. Beginning Little Athletics (it’s an Aussie thing) at the age of 11 and running competitively for more than 25 years on the track, roads, trails and cross country, I was lucky enough to represent Australia at the Oceania Games in the 1,500m and 5,000m

Feel-good racing: the first Sierra Leone MarathonYou can see a photo gallery to accompany this feature here.'Small, small,’ says the woman dressed in vibrant twists of wax-printed cotton, as she leaves her house to run beside me. That means ‘slow

running by feel. ‘Perceived effort is fast becoming a lost art,’ says Culpepper. ‘You should learn how your various efforts feel. If you’ve practised it, then you can make adjustments and not feel like you are abandoning your race plan.’ Playtime: Track