Q Every time I run, my knee clicks loudly but painlessly. It’s annoying rather than painful. The noise comes from below and outside the kneecap. Is it, or the cartilage, damaged? I broke my kneecap when I was 12 – could this be a cause?A Your problem with a ‘clicking’ knee is a...

Q I suffer from what I believe is called ‘Morton’s toe’, where my second toes are longer than my big toes. This causes great pain during and after running. A pair of shoes half a size larger than normal sounded like a good idea, but it has failed to cure the problem – I still ge...

Q After running a sub-3:00 marathon in my mid-30s, I spent the next 17 years running only occasionally. But last year, to celebrate my 50th, I returned to serious training for the Flora London Marathon. I finished in 3:28, and this has got me thinking that I can get under three ...

Q My quadriceps always cramp up when I run marathons, even though I hydrate well and stretch regularly. Why is this, and what should I do?A Exercise-induced muscle cramps are relatively common among distance runners. Quadricep cramps typically occur when muscles are used repeti...

Q Less than a month ago, after just a year of running, I finished my first marathon. I felt fine within a few days, and thought I’d have no problems getting back into training. But after a couple of weeks of complete rest, I went to the gym and found I couldn’t handle any more t...

Q This autumn I’m attempting my first marathon. My goal is simply to finish, although it would be nice to run it in about five hours. What’s the best strategy for this type of goal?A First things first. Your goal – ‘simply to finish’ and ‘to run it in five hours’ – are two diff...

Q While running my last few marathons, I have felt nauseous from around 18 miles, and have vomited after finishing. I know runners need to keep hydrated, but taking on fluids seems to aggravate the problem. I’m also worried about over-hydration. What would you advise to solve th...

Q I’m 45, and can no longer train at the levels I used to. Recently I’ve tried the run/walk method. However, I can’t get past the ‘guilt’ I feel when I’m walking in a marathon. Any suggestions?A I understand the psychological barrier that experienced runners have with walking b...

Q I’m 48 years old, and thanks to the training I’ve been doing for my first marathon I’ve gone down a dress size and feel great. I’m currently running 11-minute miles, and have just run my first marathon, but I really want to know what sort of training I should be doing now. I w...

Q I started running last summer by running and walking a mile every three nights, and built this up to around 15 miles a week. I’ve now done three 10Ks, all in around 53 minutes, but in the last one I had trouble with some of the hills and had to walk. I’ve since had trouble mot...