Marathon effort: Preparing for the big day

More than 1.25-million people have completed the London Marathon since it was first run in 1981.

Another 56 000 athletes will line up for Sunday’s 45th edition of the race, now the third of the Abbott World Marathon Majors after Tokyo and Boston.

In the past few months entrants will have stuck to strict training regimes to ensure they are ready for the big day. However, year after year it becomes apparent that many runners are not preparing correctly.

Ultra Sports Clinic Senior Physiotherapist Melissa Reynolds says the “80% running rule” is the widely adopted training principle where about 80% of a runner’s weekly training is done at a low intensity and the remaining 20% at higher intensity.

“This helps build a strong aerobic base, improves endurance, and reduces the risk of injury,” she says.

Not all runners share the same skill and experience levels of course, which is why it is recommended that beginners aim to cover a distance of 15-30km over three- to four runs a week, intermediates target four- to five sessions totalling 30-50km, and advanced athletes set their sights on 60-100km-plus over five- to six sessions.

Melissa says there is no overstating the importance of warm-ups and warm-downs.

“Warm-ups should include five to 10 minutes of light jogging and dynamic stretches such as leg swings, walking lunges, high-knee exercises, and hamstring sweeps. Similarly, warm-down routines should include light jogging as well as static stretches to aid the hamstrings, quads, calves, and hip flexors.”

It is not at all surprising that sore bodies are commonplace, meaning recovery is paramount.

Active recovery days that incorporate gentle walking, yoga or swimming, refuelling with liquids and nutrition 30-60 minutes after a run, massaging, stretching or foam rolling for muscle repair, and between seven- and nine hours of sleep a night are all part of the process.

Sports physiotherapy is a big part of any runner's toolkit.

Physios can identify muscle imbalances, poor movement patterns, or biomechanical issues that could contribute to injury.

They can also improve a client’s running efficiency through gait analysis, strength testing and flexibility assessments, resulting in better cadence, stride length and energy use.

Physios provide custom exercises that enhance joint stability, core control and muscle activation in the hips, glutes, hamstrings and calves.

“If an injury does occur, physiotherapists guide runners through progressive rehab to safely return to training,” Melissa says.

She advises runners to always be on the lookout for “warning signs” while training. There may, for example, be discomfort that returns to the same area, a noticeable change in running form, swelling of stiffness that lingers beyond 48 hours, or feeling weaker despite consistent training.

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