Snowdonia Marathon: a 900ft climb over four miles"You can run London, Paris, New York every year - but to feel you have really 'run' a marathon, try Snowdonia. When you finish, you know you have run a proper 26.2 mile race. Best in the World

These guides are for people in an enormous hurry. There's some very useful further reading at the bottom of the page...Congratulations – you're going to run a great marathon! So now what?Marathon training through the winter can be a cold and lonely

in their running programmes.Since extra body fat equals dead weight in a race, you must trim extra pounds to maximize performance. You don’t need to cut down to the levels of élite runners (8 per cent for men, 12 per cent for women). Instead, settle on an ideal

a taper. The muscle damage that occurs during sustained training is also repaired. And if that isn’t enough, immune function and muscle strength improve as well, which reduces the odds that you’ll catch a cold or get injured just before the race

racing." For Joe Vrablik, a triathlete based in Boulder, Colorado, the combination of heat and humidity is his bête noire. "The majority of the time it hits me on the run," he says. Vrablik often notices signs of impending unpleasantness late

to Healthy Running (£17, VeloPress).Here are a few tips to help you catch your breath – and prevent an attack:See an allergist ’A specialist can help you control allergens that spark asthma attacks,’ says Dr Maharam.Adjust your calendar Avoid racing, or lower

at breakfastIt’s cold and wet outsideIt’s hot outsideDuring the raceYou don’t get a clear start It still takes longer than you planned to get over the start or to cover the first few milesYou start to get a blister at mile threeYou feel great at mile six

without having to think was great – it’s amazing how much confidence you gain from placing a tick over a date and training session. I also got a big boost from doing the races that the schedules prescribed. It makes a big difference when you can see

and ginger in a food processor until smooth, adding a tablespoon or so of cold water to help this process, if necessary. 3. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and gently fry the onion, garlic and ginger purée until soft and translucent. This should take about

, cumin, crushed garlic, salt and pepper, and rubbing it into the chicken breasts. 2. For the salad, cook the wild rice according to the packet instructions. Rinse under cold running water. Drain well and tip into a large bowl.3. Stir the beetroot, spring