? Because the quickest route to Sparta was too rough. It had to be done on foot. The distance from Athens to Sparta is 140 miles and Pheidippides apparently did it inside two days. This is feasible – in 1982 three RAF officers (including a 56-year-old) tried

off your foot-plant, leading to sore muscles and injuries. Whenever possible, choose tarmac roads over concrete (concrete is harder), and always run against oncoming traffic. This makes you more visible to the driver (especially if you’re wearing light

landing flat-footed.Two of the coaches (both very experienced, but specialising in sprint coaching) were of the opinion that I need some technique coaching in order to prevent injury (they think it could lead to shin splints). The third one - an endurance

.Almost inevitably, Andy found himself lured into entering the 2005 Flora London Marathon. At a trim 12 stone (he is six foot tall) and in 32in waist running shorts, he completed the 26.2 miles in 3:53 – half an hour quicker than his boss.“I soundly thrashed him

of the city centre for a more peaceful park setting. Multiple laps make the course ideal for spectators, while the absence of any undulations will no doubt play to the advantage of the more fleet-footed among the field. Of course, the outlook toward the back

complimentary food voucher - while a 3K fun run is sure to be a hit among families.Good news for the less quick-footed too: you don’t need to set your sights on a podium place to run away with a prize. Rewards for most sponsorship raised and best fancy dress

interval). This will raise the threshold, raising the speed at which you can run for long periodsTime-trial bike A serious (and often expensive) racing bike for competitive triathletes.Toe-clips A clip on a bike pedal that ensures the foot doesn’t sit too

' tension can be adjusted between eyelets to the exact mould of your foot, for a more comfortable fit. Good for: comfy feet SIGG water bottles, from £8www.sigg.com Ditch plastic water bottles and invest in a classic Swiss aluminium one instead - they

the train on foot means taking on more than 14 steep and muddy miles of roads, fields, hills, stiles, tracks and agricultural land. Book family and friends on the return train journey for support, encouragement – and witnesses to your feat!With over a

GETTY IMAGESTravelling on foot might well leave behind a lighter carbon footprint than other ways of getting around. But with just a few simple tweaks to your training and racing routine it’s easy to become an even greener runner.KIT Over 1