precisely once every four years - when it mattered. As Viren himself said, "Some do well in other races, some run fast times, but they cannot do well in the ultimate, the Olympics … The question is not why I run this way, but why so many cannot."Dr Marco

allow a day of easy running for every mile you raced. (The race dates are correct at time of publishing, but you should check the Race Diary to see whether they've been confirmed yet for this year.) January If you’re not a member of a club, this is a

, just remind yourself of all the tough training runs you've done – the discomfort in one race can't be as bad as all the pain from those sessions put together.'If you devote some time to visualising your race beforehand, make sure to put a special

endurance rather than speed training – so swap time on the track for long runs and hikes on similar terrain to your race.You'll be running longer, so your body will need more time to recover. Without enough rest days, those crucial long runs will tire you