Could this be the offer of a lifetime? For the price of a whizzy pair of shoes and a couple of pair of good socks, you can get individual Runner's World-approved schedules and personal coaching across the entire build-up to your spring marathon

.5 miles (had to walk for 2 miles, lost about 10 minutes), huge puddles around docklands making feet wet and socks rub, Orange cock-up with start time (the text message they sent to my wife was 1 hour out so the family managed to completely miss me

’m really chuffed."Bala was a tough place to make a triathlon debut. When Jellybabe came out of the water, her hands were so cold that she could not work her fingers to get her shoes and socks on. "I had marshals putting my socks on and peeling my banana

) it could be instantly higher on your list than London, where you forgot your lucky socks and that man was so rude to you on the Tube.That’s why when we decided to name the world’s 10 best marathons, we went straight to the top. We collected the opinions

and freshly-washed kit and you’re likely to find yourself in a significant minority. Muddy, boggy and sock-soaking wet, this is definitely an event to embrace head on (no side-stepping of puddles allowed) especially when a quick survey of your surrounds

at my PC late at night looking for an event with a difference, I stumbled across a race website for The North Pole Marathon. It instantly seemed to tick all the boxes. A race run entirely on ice, in temperatures as low as –30C, in the middle

fighting to be heard above my knocking knees, and my T-shirt, shorts and socks were rubbing in uncomfortable places. When Mother Nature hits the button marked Rain (Biblical), pre-race lube is about as much use as a chocolate teapot.However, it was still

was training for short 20-minute spells in water that was just 10°C. As the weeks went on, I gradually increased the time I spent in the sea and I simply got used to it. Plus, on days when I wasn’t training, I’d acclimatise in other ways - not wearing socks

Deciding when and where you race is set to get even harder this year, thanks to a tantalising line-up of new events. From exclusive private locales to innovative multi-activity ideas, we’ve picked seven teasing highlights to give you a taste of what

may even be following her marathon training programme. A veteran of 181 marathons – 40 of which have been ultras – she is certainly no stranger to endurance events and the physical and mental commitment that goes with them. Why would she put herself