Spring marathon runners will be hitting 20-milers in training this month (or heading to the likes of the Finchley 20, the Trimpell 20 or the San Domenico 20) but other runners still have plenty of distances to choose from. The usual plethora of racing

of the race. Most runners set time targets, but make sure your happiness isn't resting entirely on bagging that sub-3.30 marathon, or coming top in your club's league. Success is best measured in terms of progress towards your own goals – goals you can control

© Getty Images If 26.2 miles just isn't enough, an ultra could be the race for you. Races longer than a marathon, ultras range from 30 miles to hundreds of miles and take place in hundreds of beautiful locations from Sussex to the Sahara

the marathon distance, for example, choose a specific race and then periodise your training to make sure you peak for that event."Periodisation involves dividing up your time into three sizes of cycle – macrocycle, mesocycle and microcycle. The entire period