improvements in their rankings. Here’s why:1 Hastings Half-Marathon, Sussex, MarchOne of the toughest half-marathon courses out there, but brilliantly organised, with excellent support and great value. The organiser even laid on a special train to get runners

Standfirst: The target for weeks 1-4 of your 15-week scheduleAuthor:Pics:Issue date: Feb-May01 / xref Ultimate schedsKeywords:uan120-->A time-targetted 10K or 5-mile race (Week 4)Why: The marathon’s main requirement is stamina, but many of the world’s

,800 steps in the entire race. If you had better leg-muscle power you would achieve two things: you’d spend less time on the ground with each footstrike, and you’d increase your stride length.It’s easy to see how this could help your time. If improved power

training runs and the highest-volume weeks of the schedules. They’re hard weeks, but you can do it.Don’t even think about giving up or easing off now (unless you’re injured). The work you put into the next five key weeks will pay dividends on race day

Entries have closed for...Southend Half-Marathon, (Essex, June 13) Blackpool Half-Marathon, (Lancs, June 20) Stoke On Trent Marathon, (Staffs, June 20) Most Popular Races...Datchet 10K: New-improved courseDatchet Dash 10K at Dorney Lake, Berks

and already seeing just how fast your fitness is improving thanks to regular, structured training. The chances are you’ve settled into your various training paces and are getting used to the demands of increasing mileage.But if all isn’t well, don’t worry! It

Running at different paces will not only add variety to your training, it’s also the most effective way to enhance your overall performance. Short, fast bursts will improve your racing sharpness and your body’s capacity to pump blood and oxygen

Standfirst: A repeatable 2-week build-up to a 10-mile race Author:Pics:Issue date: racing secrets bookletKeywords:uan94-->Ten is a nice round figure. Even the most numerically-challenged can work out that to run 10 miles in 60 minutes, you have

. These schedules contains a mixture of repetition running, hill sessions and pace runs, for improving running speed, plus long runs for endurance. For advanced runners, the highest weekly mileage reaches a plateau of 55-60 miles a week, but there’s no reason why

-scratching scenarios:I blew up The end of the race is in sight, but you feel as if you’re running through porridge and scything through the field backwards. Were you a little over-enthusiastic at the start? Without fail, every race has a group of runners who speed off