warm-up at Reading it was hard from 3 miles in. Mile 18 was wonderful, not just because of the gin. I will allow 10 minutes next year to hug EVERYONE who was there. You supporters are stars!  Fuelled by gin, I managed to stop two people giving up

. At Ironman New Zealand in 1997, men expended, on average, 10,036 calories and consumed 3,940. Women burned 9,253 calories and consumed 3,115.Aim to take in around 250 calories an hour from food, and roughly the same from sports drinks. Studies suggest

-Marathon, with 700 runners in November. The race has raised £20,000 for charity in the last four years. The club also helped organise two Stevenage Race For Life 5Ks last July, and helps out at the London Marathon each year. Chris Leigh says the club is proud

! That one was the Fellsman - 63 miles of rough terrain with a 13,000 feet ascent. At the time I had only been running for six months and on reflection it was far too much, far too soon. After 44 miles and twenty hours of running my body gave up

has been studying questions like this for more than 20 years, in between running 58 marathons (with a 2:37 PB) and ultra-marathons. He is also a doctor of public health and a professor of exercise science at Appalachian State University in the USA. I

. This will be Alison's 13th marathon. Matt Pullen Matt finished his first half-marathon at the age of 17, and his first marathon at 18 in London. Since this early start, he’s notched up 15 marathons, and 2009 marks his 10th attempt at the Flora London

him to raise his game to the next level - and it completely changed his life."I had a personal running blog like many people," says Powell. "Then, when I was at a 100-mile race back in 2007, I met a journalist who was writing about ultra-marathons. She

for someone with average control problems, but with a tendency to crush shoes.Contact 0800 056 1640; www.nike.comPuma Complete Peerless – £65Weight 362g Motion controlled by Plastic medial post, fabric wrap, straight last, midfoot shank, external plastic heel

.brooksrunning.co.uk; 01903 817 0009Insport Medley CMX – £20Very light, longer-length shorts. The inner-brief wicks away moisture and, thanks to X-Static silver thread, inhibits odour. (Women's). Contact www.insport.com; 01827 383 200adidas Supernova Short Tight – £35Adidas

to the trails.Ultra RunningA short and snappy guide packed with everything you need to know to go long.Stretching Run safe, strong and injury-free - wise up to the whats, whys and whens of stretching.Carb-LoadingForget ploughing through plates of pasta - get