This comprehensive guide will help you to run better, recover faster and keep all your bodily systems operating in harmony. BY RENEE MCGREGOR d3sign//Getty Images When it comes to a runner’s diet, it seems that everyone has an opinion. But often, this opinion is based on what we can term n=1 – that is, an individual runner’s personal dietary experience, or simplified science that considers only fuelling and recovery. But human bodies are not machines. While we need fuel to move and to survive, it is not a simple case of filling our tanks with a set amount of fuel in order to run a set num ..read more

In the battle of the super shoes at London, Adidas surged ahead of Nike BY ALI BALL Alex Davidson Ever since Tigst Assefa wore the Adidas Adios Evo Pro 1 to set a new women’s marathon world record at the Berlin Marathon last year, the battle between Adidas and Nike for the ultimate super shoe has been on. Nike hit back in October, when the late Kelvin Kiptum broke the men’s marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon wearing the Alphafly 3. But now, the tables have turned once again. Sunday’s London Marathon proved a momentous victory for Adidas. Not only did the men’s wi ..read more

Fighting hard to the finish line, the Kenyan outran her rivals to make history in London BY RACHEL BOSWELL Alex Davidson//Getty Images With three of the four fastest women over 42.2 kilometres toeing the line at this year’s London Marathon, the speed was never in doubt. But, for Peres Jepchirchir, her speed saw her clock more than just a PB on Sunday [21 April] – breaking the tape in 2:16:16, the reigning Olympic marathon champion also set a dramatic new women’s-only world record. Jepchirchir just about gets ahead A consistently high-performing long distance specialist, Jepchirchir ..read more

Running coach Jenny Hadfield tells you how to combat taper fear and master the art of winding down for race day BY JENNY HADFIELD Every runner will know, tapering is anything but easy. This is likely due to the increase in race-day nerves combined with the slow and gradual decline in mileage. When you’re training for a marathon, the fear is usually under control because you’re actively preparing for the race. But as you take away the security that training provides, the fear can grow and so too can the negative mind chatter that can cause you to make on ..read more

Is this one of the best daily trainers we’ve seen in 2024? BY ALI BALL Ali Ball Weight: 212g (M), 168g (W) Heel-to-toe drop: 6mm Stack height: 30mm heel, 24mm forefoot Use: Speedwork/racing/everyday New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4The shoe A quick glance at the New Balance Rebel v4 and you may well mistake it for the top-end SuperComp Elite v4 racer — especially since the two come in matching colourways. But, unlike the shoe’s carbon-plated counterpart, which is intended to be used for your speediest sessions and on race day, the Rebel is designed to be fast ..read more

Leading sports dietitian and RW columnist Renee McGregor weighs up the pros and cons… BY JENNY BOZON Getty Images In recent years, increasing numbers of us have opted for a more plant-based diet, with the latest data by DEFRA (2022) showing that the consumption of meat has dropped by 14% in the last decade. This decline could be due to health, environmental or ethical considerations, but as runners, are we potentially missing out on key nutrients by avoiding meat? Red meat, opposed to poultry, has particularly taken the hit, with fears around its higher saturated fat content and asso ..read more

30,000 athletes took to the course for the 128th edition of the race. BY TAYLOR DUTCH AP / Charles Krupa On Monday, April 15, 30,000 athletes from around the globe set out to compete in the 2024 Boston Marathon. The 128th iteration of the historic race was run in warmer conditions with a starting temperature of about 16 degrees with 58 percent humidity. Sisay Lemma won the men’s race in 2:06:17 after pulling away early and Hellen Obiri repeated as the women’s champion, crossing the line in 2:22:37. Rob Gronkowski, a four-time Super Bowl-winning tight end with the New Englan ..read more

Go bananas! The yellow fruit has a bunch of benefits – here’s why you should be eating bananas (and their peel) Aleksandr Zubkov//Getty Images A staple in most pre-run breakfast recipes and in every post-race goodie bag, bananas are somewhat of a running icon – and, it turns out, they have every right to be. Runners are, in fact, so crazy about bananas there has been some bizarre running-related fruit contraptions made over the years. Enter the edible, wearable race banana. In 2015, Dole Japan designed a device in the form of a banana that can be strapped to participants’ wrists ..read more

How do you know if you have a stress fracture and what should you do if you have? BY KATE CARTER Not all running injuries are created equal. Whilst a stress fracture may sound fairly innocuous it can be incredibly painful and prevent you from running for several months. If you had to pick something to keep you away from your beloved sport, you’d infinitely rather have woes with blisters or chafing, or even a mild strain, than the looming threat of the dreaded stress fracture. A relatively common injury, they often appear to come from nowhere and can sometimes be tricky to ..read more

We’ve clocked up thousands of kilometres on the best Garmin watches you can buy — here are our reviews. Whether you’re training for your first 5k or a multi-stage ultramarathon, a Garmin watch is one of the best pieces of tech you can use to track your runs, gain feedback on key metrics, and even monitor things like stress and sleep. The Swiss brand has been designing cutting-edge GPS navigation products since 1989, and now boasts some of the best GPS running watches on the market, as well as a host of other wearables including heart rate monitors. For beginners, it offers some ..read more