SIR MO FARAH'S MARATHON MASTERCLASS

Taking on a spring or summer marathon? Special guest contributor Sir Mo Farah reveals some of his race-day strategies for going the distance

I made the switch from the track to marathon because I needed a new challenge. I felt I’d accomplished all that I wanted on the track and started to think, What’s next? For the type of person I am, I need a challenge to motivate me and make me hungry.

I didn’t need to dramatically change my training, though, it was just tweaking a few things, like longer tempo efforts and a longer long run. I was already running 120 to 130 miles a week, which didn’t need to change.

The hardest part about the switch was not being able to race as often. I’m a competitor and I love testing myself against the best in the world. I liked being able to race, see what I need to work on in training, go back and do that and then race again. In the marathon, it’s four to five months of work that goes into getting everything right on a single day. When that comes together, though, it’s a great feeling.   

For anyone who is taking on a spring or summer marathon themselves this year, here are my race-day tactics…

PRE-RACE NUTRITION

The morning of a marathon normally means a very early start, which can make eating difficult. That means the night before I will make sure I eat a good balanced meal, like chicken and pasta with some fresh vegetables, so that I’m getting a mix of carbohydrates and protein.