Whether you're new to the marathon or merely reintroducing yourself to an old friend, we're here to help you plan your race build-up down to the last detail.Here's everything you need to know to prepare for - and complete - your best 26.2 miler

without getting fed up of endless bowls of pasta to mental strategies to get through the taper with sanity intact. Steal some tips for these crucial later stages of your spring marathon training. ASICS PRO Team sports psychologist Dr Victor Thompson tells

Find out what happens when you cross the Virgin London Marathon finish line. We first published this interactive guide last year - but it's just as relevant in 2012

that, unless you're running 80 miles a week or churning out sub-2:45 marathons, recovery doesn't really matter. The evidence certainly suggests otherwise. Sidestepping good recovery practice can leave you more susceptible to aches, pains, colds