Further than a half-marathon, but not so long that it'll scupper the following week's training, the UK's 20-mile races are the unsung heroes of spring marathon training.Swap your usual long run for a 20-mile tune-up, and from busy start lines to drinks station etiquette, you'll b...

or organisation. It's also completely free to take part.If you're unable to get involved, don't worry - you can track 'Barry' with the tracker on the CoastersGB website.Find out moreThe thread that started it all - Hoose's call to action.On the CoastersGB website

ploughing up tracks, through verdant fields and then following the winding course of the beautiful River Wye. Make sure you take a breather to enjoy the stunning scenery around the Offa’s Orror’s single-lap course’s setting – the utterly rural Wye Valley

set a mixture of performance goals (for example, a sub-3.30 marathon); process goals to track your technical process (such as running a negative split); and outcome goals (like winning the race). It's also a good idea to split your goals into three

reason – the out-and-back course passes through some of the beautiful scenery of the North Downs. Its undulating paths and tracks thread through woods, fields and parkland in a vista of summer colours – blue skies, red poppies and the welcoming green

in 1982, and still organised now by a small committee of volunteers, the Coniston 14 is a real local effort by residents proud of their stunning surroundings.Its undeniably hilly course tracks 14 miles – or 13.875 to be precise – of road around the edge

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

injury-free. I can recover really well from this, take a shorter break than I'd planned and get back into good shape come the European Championships.Q. Why did you decide to switch to the marathon? [Lemoncello had a successful track career in American

  Every year there are thousands of races in Britain, ranging from 5K charity jogs to ultra events and with options over trail, countryside, fell, track and road. Some runners cram in races every weekend, but if you want to maximise your

,000-year-old St Helen's Church before stretching out along the Thames and weaving through some peaceful country villages. The return to urban scenery heralds the marathon’s track finish at Tilsley Park. 6. Admiral Swansea Bay 10K Where: Swansea