the world marathon record. It provided the setting for Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie to stamp his mark on the marathon when he set the current world record of 2:04:26 in 2007. This autumn race takes place in September every year so if you need a goal

women – a quirk that should be ironed out as the race welcomes runners from all over Europe.Website www.marathon.lvEstoniaEstonia boasts all kinds of sporting events to tempt the competitive traveller, from firefighting competitions to kiiking, where

. "For Ironman Germany in 2006 and Ironman Switzerland in 2009, I obsessively looked at online course profiles and listened to banter about the races on the Runner's World forums. My training cycle loop has four climbs that matched those in the Ironman

.Duathlons are raced over sprint distances, such as 2mile/10mile/2mile, short distances, such as 8mile/24mile/ 8mile or much longer distances, a prime example of which is the 10K/150K/30K Zofingen Powerman. The 2008 World Long Distance Duathlon Champion Catriona

We Brits were once in love with the mile. From the 1850s to the end of the 19th century, UK athletes dominated the world rankings. In 1954, Roger Bannister finally did what many thought impossible: breaking the elusive four-minute mile barrier

and music, and fields of up to 10,000 runners. Still, there are advantages in going small, too: you’ll probably find that a low-key event is easier in terms of travel and getting to the start, for instance.Races are usually advertised in local sports centres

moment and ask yourself why? It might seem strange, but what are you actually nervous about? In a race at a normal level, you cannot fail. Get round, even by walking, and you have succeeded. – Coops10Focus on what you have achieved, not what you might

wait until the last mile before increasing your pace. 10K? Ramp it up in the final two. Miles 10.1 onwards are the ones in which to up your game during a half and you can turn the screw anywhere from mile 20 in a marathon. 10:35 to 16:00 - Finish up You

and finished in 2:08. She could see that her training was making a difference, and it led her on to a 4:55 at the following spring’s London Marathon. Her big breakthrough came in 2000, however.“I’ve never been able to run any faster than 10-minute miles

at the Institute for Physiology and Anatomy in Germany. Leyk recently examined age-related changes in marathon performance among 300,757 runners, and found that among top-10 finishers, running times slowed by about 10.5 per cent per decade for men and 14.8 per cent