, July 3 A fresh course for 2004 means more improvements for an already highly-rated race. Held alongside Dorney Lake, Windsor, the race starts at Eton College Boathouse (part of London’s Olympic bid). Pancake-flat running, coupled with an early start

Many runners assume that because they run, they don’t need to do leg-strengthening exercises. This isn’t necessarily true. A specific weight programme targeting your legs could reap a huge race dividend, particularly over longer distances. If you run a marathon

. If you have no idea of your race form and you haven’t been running three times a week or more in the last six months, we'd advise you follow the Get You Round schedule.   10K 10 Miles Half-Marathon Get You Round 60 mins+ 1:38+ 2:11+ Sub-4:30 51

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

The ‘Get You Round’ schedule A beginner’s programme, mixing some walking with running, over 4-5 days a week.The idea here is to get you fit enough to make it round the course, regardless of speed, so there’ll be very little fast work. You need

between disciplines a little bit easier, we asked some professional triathletes for their tips on tackling every aspect of the race.Pre-race"I like to do a short run on the morning of my race. It helps to clear the mind, warm up the legs and offers a bit

of runner. If you’ve never raced at all, using a 5K event as a stepping stone is a real confidence booster – though it’s not essential. One thing’s for certain: all races are there for enjoyment, whether or not you’ve run the distance before. Be sure to read

The 5K is a perfect distance for the beginner looking to run their first race. But, given that it's halfway between middle and long distance, it's also a notoriously difficult distance for the experienced runner to master. Whichever camp you fall

Every good marathon-training plan should ‘taper’ during the final two or three weeks. That means you run less and rest more. For some people, the idea of backing off on their training just before the big race seems counter-intuitive. "So many

of marathon running."Like most good ideas, the principles behind the pace groups were simple. We wanted to guide those new to marathons to run even splits, conserving more energy for the latter stages and helping them enjoy their race. And the best way to do