsover’. here at this time of the
year. Another is that
MILE 4 You head we’re very reasonably
2 through the farming priced, at £16, which
village of Whaley. includes chip timing.
5
Look out for the And £1 of every entry
old waterworks; goes to Sheffield’s
its renovation was Bluebell Woods
4 featured in the Children’s Hospice. We
Channel 4 series offer loads of great
3 B Grand Designs. prizes – there are the
finishers’ ones,
MILE 6 Elmton’s including a £250
main claim to fame sports watch for the
is that it’s where first woman home.
Jedediah Buxton lived There are prizes for
and died. In the 1700s, the runner who
THE RUNDOWN
this farm labourer finishes 200th, 300th
achieved fame as a and so on, as well
Clowne Half Finishing stats
self-taught maths as spot prizes, so
genius. There’s a everyone gets a
Marathon
Words Adrian Monti Illustration Hans Van Der Maarel

O 1:10-1:30 10% plaque in his honour chance of taking one

Derbyshire (2014 stats) O 1:30-1:45 29% in the village. home. The course is
First man Chris Jordon 1:12:30 O 1:45-2:00 32% quite up and down,
First woman Emily Collinge 1:15:02 O 2:00-2:30 27%
MILE 8 After taking but the runners enjoy
No. of finishers 631 (100%) O 2:30-3:00 2%
the road under the going through some
railway line, you’ll lovely countryside with
reach Creswell. To your a few quaint villages
200 right is Creswell Crags along the way.’
ELEVATION (M)

150 (B), a limestone gorge

100 containing several O Run it The 2015 race
50
caves that were is on November 22.
occupied in the last For more details,
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Ice Age. Today it’s a visit runnersworld.
DISTANCE (MILES)
tourist attraction. co.uk/clowne

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 113

RACE
TA K E YO U R P I C K
The good-natured festive plods and pudding races will soon be upon us, so use
November well: there are plenty of speedy options to help you bag a late-season PB
November 8
Scenic 7
Suffolk
This countryside beauty is a great
confidence builder for beginners
pushing beyond 10K and it’s also
the perfect race for attacking
your seven-mile PB (you do have
one of those, right?). There are a
couple of small bumps to make it
more interesting, but the downhill
stretches make up for it.
Runnersworld.co.uk/scenic7
Grand Union
Canal Half
Middlesex
Britain’s network of waterways
hold a secret that city runners
have long known about (no,
it’s not the whereabouts of the
nation’s abandoned shopping
trollies): they’re flat, uncrowded
and often scenic. This slick half
up the Grand Union from
Uxbridge is a perfect example.
Runnersworld.co.uk/guchalf
Glasgow moRun 5K
Scotland
It’s Movember and that means
that runners will be sporting
false or real hairy moustaches
in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.
Accompanying the month-long
Tom Selleck love-in is a series of
5K and 10K runs around the UK,
including this one in Glasgow
Green. If you don’t make this race
your PB for the year, there’s no
reason why you can’t notch it up
as your fastest time in a tache.
Runnersworld.co.uk/glasgowmo5
November 14
Raceways Autumn
Shakespeare Half
Warwickshire
This is one course that’s used
to nothing but super-fast times;
it’s usually used as a drag-racing
venue. So take your inspiration
from the hot rods that are
normally found blasting around
Long Marston Airfield and have
one final tilt at half-marathon
glory in 2015. It’s one of the
flattest routes in the country,
so you can fire on all cylinders
and go for one last burn-up.
Runnersworld.co.uk/rashalf
114 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
B E T T E R L AT E T H A N N E V E R
ROAD TEST
A perfect race for November 15
those chasing a PB Age UK Leeds
Abbey Dash
West Yorkshire
The race directors of this one
know their onions: include the
word ‘dash’ in the title of your
event and it will surely grab the
attention of PB-hunters. Speed
freaks will love the flat, closed
city streets that are perfect for
racing. But this one is ideal
for first-timers, too. Another
reason to turn up? The race
is 30 years old this year.
Runnersworld.co.uk/leedsabbey
Gosport Half
Marathon
Hampshire
This late-season coastal half is
COAST WITH
THE MOST
much loved and there are plenty
A late-season of reasons for that: the route
favourite is varied, with pleasant views
along the Hampshire seafront;
it’s reasonably priced; and you
get a large wodge of cake in
your goody bag. Need more
encouragement? In the reviews
on runnersworld.co.uk two words
keep turning up: fast and flat.
Runnersworld.co.uk/Gosport
Skegness 10K
Lincolnshire
To people of a certain age
Skegness will always conjure up
images of childhood seaside
holidays featuring icy plunges
in murky waters. Now it’s also a
great spot to nab a late 10K. This
HALF CLOWN… race was first run last year, when
half runner; numbers were limited to 200
all sinister
– there’ll be 500 this year.
Runnersworld.co.uk/skegness10k
November 22
Capital Runners
Bushy Park 10K
London
Mo Farah used to run in the park
and various Kenyan elites have
been spotted training here over
the years, too. It’s also become
known as a place for Londoners
to bag themselves a PB. This
Words Johnny Dee
multiterrain 10K is flat, open and
traffic-free, making it ideal for
those seeking a fast time, and
it’s great for newcomers, too.
Runnersworld.co.uk/caprunbp10
@runnersworlduk

RACE
THE BEST UK EVENT S IN NOVEMBER
Your top rated
November’s best races
as voted for by you*
1 When November 22
99%
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
HELL OF A HILL MARATHONS
When November 11-15
Where Lancashire
‘High five’ has a completely different
meaning in Bolton: five marathons
over five days to test your stamina
and endurance – and also to see how
much of a nutter you are compared
with your running buddies. p123
2 THAMES MEANDER
98%
•URBAN •RURAL •HILLY
DEEPDALE DASH 10K
When November 1
Where North Lincolnshire
A great run for beginners,
with tremendous support,
minimal hills and a fine
goody bag at the end. It’s
also an ideal race for those
looking to beat their PBs,
with a modest but buzzy
field of 350. p121
How to use Race Finder
It’s pretty easy – just follow the key below. Calendars at the ready!
Race Finder lists
UK races that take
place during the
month stated on
the cover, at the
least. This issue
features races
from Sunday,
November 1 to
Sunday, December 6.
Simply look up
when you want to
race and find that
day’s events listed
by region. Info is
provided by race
organisers and may
be edited because
Words Charlie Hanson
of space. Find more
extensive listings
and an interactive
search tool at
runnersworld.co.uk/
events. Just log on
and sign up!
runnersworld.co.uk
RACE FINDER
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1
BERKSHIRE
•TRAIL
THE 10MILE MUDDY MORUN 2015 (+)
VENUE The Lookout, Discovery Park, Swinley Forest,
FINDER Bracknell, 10am CONTACT David Krangel; 020 8144 0797;
07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com; muddy.mo-running.
com/ COST £25 C/D 25/10 E/D NO
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL
MARLOW HALF MARATHON (+)
VENUE Marlow Sports Club, Pound Lane, Marlow,
9:30am CONTACT Marlow Half Marathon; marlowhalf@
marlowstriders.co.uk; www.marlowhalfmarathon.co.uk
COST £22/£24 C/D 22/10 E/D YES. £28.50
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL •FLAT
LODE HALF MARATHON (+)
3 4 VENUE Fassage Hall, Lode, Cambridge, 10am CONTACT
Tessa Shrubbs; 01223 81tr1 812; lodefarm@aol.com; www.
loderunners.co.uk COST £21/£23 C/D 24/10 E/D YES. £25
97% 95% CUMBRIA
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY •TRAIL •RURAL •ROAD •RURAL
TRIONIUM BATH DIRT HALF MARATHON DERWENT WATER 10
VENUE Keswick School, Keswick, Noon CONTACT Phil
HILLY HALF CHALLENGE Winskill; 01768 744 803; derwentwater10@gmail.com;
When November 14 www.keswickac.org.uk COST £12/£14 C/D 24/10 E/D NO
Where Somerset Where Bedfordshire
DORSET
Hills, rocks and mud: three
ingredients that help to
make this a fantastic, if
This one’s got more different
types of terrain than you can
shake a muddy trail shoe at,
•ROAD •RURAL •HILLY
GILLINGHAM HILLY 7.5
VENUE Wyke Primary School, Deane Avenue,
exhausting, event. The but, fortunately, only one Gillingham, 11am CONTACT Inès Braun; 01935
chance to see runners hill of any significance. 816 396; GillinghamTrotters@hotmail.com; www.
gillinghamtrotters.talktalk.net COST £6/£8 C/D 24/10
staggering up and down The rest is a beautiful flat
E/D YES, +£2
Bath’s boggy hills always journey along the Grand
brings out the crowds. p125 Union Canal. p125 ESSEX
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL
BILLERICAY STRIDERS 10K
VENUE Hannakins Farm Community Centre, Rosebay
Avenue, Billericay, 9:45am CONTACT Janet and John
Pardon; 01277 840 224; jan.pardon@btinternet.com; www.
striders10k.billericaystriders.com COST £11/£13 C/D 24/10
5 E/D YES, +£2
88%
•TRAIL •RURAL •FLAT
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL
THRILLER RUN (+)
VENUE National Star, Ullenwood, Cheltenham, 1pm
CONTACT Nina Bartlett; 01242 524 478; afletcher@
1 2 MARATHON natstar.ac.uk; www.thrillerrun.co.uk/ COST £28 C/D
When November 7
Where Surrey
A tranquil trot along the
24/10 E/D NO
GREATER MANCHESTER
•TRAIL •FLAT
4 Thames towpath from PEOPLE’S RUN 2 REMEMBER 5K (FOG LANE PARK)
Kingston to Putney and VENUE Fog Lane Park, Parrswood Road, Didsbury, 11am
5 back, with a chance to CONTACT Jim Cowan; 03330 115 090; hello@peoplesrun
see rowers, kayakers, 2remember.com; www.peoplesrun2remember.com COST
3 stand-up paddle-boarders £16 E/D NO
and more en route. p123 HEREFORDSHIRE
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL •FLAT
HEREFORD CITY 10K
VENUE Near ASDA, Belmont Road, Hereford, 9am
CONTACT Nathan Poolton; dorstonerunner@hotmail.
com; www.peakperformanceevents.co.nf COST £13 C/D
*Taken from RW online 2014 ratings 13/10 E/D NO
HERTFORDSHIRE
•ROAD •URBAN
STEVENAGE HALF MARATHON
VENUE Ridlins Stadium, Woodcock Road, Stevenage,
10am CONTACT Stevenage Half Marathon Team; shm@
fvspartans.org.uk; www.fvspartans.org.uk COST £22/£24
E/D NO
Key RACE NAME RACE TYPE ADDITIONAL KENT
to race 5Ks, 10Ks, half The kind of terrain RACES •ROAD •URBAN •FLAT
marathons and and surroundings: The event THE DEAL CASTLE 5 MILE (+)
entries marathons are road, trail, hilly, flat, offers more RW online entry VENUE Deal Sea Scout Hut, Marine Road, Deal, 11am
clearly shown. urban and rural. races than the
Signing up for events CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009; martin@nice-
Numbers only (eg one stated,
such as shorter work.org.uk; www.dealtri.co.uk COST £9/£10 C/D 24/10
5, 20) represent the marked with this flash E/D YES. £11/£13
distance in miles. fun runs or a
children’s race. couldn’t be simpler.
Go to runnersworld. LANCASHIRE
co.uk/events and search •TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL
SATURDAY OCTOBER 14 PEOPLE’S RUN 2 REMEMBER 5K (ACCRINGTON)
LEICESTERSHIRE for the race you want to VENUE St John’s CE Primary School, Baxenden,
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL enter by name. 11:30am CONTACT Jim Cowan; 03330 115 090;
LEICESTER MARATHON (+) Click ‘Enter Online’. hello@peoplesrun2remember.com; www.
VENUE Victoria Park, Leicester, 9:15am CONTACT Christian Weikert- Select the category peoplesrun2remember.com COST £16 C/D 18/10 E/D NO
Picker; 0116 231 8484; christianweikert-picker@loros.co.uk; www.
leicestermarathon.org.uk COST £26/£29 C/D 30/9 E/D YES. £50 of race you wish to LEICESTERSHIRE
enter (whether you are •TRAIL •RURAL •FLAT
affiliated to a running club PEOPLE’S RUN 2 REMEMBER 5K
or non-affiliated). (ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH)
COST CLOSING DATE ENTRY ON DAY ORGANISER’S VENUE New Hicks Lodge, Willesley, Swadlincote,
Enter your details and 11am CONTACT Jim Cowan; 03330 115 090; hello@
The first figure is for Closing date Is it possible to turn CONTACT DETAILS pay online.
entrants belonging for entries, if up, pay and run? Who you should peoplesrun2remember.com; www.peoplesrun2remember.
to a UKA-affiliated applicable. If yes, and it costs speak to if you have Then you’ll be sent a com COST £16 C/D 18/10 E/D NO
running club. The more to do this, it’s any queries about confirmation email.
second is for non- usually stated. the event. It’s as simple as that. LINCOLNSHIRE
affiliated runners. •URBAN •RURAL •HILLY
DEEPDALE DASH
VENUE Baysgarth School, Barrow Road, Barton upon
11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 121
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by readers of Runner’s World

Sunday 22nd
May 2016
*New for 2016: Half Marathon*
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 RACE FINDER

WEST MIDLANDS
Humber, DN18 6AE
, 11am CONTACT www.barton-district-ac.co.uk COST
£15/£17 C/D 25/10 E/D –
•ROAD •FLAT
CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION 10K (+)
Where’s the
•TRAIL •RURAL •FLAT
VENUE Cannon Hill Park, Moseley, Birmingham,
9:30am CONTACT Martin Foster; 07885 807 317;
action?
PEOPLE’S RUN 2 REMEMBER 5K (LINCOLN) martin.foster2@virgin.net; martin.foster2@virgin.net November’s 180 events
VENUE Riseholme Campus, Lincoln, 11am CONTACT Jim COST £18/£20 E/D NO broken down by region 6
Cowan; 03330 115 090; hello@peoplesrun2remember.
com; www.peoplesrun2remember.com COST £16 C/D YORKSHIRE
18/10 E/D NO •TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL
WHITE ROSE ULTRA (+)
Scotland / 6
2
41
LONDON VENUE Marsden CC, Mount Road, Huddersfield, 8am North / 41
CONTACT wane law; 01484 599 123; 07717 711 343; info@
•ROAD
EMER CASEY LONDON 10K teamoa.co.uk; www.whiteroseultra.co.uk COST £45 C/D Midlands / 36 36
VENUE Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, London, 9:30am 15/10 E/D YES, +£15 9 4
CONTACT Mr Ward; emercaseylondon10k@gmail.com; East / 4
www.emercaseyfoundation.com COST £14/£16 C/D 24/10
E/D YES, £18
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 4
LEICESTERSHIRE
•ROAD
South / 65
Southwest / 17 17
65
•ROAD THE 3RD LEICESTER CITY 5K WINTER SERIES
THE MORNINGTON CHASERS REGENT’S PARK RACE ONE Wales / 9
GRAND PRIX 10K WINTER SERIES RACE TWO VENUE Victoria Park, London Road, Leicester, 7:30pm Northern Ireland / 2
VENUE Regent’s Park, Start location is near The Hub, CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009; martin@
London, 9:10am CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009; nice-work.org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST £9/£11
martin@nice-work.org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST E/D YES, +£1
£15/£17 C/D 27/10 E/D YES. £20 •TRAIL SCOTLAND
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5 ROBIN HOOD 10K (+) •TRAIL •FLAT
•ROAD •FLAT KENT VENUE Sherwood Pines, Nottingham, Noon CONTACT THE 10K MORUN GLASGOW 2015 +_)
TRICK OR TREAT RUN •ROAD Linda Hamilton; 01427 718 888; info@onestepbeyond. VENUE Glasgow Green, Glasgow, 10am CONTACT David
VENUE Richmond Park, Richmond, 10am CONTACT THE GRAVESEND FLOODLIT 10K SERIES (+) org.uk; www.onestepbeyond.org.uk COST £15/£17 C/D Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.
humanrace.co.uk COST £15/£25 E/D YES VENUE Cyclopark, The Tollgate, Wrotham Road, 24/10 E/D YES, +£5 com; glasgow.mo-running.com/ COST £20 C/D 2/11
Gravesend, 7:30pm CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 E/D NO
MERSEYSIDE 009; 01797 230 572; info@nice-work.org.uk; www.nice- SCOTLAND
•ROAD •RURAL •FLAT work.org.uk COST £9/£11 E/D YES, +£2 •TRAIL •FLAT SUFFOLK
NORTON PRIORY 5 MILE RACE SUPERNOVA 5K - HELIX PARK, THE KELPIES •ROAD •RURAL
VENUE Norton Priory, Liverpool, 9am CONTACT Guy SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7 VENUE Helix Park, The Kelpies, Grangemouth, 7pm SCENIC 7
Roberts; guy@intervalraces.co.uk; www.intervalraces. CHESHIRE CONTACT GSi Events Ltd. Events Ltd.; info@gsi-events. VENUE Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre, Stowmarket,
co.uk COST £12/£14 C/D 20/10 E/D YES, +£2 •ROAD •RURAL •FLAT com; www.speedoflightrun.com COST £13.99/£15.99 9am CONTACT Chris Gladwell; racedirector@
CHESHIRE 10K E/D NO stowmarketstriders.co.uk; www.stowmarketstriders.org.
SHROPSHIRE VENUE Arley Hall, Antrobus, Warrington, 9:30am uk COST £10/£12 E/D YES, +£2
•TRAIL •RURAL CONTACT Ben Green; info@cheshire10k.com; www. •TRAIL
THE NOVEMBER NIGHTMARE 6 MARATHONS IN cheshire10k.com COST £14/£16 E/D NO THE 10K MORUN HOLYROOD PARK SURREY
6 DAYS EDINBURGH (+) 2015 •ROAD •URBAN •FLAT
VENUE Burroughs Bank, Lightmoor, Telford, 10am •TRAIL VENUE Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, 10am CONTACT David THORPE PARK 10K
CONTACT Denzil Martin; denzil@codrc.co.uk; PETZL NIGHT RUNNER – DELAMERE FOREST Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com; VENUE Thorpe Park, Thorpe Road, Chertsey, 9am
www.codrc.co.uk COST £160/£165 C/D 30/10 VENUE Delamere Forest Visitor Centre, Delamere, 7pm edinburgh.mo-running.com/ COST £20 C/D 1/11 E/D NO CONTACT Matt Chapman; 07545 317 609; tri.project@
E/D YES, £180/£192 CONTACT Chris Kitchin; www.thenightrunner.com COST live.co.uk; www.triproject.co.uk COST £16/£18 C/D 1/11
£25 E/D NO SURREY E/D YES, +£4
SOMERSET •TRAIL •RURAL •FLAT
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL •TRAIL •RURAL THAMES MEANDER MARATHON (+) TYNE & WEAR
WESTON SUPER MARE GRAND PIER WARRINGTON WAY 40 MILE TRAIL RACE (+) VENUE YMCA Hawker Centre, Lower Ham Road, •TRAIL •FLAT
HALF MARATHON VENUE Maple Lodge, May Queen Field Drive, Kingston, 10am CONTACT David Ross; 0798 454 0177; THE 10K MORUN EXHIBITION PARK
VENUE The Grand Pier, Marine Parade, Weston-Super- Pepper Street, Lymm, 7am CONTACT Kieran Walshe; info@hermesrunning.com ; www.hermesrunning.com NEWCASTLE 2015 (+)
Mare, 8am CONTACT Jarad Collard; vicky@freakevents. warringtonway@lymmrunners.org.uk; lymmrunners.org. COST £27/£29 C/D 2/11 E/D YES. £35 VENUE Exhibition Park, Newcastle, 10am CONTACT David
co.uk; www.freakevents.co.uk COST £27.50/£29.50 uk/warrington-way/ COST £25/£27 E/D NO Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com;
E/D NO YORKSHIRE newcastle.mo-running.com/ COST £20 C/D 2/11
DERBYSHIRE •TRAIL •RURAL E/D YES
STAFFORDSHIRE •ROAD •FLAT HARDMOORS 26.2 GOATHLAND MARATHON (+)
•ROAD •RURAL NO WALK IN THE PARK 5K (+) VENUE Goathland, 9am CONTACT Jonathan Steele; WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11
FLYING FOX 10 VENUE Queen’s Park, Cricket Pavilion, Chesterfield, 01937 830 677; 07909 797 872; info@hardmoors110.org.uk; LANCASHIRE
VENUE All Saints First School, Standon, 10:30am 9:30am CONTACT John Cannon; 01246 566 458; 07902 www.hardmoors110.org.uk COST £30 E/D NO •TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
CONTACT Thomas Johnson; races@stonemm.co.uk; 249 316; j.cannon846@btinternet.com; northderbyshirerc. HELL OF A HILL – 5 TOUGHEST MARATHONS
www.stonemm.co.uk/our-races COST £12/£14 C/D 25/9 jimdo.com/ COST £3/£5 E/D ONLY •TRAIL IN 5 DAYS
E/D YES, +£2 THE 10K MORUN ROUNDHAY PARK LEEDS 2015 VENUE Wilcocks Caravan Site, Dean Head Lane,
GLOUCESTERSHIRE VENUE Roundhay Park, Leeds, 10am CONTACT David Bolton, 9am CONTACT philip eccleston; 07533 828 533;
•TRAIL •RURAL •TRAIL •RURAL Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com; pecclestone1@sky.com; www.hillrunner.org.uk COST
THE WESTON PARK OBSTACLE CHALLENGE (+) AVON VALLEY RAILWAY 4/10K (+) leeds.mo-running.com/ COST £20 C/D 1/11 E/D NO £160/£170 C/D 1/11 E/D NO
VENUE Weston Park, Weston-under-Lizard, 10:15am VENUE Avon Valley Railway, Bitton Station, Road,
CONTACT Ryan Talbot; 07812 858 355; info@ Bitton, Bristol, 9am CONTACT Tony King; donna@ •TRAIL •TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
kickassendurance.co.uk; www.kickassendurance.co.uk aspirerunningevents.co.uk; www.aspirerunningevents. THE 5K MORUN ROUNDHAY PARK LEEDS 2015 HELL OF A HILL MARATHON DAY 1 SINGLE
COST £40 C/D 31/10 E/D YES, +£9 co.uk/project/2074/ COST £9.50/£11.50 E/D YES, +£2 VENUE Roundhay Park, Leeds, 10am CONTACT David ENTRY
Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com; VENUE Wilcocks Caravan Site, Rivington, Bolton, 9am
SUSSEX GREATER MANCHESTER leeds.mo-running.com/ COST £16 C/D 1/11 CONTACT philip eccleston; 07533 828 533; 07533 828
•ROAD •RURAL •TRAIL •URBAN •FLAT E/D NO 533; pecclestone1@sky.com; www.hillrunner.org.uk COST
THE 11TH BECKLEY 10K (+) MEN’S HEALTH SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST £32/£34 E/D NO
VENUE Village Centre, Main Street, Beckley, Rye, 11am MANCHESTER (+) SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8
CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009; info@nice-work. VENUE Etihad Stadium, Manchester, 10am CONTACT DERBYSHIRE THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12
org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST £13/£15 C/D 27/10 Rat Race; events@ratrace.com; www.mhsurvival.co.uk •TRAIL •RURAL GLOUCESTERSHIRE
E/D YES, +£2 COST £55 E/D NO PEAK DISTRICT TRAIL RUNNING SERIES - 4 (+) •TRAIL •RURAL
VENUE Thornbridge Outdoors, Bakewell, 8:30am NIGHT RACE 1 - RISING SUN INN
TYNE & WEAR HAMPSHIRE CONTACT Oliver Holmes; info@darkandwhite.co.uk; VENUE Rising Sun Inn, Moseley Green, Nr Lydney,
•ROAD •ROAD trailrunningpeaks.co.uk/ COST £12.50 C/D 1/11 E/D Forest Of Dean, 7:30pm CONTACT Paul Dodd; admin@
NEWCASTLE TOWN MOOR MARATHON RUN FOR HOT CHOCOLATE – 5KM YES, +£3 rogueruns.co.uk; www.rogueruns.co.uk COST £8/£10
VENUE Exhibition Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 9:30am (SOUTHAMPTON) E/D YES, +£2
CONTACT George Routledge; ntmmnevacsec2013@ VENUE Southampton Common,, 11am CONTACT Martyn GLOUCESTERSHIRE
hotmail.co.uk; www.northeastmarathonclub.co.uk COST Edwards; 07909 915 444; enquiries@runforchocolate. •TRAIL •RURAL LANCASHIRE
£17/£19 C/D 25/10 E/D NO co.uk; www.runforchocolate.co.uk COST £25 E/D NO THE EASY RUNNER SODBURY SLOG •TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
VENUE Chipping Sodbury, 11am CONTACT www. HELL OF A HILL MARATHON DAY 2 SINGLE ENTRY
•ROAD HERTFORDSHIRE sodburyslog.co.uk COST TBC E/D NO VENUE Wilcocks Caravan Site, Rivington, Bolton,
PEOPLE’S RUN 2 REMEMBER 5K (SUNDERLAND) •TRAIL •RURAL 9am CONTACT philip eccleston; 07533 828 533;
VENUE Silksworth Sports Complex, Sunderland, DRUID CHALLENGE RIDGEWAY ULTRA 82, 2015 LONDON pecclestone1@sky.com; www.hillrunner.org.uk COST
11am CONTACT Jim Cowan; 03330 115 090; hello@ (3 DAY MULTI-STAGE) •TRAIL •RURAL •FLAT £32/£34 C/D 1/11 E/D NO
peoplesrun2remember.com; www.peoplesrun2remember. VENUE Ivinghoe Beacon, Tring, 10am CONTACT GRAND UNION CANAL HALF MARATHON
com COST £16 C/D 18/10 E/D NO Brian Thubron; 07801 244 628; info@xnrg.co.uk; www. VENUE Cowley Recreation Ground, Uxbridge, 10am FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13
xnrg.co.uk/events/details/druid-challenge-ridgeway- CONTACT Claire Donald; 01494 630 759; info@ LANCASHIRE
WALES multistage-ultra-2015.aspx COST £55 E/D NO purplepatchrunning.com; www.purplepatchrunning.com •TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
•ROAD COST £21/£23 C/D 2/11 E/D YES, +£3 HELL OF A HILL MARATHON DAY 3 SINGLE ENTRY
ABERGELE 5 LONDON VENUE Wilcocks Caravan Site, Rivington, Bolton,
VENUE Abergele Leisure Centre, Faenol Avenue, Abergele, •ROAD •FLAT •ROAD 9am CONTACT philip eccleston; 07533 828 533;
1pm CONTACT Sean McCormack; 07774 948 596; Sean@ QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK 10KM GREENWICH PARK 10K pecclestone1@sky.com; www.hillrunner.org.uk COST
abergeleharriers.co.uk; Abergele5.Abergeleharriers.co.uk VENUE Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, 9:30am VENUE Greenwich Park, London, 9:30am CONTACT Craig £32/£34 C/D 1/11 E/D NO
COST £8/£10 C/D 28/10 E/D YES, +£2 CONTACT Craig Thornton; 07740 554 190; info@ Thornton; 07740 554 190; info@theraceorganiser.com;
theraceorganiser.com; atnd.it/29029-2 COST - E/D NO www.theraceorganiser.com COST - E/D NO SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14
•TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL •HILLY AVON
FAIRWATER RUNNERS CWMBRAN PRESENT THE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE •TRAIL
BOG & BRYN CHALLENGE •TRAIL •FLAT •TRAIL THE 10K MORUN ASHTON COURT BRISTOL
VENUE Cwmbran Stadium, Henllys Way, Cwmbran, PEOPLE’S RUN 2 REMEMBER 5K (NOTTINGHAM) REMEMBRANCE 11 (+) 2015 (+)
10:30am CONTACT Daryll Barnby; 07773 043 023; VENUE Nottingham Racecourse, Colwick Park Close, VENUE Top Lodge, Fineshade Woods, Nr Corby, 11am VENUE Ashton Court, Bristol, 10am CONTACT David
daryllb@hotmail.com; www.fairwater-runners-cwmbran. Nottingham, 11am CONTACT Jim Cowan; 03330 CONTACT Simon Lovell; 01733 222 614; simon@pardus. Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com;
org.uk/content/bog-bryn COST £12 C/D 23/10 E/D 115 090; hello@peoplesrun2remember.com; www. co.uk; www.peterborough5x5challenge.org COST £9/£11 bristol.mo-running.com/ COST £20 C/D 7/11
YES, +£2 peoplesrun2remember.com COST £16 C/D 18/10 E/D NO C/D 5/11 E/D YES, +£2 E/D YES

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 123

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 RACE FINDER

BEDFORDSHIRE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL
DIRT HALF MARATHON CHALLENGE 2015
Going the distance •TRAIL
NOTTINGHAM DIRTY DASH 10K
VENUE Cedars Upper School, Mentmore Road, Leighton November’s 180 events broken down by distance VENUE National watersports Centre, Adbolton Lane,
Buzzard, 10am CONTACT Dirt Running; dirtrunning@ Nottingham, Noon CONTACT Linda Hamilton; 01427 718
gmail.com; www.dirtrunning.co.uk COST £23/£25 E/D NO 888; info@onestepbeyond.org.uk; www.onestepbeyond.
org.uk COST £15/£17 C/D 7/11 E/D YES, +£5
ESSEX Half
•TRAIL •RURAL
5K SURREY
Marathon

42
NUCLEAR FALLOUT (+) •TRAIL
VENUE Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker,
Brentwood, 10am CONTACT Damian Williams; 07824 666
722; damian@nuclear-races.co.uk; www.nuclear-races.
co.uk COST TBC
23 WILDMAN (+)
VENUE Ash Ranges, Ash Vale, 10am CONTACT Human
Race; 020 8391 3913; races@humanrace.co.uk; human
race.co.uk/events/off-road/wildman COST £46 E/D YES

KENT WALES
•TRAIL •RURAL 10K •ROAD •RURAL
COMMANDO SERIES ELAN VALLEY 10

67
VENUE Hever Castle, Hever Rd, Edenbridge, 11am VENUE Elan Valley Visitor Centre, Elan Village, Rhayader,
CONTACT Commando Series; 01892 870 739; info@ 1pm CONTACT Alun Jenkins; 01597 825 958; 07901 075
commandoseries.co.uk; commandoseries.co.uk/ COST 050; helen310@btinternet.com; www.rhayaderac.org.
£55 E/D YES, +£20 uk COST TBC
Marathon Other

LANCASHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
HELL OF A HILL MARATHON DAY 4 SINGLE ENTRY
VENUE Wilcocks Caravan Site, Rivington, Bolton, 9am
CONTACT philip eccleston; 07533 828 533; pecclestone1@
sky.com; www.hillrunner.org.uk COST £32/£34 E/D NO
LONDON
•TRAIL •FLAT
GLOW IN THE PARK LONDON
VENUE Kempton Park Race course, Staines Rd East,
Sunbury On Thames, 7pm CONTACT Ben Mason; 07540
902 612; info@glowinthepark.co.uk; www.glowinthepark.
co.uk/ COST £20 C/D 9/11 E/D YES
SCOTLAND
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
THE ILLUMINATOR RUN (+)
VENUE Aboyne Community Centre, Bridgeview Road,
Aboyne, 6pm CONTACT Firetrail Events; 0330 321 1148;
07867 204 16209; enquiries@firetrailevents.co.uk; www.
illuminatorrun.co.uk/ COST TBC C/D 9/11 E/D NO
WALES
•TRAIL •RURAL
ENDURANCELIFE CTS GOWER (+)
VENUE Rhossili Village Hall, Middleton, Rhossili, 7am
CONTACT James Barker; 01548 312 314; support@
endurancelife.com; www.endurancelife.com/event-new.
asp?series=82 COST £30 E/D NO
WARWICKSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL •FLAT
RACEWAYS AUTUMN SHAKESPEARE 10K (+)
VENUE Long Marston Airfield, Stratford Upon Avon,
10am CONTACT Joanna welch; 07711 349 592; joanna@
raceways.eu; www.raceways.eu COST £16/£18 C/D 9/11
E/D YES, +£2
•ROAD •RURAL •FLAT
RACEWAYS AUTUMN SHAKESPEARE MARATHON
(+)
VENUE Long Marston Airfield, Stratford Upon Avon,
10am CONTACT Joanna Welch; 07711 349 592; joanna@
raceways.eu; www.raceways.eu COST £28/£30 E/D
YES, +£2
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 15
AVON
•TRAIL •RURAL
OLD DOWN COUNTRY PARK 5/10K (+)
VENUE Foxholes Lane, Tockington, Bristol, 11am
CONTACT Donna King; donna@aspirerunningevents.
co.uk; www.aspirerunningevents.co.uk/project/old-down-
country-park-105k-winter-run-plus-family-fun-runs-
sunday-15th-november/ COST £11/£13
E/D YES, +£2
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL
HERBERT’S HOLE CHALLENGE 10K
VENUE Lowndes Park, St Mary’s Way, Chesham, 11am
CONTACT Tony Molesworth; 07785 501 499; tony@
molesworth.me; chilternharriers.weebly.com/herberts-
hole.html COST £13/£15 E/D NO
DEVON
•TRAIL •RURAL
COMBE CRAWLER
VENUE Marlborough Park, Marlborough Way, Ilfracombe,
11am CONTACT Dan Hunter; 07920 221 695; rusty_bin@
hotmail.com; www.ilfracomberunningclub.com/combe-
crawler COST £12/£14 C/D 1/11 E/D YES, +£2
DORSET
•ROAD •RURAL
DORSET LETTINGS WIMBORNE 10-MILE
ROAD RACE
VENUE Vine hill, Pamphill, Wimborne, 10:30am
CONTACT Stephen Wyatt; www.wimborneac.co.uk/
wimborne10home.htm COST £11/£13 E/D NO
HAMPSHIRE
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL •FLAT
GOSPORT HALF MARATHON
VENUE Bay House School, 18 Gomer Lane, Gosport, 10am
CONTACT info@gosporthalf.org; www.gosporthalf.org
COST £16/£18 C/D 6/11 E/D NO
20
HERTFORDSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
AUTUMN CHALLENGE 10K
VENUE West Herts Sports Club, Park Avenue, Watford,
11am CONTACT Colin Taylor; colintaylor26.2@hotmail.
co.uk; www.watfordjoggers.org.uk COST TBC
KENT
•ROAD •RURAL
THE A20 PATH ‘N DOWNS MARATHON (+)
VENUE Mercure Hotel, Hollingbourne, Maidstone,
9am CONTACT Sandie Hawkins; 07980 705 961;
runninganriding@fsmail.net; www.runningandriding.
co.uk COST £30/£35 C/D 10/11 E/D YES, +£5
LANCASHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
HELL OF A HILL MARATHON DAY 5 SINGLE ENTRY
VENUE Wilcocks Caravan Site, Rivington, Bolton, 9am
CONTACT philip eccleston; 07533 828 533; pecclestone1@
sky.com; www.hillrunner.org.uk COST £32/£34
E/D NO
LEICESTERSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL
BEACON TRAIL HALF MARATHON
VENUE Beacon Hill Country Park, Breakback Road,
Loughborough, 10am CONTACT Andy Buck; 07950 397
021; info@jackrabbitevents.co.uk; www.jackrabbitevents.
co.uk/beacon-trail-half-marathon.asp COST £20/£22
E/D YES. £30
LINCOLNSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL •FLAT
SKEGNESS 10K
VENUE Southview Hotel and leisure park, Skegness,
10am CONTACT Julie Hawksford; 07803 436 008;
Skegness10k@gmail.com; www.skegness10k.com COST
£12/£15 C/D 9/11 E/D NO. Prices TBC
LONDON
•ROAD •FLAT
THE 5K MORUN LONDON BATTERSEA PARK 2015
VENUE Battersea Park, London, 10am CONTACT David
Krangel; 020 8144 0797 [day]; 07919 141 534; info@
thefixuk.com; london-battersea.mo-running.com/ COST
£16 C/D 8/11 E/D NO
•ROAD •FLAT
THE AFTER ADOPTION REGENT’S PARK 10K
VENUE Regent’s Park, London, 10am CONTACT Steve
Joyce; 0161 830 2010; fundraising@afteradoption.org.uk;
www.regentspark10k.com COST £18/£20 C/D 7/11
E/D NO
NORTHERN IRELAND
•TRAIL
THE 5K & 10K BELFAST MORUN 2015
VENUE Ormeau Park, Ormeau Road, Belfast, 10am
CONTACT David Krangel; (0044) 208 144 0797; info@
thefixevents.com; www.mo-running.com/belfast COST
£16 C/D 8/11 E/D NO
SHROPSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL
BECKBURY TRAIL
VENUE higford Lane, off Madeley Road, Beckbury, 10am
CONTACT andy crozier; 0785 505 0061; 07462 550 952;
Beckburytrail@gmail.com; www.beckburytrail.co.uk
COST £11/£13 C/D 10/11 E/D YES. £13
SURREY
•TRAIL •RURAL
CAMBERLEY ANNUAL CROSS COUNTRY
VENUE Ravenscote Junior School, Old Bisley Road,
Camberley, 11am CONTACT Race Organiser; 07885 764
889; rjdunnet@gmail.com; www.camberleyathletics.org.
uk COST £5/£7 C/D 6/11 E/D YES, +£1
28
WEST MIDLANDS
•TRAIL
THE 10K BIRMINGHAM MORUN 2015 (+)
VENUE Sutton Park, Park Road, Sutton Coldfield, 10am
CONTACT David Krangel; 0208 144 0797; 07919 141 534;
info@thefixevents.com; https://www.mo-running.com/
birmingham COST £20 C/D 14/11 E/D YES
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22
AVON
WALES •TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
•TRAIL •FLAT TRIONIUM BATH HILLY HALF (+)
THE 10K MORUN BUTE PARK CARDIFF 2015 (+) VENUE Bath Racecourse, Lansdown, Bath, 11am
VENUE Coopers Field, Bute Park, Cardiff, 10am CONTACT CONTACT Robert McCaffrey; www.trionium.com/
David Krangel; 020 8144 0797 [day]; 07919 141 534 [eve]; bathhillyhalf COST £27/£29 C/D 1/1 E/D NO
07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com; cardiff.mo-running.
com/ COST £20 C/D 8/11 E/D NO BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
•TRAIL •HILLY
WEST MIDLANDS STOWE PACE SETTER
•ROAD •FLAT VENUE Stowe Gardens, Stowe, 8am CONTACT John
COVENTRY 10K Tanton; GerSet@onyourmarksevents.org; www.
VENUE Coventry War Memorial Park, Kenilworth Road, onyourmarksevents.org/events1/running-events/the-
Coventry, 10am CONTACT Mark Caswell; 0797 783 1519; pace-setter.html COST £17 E/D YES, +£3
mark.caswell1@btinternet.com; www.mccpromotions.
com COST £13 E/D YES •TRAIL •FLAT
THE 10K MORUN MILTON KEYNES 2015 (+)
WORCESTERSHIRE VENUE Livingstone Drive, Millton Keynes, 10am
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY CONTACT David Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534;
BROADWAY MARATHON (+) info@thefixuk.com; miltonkeynes.mo-running.com/
VENUE Lifford Hall, Lower Green, Broadway, 9:15am COST £20 C/D 15/11 E/D NO
CONTACT Kurt Dusterhoff; info@cotswoldrunning.co.uk;
www.cotswoldrunning.co.uk COST £33/£35 E/D NO CAMBRIDGESHIRE
•TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL •FLAT
YORKSHIRE THE HEREWARD RELAY 38.4
•ROAD •URBAN •FLAT VENUE 34 County Road, March, 9am CONTACT Stephen
AGE UK LEEDS ABBEY DASH 10K Cowell; 01354 661 374; sjc3008@googlemail.com; www.
VENUE Leeds, 9:30am CONTACT www.ageuk.org.uk/ marchathleticclub.co.uk COST £10/£12 C/D 16/11 E/D NO
get-involved/events-and-challenges/leeds-abbey-dash/
COST £18/£20 E/D NO DERBYSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21 CLOWNE HALF MARATHON (+)
CUMBRIA VENUE Clowne Community Centre, Recreation Road,
•TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL •HILLY Clowne, 10am CONTACT Eric Lane; 01909 723 818; 07718
KMF 10KM TRAIL RUN 992 443; radtool.uk@virgin.net; www.clowneroadrunners.
VENUE Kendal Town Hall, Highgate, Kendal, 11am org COST £16/£18 C/D 16/11 E/D YES, +£2
CONTACT Nicki Barron; 01539 531 048; talkto@openad
venture.com; openadventure.com COST £15 E/D YES, +£5 •TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL
MATTHEW WALKER 10K
HERTFORDSHIRE VENUE Shipley Country Park, Slack Lane, Heanor, 10am
•TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL CONTACT rob rainsford; 07963 037 991; rob@rainsford61.
THE CROXLEY GREEN 10K CHRISTMAS CRACKER freeserve.co.uk; www.heanorrunningclub.com COST TBC
(+) C/D 8/11 E/D NO
VENUE Croxley Green Business Park, Watford, 10:30am
CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009; martin@nice- DORSET
work.org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST £13/£15 C/D •ROAD •URBAN •RURAL
17/11 E/D YES, +£2 BOSCOMBE 10K (+)
VENUE Kings Park Athletic Stadium, Boscombe,
LINCOLNSHIRE Bournemouth, 11am CONTACT Liz Taylor; boscombe10k@
•TRAIL •RURAL •FLAT hotmail.co.uk; www.bournemouthjoggers.co.uk COST
VIGILANTES CLEETHORPES MARAVAN - DAY 1 (+) £9/£11 C/D 10/11 E/D NO
VENUE Thorpe Park Holiday Park, Humberston,
Cleethorpes, 9am CONTACT Darren Rowe; 07966 ESSEX
338 654; vigilantesrunning@lincsathlete.co.uk; www. HADLEIGH HARDCORE
vigilantesrunning.co.uk COST £25/£27 C/D 31/10 E/D NO. VENUE Hadleigh Park, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh, 10am
CONTACT Jane Hopkins; 01702 221 658; 07805 811 225;
LONDON jhopkins@havenshospices.org.uk; www.havenshospices.
•ROAD •URBAN •FLAT org.uk/fund_raising/events/Something+Different/
MEN’S HEALTH SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST hadleighhardcore COST £30 C/D 13/11 E/D YES
LONDON NIGHT 5K
VENUE Battersea Power Station, London, 5pm CONTACT GREATER MANCHESTER
Rat Race; events@ratrace.com; www.mhsurvival.co.uk •TRAIL
COST £55 E/D NO THE 10K MORUN HEATON PARK
MANCHESTER 2015 (+)
•ROAD •FLAT VENUE Heaton Park, Manchester, 10am CONTACT
SELF TRANSCENDENCE 10K David Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; david@
VENUE South Carriage Drive, Battersea Park, London, mo-running.com; manchester.mo-running.com/ COST
8:30am CONTACT Shankara Smith; 0207 222 1314; 0208 £20 C/D 15/11 E/D NO
876 4760; 07734 298 024; races@runandbecome.com;
uk.srichinmoyraces.org/races/london COST £8/£10 C/D HAMPSHIRE
14/11 E/D YES, +£1 •ROAD •FLAT
SOUTHAMPTON COMMON 10K
MERSEYSIDE VENUE Cemetery Road off The Avenue, Southampton,
•TRAIL •FLAT 11am CONTACT Mark Caswell; 0797 783 1519; 0797
THE 10K MORUN CROXTETH PARK 783 1519; mark.caswell1@btinternet.com; www.
LIVERPOOL 2015 (+) mccpromotions.com COST £13 C/D 16/11 E/D YES
VENUE Croxteth Park, Liverpool, 10am CONTACT David
Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com; LEICESTERSHIRE
liverpool.mo-running.com/ COST £20 C/D 14/11 E/D YES •ROAD •URBAN •RURAL •FLAT

runnersworld.co.uk 11/15 RUNNER’S WORLD 125

RACE FINDER
LOUGHBOROUGH 10K
VENUE Market Place, Loughborough, 9:30am CONTACT
Michele Walker; michele@homestartcharnwood.co.uk;
www.hscevents.co.uk COST - E/D NOPrices TBC
LINCOLNSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL •FLAT
VIGILANTES CLEETHORPES MARAVAN - DAY 2 (+)
VENUE Thorpe Park Holiday Park, Humberston,
Cleethorpes, 9am CONTACT Darren Rowe; 07966
338 654; vigilantesrunning@lincsathlete.co.uk; www.
vigilantesrunning.co.uk COST - E/D NOPrices TBC
LONDON
•TRAIL •FLAT
CAPITAL RUNNERS BUSHY PARK 10K (+)
VENUE Bushy Park, Hampton, 10am CONTACT Martin
Burke; 01797 230 009; martin@nice-work.org.uk; www.
nice-work.org.uk COST £16/£18 C/D 18/11 E/D YES. £20
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL
WIMBLEDON HALF MARATHON (+)
VENUE Wimbledon Common, Rushmere Pond,
Wimbledon, 9:15am CONTACT Race Secretary admin@
energizedsports.com; www.energizedsports.com COST
£19/£21 C/D 9/6 E/D YES, £35
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
•TRAIL
THE 10K MORUN WOLLATON PARK NOTTINGHAM
2015 (+)
VENUE Wollation Park, Nottingham, 10am CONTACT
David Krangel; 020 8144 0797 [day]; 07919 141 534
[eve]; 07919 141 534; info@thefixuk.com; nottingham.
mo-running.com/ COST £20 C/D 15/11 E/D NO
SURREY
•TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL •FLAT
PHOENIX RIVERSIDE MARATHON (THAMES PATH)
(+)
VENUE Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Centre (back entrance),
Waterside Drive, Walton-on-Thames, 9am CONTACT
Rik Vercoe; PhoenixRunningUK@gmail.com; www.
phoenixrunning.co.uk COST £25/£27 C/D 15/11 E/D NO
•TRAIL •RURAL
RUN-FOREST-RUN.CO.UK
VENUE Chiddingfold Football Club, Recreation Ground,
Coxcombe Lane, Chiddingfold, 9am CONTACT Bruce
Devlin; 0777 6464 888; race-organiser@run-forest-run.
co.uk; run-forest-run.co.uk COST £20 C/D 10/11 E/D
YES, +£5
WALES
•TRAIL
SOSPAN ROAD RUNNERS, MT10
VENUE Pembrey Country Park, Llanelli, 11am CONTACT
Arwel Davies; sospanroadrunners@hotmail.co.uk; www.
sospanroadrunners.co.uk COST £15/£17
E/D YES, £20
WARWICKSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL •HILLY
TEMPO 10K WINTER ROAD RACE 2
VENUE Ilmington Sports Club, Mickleton Road, Stratford-
upon-avon, 10:30am CONTACT Sarah Bland; 07540 287
781; 01789 267 337; sarah@tempoevents.co.uk; www.
tempoevents.co.uk COST £10/£12 E/D YES, +£2
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24
AVON
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL •FLAT
AZTEC WEST FAST 5K
VENUE Aztec Centre, Aztec Business Park, Bristol,
7:30pm CONTACT Christopher Elson; 0117 973 3391; 07807
542 432; c.j.elson@bris.ac.uk; bristolandwestac.org.uk
COST £5/£7 E/D ONLY
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27
LONDON
•ROAD
BROOKS, SERPENTINE LAST FRIDAY OF THE
MONTH 5K
VENUE The Boathouse (not the Bandstand), Hyde Park,
London, 12:30pm CONTACT Malcolm French; 020 8422
3900; lfotm5k@serpentine.org.uk; www.serpentine.org.
uk/pages/lfotm5k.html COST £2/£4 C/D 14/11
E/D NO
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28
LANCASHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL
WESHAM 10K
VENUE St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Darkinson
Lane, Lea, 10am CONTACT Peter Cooke; 01253 767
417; pete.cooke@weshamroadrunners.co.uk; www.
weshamroadrunners.co.uk COST £10/£12 C/D 22/11
E/D YES, +£2
LONDON
•ROAD •URBAN •FLAT
RUNTHROUGH OLYMPIC PARK VELO 5K & 10K (+)
VENUE Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Abercrombie Rd,
London, 10am CONTACT Run Through; info@runthrough.
co.uk; www.runthrough.co.uk/?event=leevalley-olympic-
5k-10k-november COST £15
E/D NO
For all the best upcoming races around the UK, visit runnersworld.co.uk/events
126 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15
•TRAIL
THE 10K MORUN LONDON GREENWICH PARK 2015
VENUE Greenwich Park, London, 10am CONTACT David
Krangel; 020 8144 0797; 07919 141 534; david@mo-
running.com; london-greenwich.mo-running.com/ COST
£20 C/D 21/11 E/D NO
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
•TRAIL •URBAN •RURAL •FLAT
THE NEWARK CASTLE FESTIVAL OF RUNNING
(+)
VENUE Keepers Cottage, Great North Rd, Newark, 10am
CONTACT Denzil Martin; running@codrc.co.uk; www.
codrc.co.uk COST £32/£34 C/D 13/11 E/D NO
STAFFORDSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL
32ND ANNUAL CHEDDLETON 10K CHRISTMAS
PUDDING RACE (+)
VENUE St Edwards School, Hollow Lane, Cheddleton,
2pm CONTACT Stan Winterton; 01538 360 908;
s.e.winterton@btconnect.com; cheddletoncarnival.co.uk
COST £10/£12 C/D 23/11 E/D YES, +£2
•TRAIL
CHASEWATER CHRISTMAS PUDDING DASH 10K
(+)
VENUE Chasewater Country Park, Pool Lane, Burntwood,
10:30am CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009; martin@
nice-work.org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST £13/£15
C/D 22/11 E/D YES, +£2
WARWICKSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL
SATURDAY NOVEMBER DOUBLE RACE
VENUE Mary Arden Inn, The Green, Wilmcote, Stratford-
upon-Avon, 9am CONTACT Christopher Seeney; 07982
240 521; 01386 642 186; chrisseeney63@gmail.com; www.
broadmeadowruns.co.uk COST £29/£31 C/D 10/8 E/D NO
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29
BERKSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
MAPLEDURHAM TEN (+)
VENUE Mapledurham House, Mapledurham, Reading,
10am CONTACT Andy Macaskill; 01189 332 761; events@
mysportingtimes.com; www.mapledurhamten.co.uk
COST £24 E/D NO
GREATER MANCHESTER
•TRAIL
MANCHESTER CHRISTMAS PUDDING 5 MILE
DASH (+)
VENUE Wythenshawe Park, South Manchester,
Manchester, 11am CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009;
martin@nice-work.org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST
£13/£15 E/D YES, +£2
HERTFORDSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL •FLAT
BASS BELLE10 MILER
VENUE Bassingbourn Village College, South End,
Bassingbourn, Near Royston, 10am CONTACT ash hawkins;
07971 507 580; ashley.hawkins3@btinternet.com; www.
fit4thechallenge.co.uk COST £15/£17 C/D 20/11 E/D NO
LONDON
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL
KINGSTON 10K
VENUE Hawker Centre YMCA, Lower Ham road, London
Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, Kingston, 9:15am
CONTACT Race Secretary admin@energizedsports.com;
www.energizedsports.com COST £16/£18 E/D YES, £30
NORFOLK
•TRAIL
BLICKLING XC RUN 2015
VENUE Blickling Hall, Blickling, Norwich, 9:30am
CONTACT Ashley Edwards; info@skedaddleevents.
co.uk; www.skedaddleevents.co.uk COST £18 C/D 22/11
E/D YES, +£2
OXFORDSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL •FLAT
POLAR GROUP EYNSHAM 10K (+)
VENUE Bartholomew School, Eynsham, Witney, 10:30am
CONTACT Derek Breaker; derekbreaker@hotmail.com;
www.eynsham roadrunners.org.uk COST £13/£15 E/D NO
SURREY
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
THE THREE MOLEHILLS (+)
VENUE Denbies Wine Estate, London Road, Dorking,
10am CONTACT Nicky Donbavand; 07855 926 714; 07855
926 714; info@eventstolive.co.uk; www.eventstolive.co.uk
COST £48/£50 C/D 20/11 E/D YES, £60
SUSSEX
•TRAIL
THE 10K BRIGHTON MORUN 2015 (+)
VENUE Stanmer Park, Lewes Road, Brighton, 10am
CONTACT David Krangel; 0208 144 0797; 07919 141 534;
info@thefixevents.com; https://www.mo-running.com/
brighton COST £20 C/D 22/11 E/D YES
WALES
•TRAIL •RURAL
RAS Y MAST 6.3 (+)
VENUE Blaenwern Holiday Centre, Llanybydder, 1pm
CONTACT L Rees; 01570 434 244; rees.tanrhos@tiscali.
co.uk; www.sarnhelen.org.uk COST £8 C/D 21/11 E/D YES
WARWICKSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL
SUNDAY NOVEMBER DOUBLE RACE
VENUE Stratford-upon-Avon Cricket & Sports Club,
Swans Nest Lane, Stratford-upon-avon, 9am CONTACT
Christopher Seeney; 07982 240 521; 01386 642 186 [eve];
chrisseeney63@gmail.com; www.broadmeadowruns.
co.uk COST £25/£27 C/D 10/8 E/D NO
WEST MIDLANDS
•TRAIL
COOMBE 8
VENUE Coombe Country Park, Coventry, 10am CONTACT
Richard Bagley; richard.bagley@sphinx.org.uk; www.
sphinx.org.uk COST £15/£18 C/D 21/11 E/D NO
WILTSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL
DOWNTON HALF MARATHON
VENUE Trafalgar School, Breamore Road, Downton,
Salisbury, 10am CONTACT 01725 557 114; team@
racenewforest.co.uk; www.racenewforest.co.uk COST
£18/£20 C/D 15/11 E/D NO
•ROAD •RURAL
THE AVR WILTSHIRE HALF MARATHON
VENUE Edington Station Yard, Edington, Westbury, 11am
CONTACT Warren Wade; chairman@avonvalleyrunners.
org.uk; www.avrwiltshirehalfmarathon.org/ COST £16/£18
E/D NO. Prices TBC
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 2
LEICESTERSHIRE
•ROAD
THE 3RD LEICESTER CITY 5K WINTER SERIES
RACE TWO
VENUE Victoria Park, London Road, Leicester, 7:30pm
CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009; martin@
nice-work.org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST £9/£11
E/D YES, +£1
THURSDAY DECEMBER 3
KENT
•ROAD
THE GRAVESEND FLOODLIT 10K SERIES (+)
VENUE Cyclopark, The Tollgate, Wrotham Road,
Gravesend, 7:30pm CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230
009; info@nice-work.org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST
£9/£11 E/D YES, +£2
SATURDAY DECEMBER 5
DERBYSHIRE
•ROAD •FLAT
NO WALK IN THE PARK 5K (+)
VENUE Queen’s Park, Cricket Pavilion, Chesterfield,
9:30am CONTACT John Cannon; 01246 566 458; 07902
249 316; j.cannon846@btinternet.com; northderbyshirerc.
jimdo.com/ COST £3/£5 E/D ONLY
DORSET
•TRAIL •RURAL
ENDURANCELIFE CTS DORSET (+)
VENUE Lulworth Cove, Wareham, 7am CONTACT James
Barker; 01548 312 314; support@endurancelife.com;
www.endurancelife.com/event-new.asp?series=82 COST
£30 E/D NO
KENT
•TRAIL •RURAL
TRAILSCAPE RAIL TO TRAIL SERIES - EAST:
MARATHON (+)
VENUE St Michaels Church Hall, Rochester Road, Cuxton,
8:30am CONTACT Hannah Osborne; info@trailscape.
co.uk; www.trailscape.co.uk COST £40 E/D NO
LONDON
•ROAD •FLAT
LONDON SANTA RUN 6K
VENUE Battersea Park, Wandsworth, London, 10am
CONTACT Mike Gratton; 01252 373 797; mike@209events.
com; www.209events.com COST £20 E/D NO
QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK 10K
VENUE Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, 9:30am
CONTACT Craig Thornton; 07740 554 190; info@
theraceorganiser.com COST - E/D NO
SURREY
•TRAIL
ICEMAN (+)
VENUE Army Training Ground, Frimley, 10:20am
CONTACT Human Race; 020 8391 3913; 020 8391 3913;
races@humanrace.co.uk; humanrace.co.uk/events/off-
road/iceman COST £46 E/D YES
WALES
•ROAD •URBAN •FLAT
PONTYCLUN SANTA FUN RUN
VENUE Ivor Arms, Brynsadler, Pontyclun, 10am
CONTACT Henry Mehta; pontyclunfunrun@outlook.
com; pontyclunfunrun.weebly.com COST £5.50 C/D 28/11
E/D YES, +£2
SUNDAY DECEMBER 6
BEDFORDSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL
BEDFORD HARRIERS HALF MARATHON
VENUE Wootton Upper School, Hall End Road, Wootton,
10am CONTACT BHHM Entries; 01234 307 013; hello@
bedfordharriers.co.uk; www.bedfordharriers.co.uk COST
£18.50/£20.50 C/D 5/11 E/D NO
CHESHIRE
•ROAD •URBAN •RURAL
HOKA ONE ONE STOCKPORT 10
VENUE Woodbank Stadium, Turncroft Lane, Offerton,
Stockport, 10am CONTACT Alan Dilkes; stockport10@
hotmail.co.uk; www.stk10.co.uk COST - E/D NO
•TRAIL
TATTON YULE YOMP
VENUE Egerton Youth Club, Mereheath Lane, Knutsford,
10am CONTACT www.tattonyuleyomp.co.uk COST £15/£17
E/D NO
HAMPSHIRE
•TRAIL •RURAL
TADLEY RUNNERS XMAS XC 5.2
VENUE Hurst Leisure Centre, Brimpton Road, Tadley,
11am CONTACT Barrie Tribe; 01189 816 735; 07771 609
509; trimon43@aol.com; www.tadleyrunners.co.uk/ COST
£12/£14 C/D 2/12 E/D YES, +£1
•ROAD •RURAL •FLAT
VICTORY 10K
VENUE Mountbatten Centre, Northern Parade,
Portsmouth, 11am CONTACT Peter Newton; 01489 781 438;
07748 115 406; victory10k@athleticevents.co.uk; www.
portsmouthathletic.co.uk COST £12/£14 C/D 1/12 E/D NO
KENT
•TRAIL •RURAL
MAIDSTONE HARRIERS 23RD TURKEY RUN
VENUE East Malling Research, New Road,
East Malling, 11am CONTACT Michael White;
maidstoneharriersevents@hotmail.com; www.
maidstoneharriers.co.uk COST £17/£19 C/D 30/11 E/D NO
•ROAD •URBAN
THANET ROADRUNNERS AC ALAN GREEN
MEMORIAL 10 MILE RACE
VENUE Westgate Pavilion, Sea Road, Westgate On
Sea, 9:30am CONTACT Terry Brightwell; thanet10@
thanetroadrunners.org.uk; www.thanetroadrunners.org.
uk COST £16/£18 C/D 28/11 E/D YES. £20
LONDON
•ROAD •URBAN •FLAT
SANTA IN THE CITY
VENUE City Hall, Queens Walk, London, 11am CONTACT
Mike Gratton; 01252 373 797; mike@209events.com;
www.209events.com COST £25 C/D 3/12 E/D NO
•ROAD
THE MORNINGTON CHASERS REGENTS PARK
GRAND PRIX 10K WINTER SERIES RACE THREE
VENUE Regents Park, Start location is near The Hub,
London, 9:10am CONTACT Martin Burke; 01797 230 009;
martin@nice-work.org.uk; www.nice-work.org.uk COST
£15/£17 C/D 30/9 E/D YES. £20
MIDDLESEX
•ROAD •URBAN •FLAT
PERIVALE 5 (+)
VENUE Perivale Park Athletics Track, Stockdove Way,
Greenford, 10am CONTACT Fiona Kennedy; 020 8997
4872; laurence@esm.org.uk; www.esm.org.uk COST
£11/£13 C/D 29/11 E/D NO
NORTHUMBERLAND
•TRAIL •RURAL •FLAT
HEXHAM RACECOURSE MARATHON (+)
VENUE Hexham Racecourse, High Yarridge, Hexham,
9:30am CONTACT Melanie Horan; melaniehoran@
hotmail.com; www.northeastmarathonclub.co.uk COST
£20/£22 C/D 22/11 E/D NO
SCOTLAND
•TRAIL
EDINBURGH CHRISTMAS 5K RUN
VENUE Inverleith Park, Inverleith, Edinburgh, 9:30am
CONTACT Terry Crossley; 0131 336 3620; terry@
greatscottishevents.org.uk; www.greatscottishevents.
org.uk COST £20 E/D YES
SHROPSHIRE
•ROAD •RURAL
WESTON PARK 10K CHRISTMAS RUN
VENUE Weston Park, Weston Under Lizard, Shifnal, 10am
CONTACT Tony Talbot; 07812 858 355; 07812 858 355;
talbottony@googlemail.com; www.kickassendurance.
co.uk COST £20 C/D 6/12 E/D YES, +£5
SOMERSET
•TRAIL •RURAL •HILLY
FULL MONTY-CUTE 10
VENUE Ham Hill Centre, Ham Hill Country Park, Stoke
Sub Hamdon Nr Yeovil, 10:30am CONTACT Martin Cook;
01460 72505; martin.cook123@btimternet.com; www.
fullmontycute.btck.co.uk COST £9/£11 C/D 31/10 E/D NO
@runnersworlduk
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 I’M A RUNN ER

Clare
Grogan
The singer, actor and author,
53, on finding ‘me’ time and
solving problems on the run

I hated school PE. I think the trouble in

Scotland is that it was done outside in
freezing weather and we wore gym tunics.
It all seemed like an act of terrible cruelty.

Running happened quite quickly in my 20s

after I got interested in keeping fit. I found
it the easiest form of exercise to maintain.

In the 80s, when I was touring with Altered

Images, going for a run was a great way of
exploring a new city. Because the whole
day would be focused around the gig in
the evening, I could escape for a bit.

I never enter races. I have no inclination

to ever run a marathon, either. I’m selfish
about my running; it’s purely ‘me’ time.

I’ve done a five-mile run five times a week

for as long as I can remember. I’ve never
been tempted to run further, but I mix the
routes up around the parks or down by
Camden Lock, close to my home in London.
It’s lovely watching the changes of the
season where I run, especially on my
route through Highgate Wood. I’ll run in
whatever weather, so I guess I’ve got my
childhood in Glasgow to thank for that.
I persuaded my husband to start running
and we sometimes run together. I feel I
should be quicker than he is, because I got
him into it, but that’s not going to happen.
I often use my runs to learn my lines for
something I’m appearing in. I feel a bit like
‘I never put pressure on myself with
my running. I go at my own pace’
a crazy lady, running along and talking to
myself, but it’s productive use of the time.
Normally I run on my own, in the morning
and without music. I do go once a week
with my running pal, Christine, and we’ll
thrash out life’s problems together.
I’m a real believer in the mental-health
aspect of running and the chance to think
things through. Often I go out with a big
weight on my mind, not knowing what to
do; by the end of my run I’ve worked it out.
I never put pressure on myself with my
running. I go at my own pace. You need to
do it for yourself and only for yourself.
Our 10-year-old daughter, Ellie, really
wanted to run with me for ages. The first
time we did it she thought she was dying of
dehydration before the first mile, but when
she realised I wasn’t going to stop and wait
Interview Adrian Monti Photograph Ben Knight

she did three miles. I was so proud of her.

MY FAVOURITE…
Hero Route
Being a fellow I used to do
Scot, I loved a travel show
Liz McColgan’s and did some
gutsy running. I also amazing runs around the
admire the likes of Paula world. One of the most
Radcliffe and Kelly Holmes, memorable was along
but they’re on a different the sea wall that protects
running planet to me. Samoa’s capital, Apia.
Gear
No-one will
ever get
running fashion
tips from me. I usually wear
an old T-shirt and baggy
shorts or jogging bottoms.
But every six months I buy
a new pair of Nike trainers.
Being a singer, running has been brilliant
for my lungs. I still do several big gigs each
year. I love that I can sing for an hour and
rush around the stage and not be out of
breath. It’s basically me showing off that
I can still do it, thanks to running.
O Clare supports the British Association
of Adoption and Fostering (baaf.org.
uk). Her new book, Tallulah on Tour, is
available from Amazon’s Kindle store.

130 RUNNER’S WORLD 11/15 @runnersworlduk