Advice and encouragement to get you through your 26.2-mile challenge with success

For many sports enthusiasts, running any kind of marathon to completion is one of the greatest and most anticipated challenges. A marathon is usually 26 miles long, and it is undoubtedly a sporting event that puts a competitors physical and mental endurance to its limit. Completing one requires full concentration, dedication, willpower, and training to meet the requirements it demands. Like training for a marathon, earning money through betting also requires commitment and mental endurance. What better way to enjoy betting than trying out these new casino sites not on Gamstop?

It is no surprise how many sports enthusiasts may approach marathons with a certain degree of respect. This respect is born out of how challenging they appear to be, but this only makes them more enticing for those looking to conquer new heights. Some of the ultimate sporting challenges in history have been marathon competitions, with results highlighted in sporting history. Some of these highlights are the first official marathon race in Athens, Greece, in 1896, the Boston womens Marathon of 1996 and the unforgettable performance of Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila in Rome, where he beat a world record time to take Olympic gold. Bikila tragically passed away in 1973, aged 41, shortly after suffering a car crash accident avoiding student protestors in Addis, Ababa in 1969. However, he would forever resonate with marathon runners as one of the greatest in world history.

There are many different kinds of marathons. They are sponsored by charities and ONGS of multiple kinds. Their main goal is to raise funds and spread awareness. Marathons all over the world are often quite common.

The four key building blocks of a marathon:

Training for a marathon requires not just willpower and dedication; you also need to plan out your routine and learn the most efficient ways to reach peak performance during your running. If you are interested in trying out for a marathon, in this piece, we will provide you with certain tips that will help you train effectively for any upcoming marathon you pursue.

When training for a marathon, there are four key foundations of marathon training you need to develop thoroughly in order to succeed.

Base mileage Base mileage is the number of miles usually run in an average non-marathon week without much soreness or excessive fatigue. It is important to build up your base mileage average weekly slowly.

The long run Doing a long run every 7-10 days is essential to help the body adjust to longer distances. Make sure not to overdo it, though, as not having enough recovery time before the main event can lead to severe injuries. Because of this, it is recommended to prepare the last long run 3 or 4 weeks before the big event.

Speed work Practice intervals and tempo runs to develop and increase cardio capacity. Cardio is paramount if you build enough resistance to endure the demands of a marathon.

Rest and recovery Finally, getting enough rest and recovery is fundamental to recovering from physical and mental injuries. Overtraining without enough time to rest and heal can lead to severe psychological and physical burnout, fatigue, and soreness. By the time the marathon day arrives, ensure you have gotten plenty of rest and allowed your body to heal.

Best tips for your marathon routine:

Follow these tips and advice to be 100% ready for the big marathon day.

1: Choose your ideal marathon

Before starting to train for a marathon, you must choose what kind of marathon best suits you. You should select a marathon that is best suited to your current level of fitness and prior experience. Consider the environment it will take place in, such as length, terrain, the number of people you will be running with, etc.

2: Keep yourself motivated

Stress and overtraining can lead to physical and mental fatigue and take a toll on your motivation. There will be days when you do not feel like training, others when you feel you are not making progress fast enough, or you think running a marathon is not that big of a deal and you should not bother doing it.

Make sure to replenish your motivation by setting yourself specific goals, listening to motivational music, and training up with a buddy or a group with similar goals as you.

3: Watch your nutrition

To work at maximum performance, you must think of your body as a machine and nourishment as its primary fuel source. A steady source of carbohydrates will provide you with the energy you need to complete any marathon. Make sure also to stay properly hydrated.

4: Create a personalized training plan suitable to you and your goals

All people have different fitness levels and require specific personalized training. To make the most out of your training sessions, contact a fitness coach or a well-experienced marathon runner to design a training program suitable for you.

5: Taper properly

Many racers struggle with the taper (reducing exercise workload before the big race). This may seem counterproductive, but running at peak performance is necessary. As the weeks go by and marathon day draws nearer, make sure to decrease your total mileage so that your body is ready for the big day.

Follow these simple guidelines, and you should be ready to successfully overcome any marathon in your way. Make sure that on a racing day, you wear comfortable running shoes and sports clothing that allow you to transpire as best as possible. But most importantly, make sure to have fun. Running a marathon is no small feat, but it is by no means impossible. Do your very best, and you will succeed.

AW promotion: Some of the best picks from the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games took place in Birmingham, UK, from July 28^th to 8^th August 2022. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the competition, let us first give you a summary of the Commonwealth Games. If you are a big sports fan and cant wait to see which Commonwealth teams will rank top in their fields, perhaps you might be looking to make a wager on who these will be. This could help you make some quick money and make the games more engaging and memorable. Here are some betting sites accepting credit cards that are absolutely safe and reliable to put some money into them.

The Commonwealth Games are a quadrennial international multi-sport event contested by athletes hailing from the Commonwealth of Nations. Many sporting competitions have taken place between members of the British Empire to display the Empires unity in the past. However, the official first iteration of the Commonwealth Games took place in 1978 and has been in effect until now. The Commonwealth Games take place in different countries of the Commonwealth, and this years host was Birmingham, UK.

The Commonwealth games start with an opening ceremony, as in the Olympic Games. The traditional ceremonial protocol starts with hoisting the host countrys flag and performing its national anthem. Afterwards, there are numerous artistic performances, followed by a procession of athletes parading across the stadium. These are led by the athletes of the country that hosted the previous games with the other countrys athletes behind them. Finally, the Queens Baton is passed on as the representative of the head of the Commonwealth.

The games conclude with a closing ceremony in which all athletes enter the stadium together, and the Commonwealth Games flag is passed on to the mayor of the next host city.

Impact of the Commonwealth Games on Birmingham

The Commonwealth Games are a tremendous sporting event that stars over 4500 athletes from 71 separate countries and is also praised for bringing enormous benefits to the host city compared to their more famous and extravagant counterpart, the Olympics. This competition has enabled many regeneration projects for infrastructure, sporting facilities, housing, roads and public transportation. Examples of this are the improvements in the Alexander Stadium and the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, amplifying investments in Perry Barr and unlocking over 85 million pounds in additional funding from a range of public and third sector bodies.

Tourism also flourished during the Commonwealth games, allowing for a recovery of the local economy after the disastrous plummet of tourism levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Birmingham expects to see an economic boost in the hospitality and tourism industry, as well as investment in both traditional and online casino sectors. All this without forgetting about luring future foreign investment opportunities attracted by the cities potential displayed after the Commonwealth games.

Opening Ceremony

This years Birmingham games kicked off with an opening ceremony at the newly-renovated Alexander Stadium. The celebration could only be described as unashamedly rambunctious, energetic and yet immensely respectful towards Birminghams contribution to the world of music and arts.

This unparalleled ceremony starred a 10-metre-tall raging bull dragged into the stadium by 50 women and a union jack made of 72 red, white and blue cars. It also included a display of giant puppets portraying famous historical Birmingham figures such as William Shakespeare, Edward Elgar and Dr Samuel Johnson. A parade of trucks showcased some of the most famous Birmingham inventions, such as pen nibs, police whistles and the Baskerville font. All this without dismissing famous Birmingham drag queen Ginny Lemon riding a gigantic pear-shaped balloon.

A more reserved speech by Birminghams resident Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzi was also included. There were musical performances by Black Sabbath guitarist Tommy lommi and saxophonist Soweto Kinch. They played a reinterpretation of The Trial of the Chicago 7s track Hear My Voice by Indigo Marshall and Gambini. A medley of musical tracks by Duran Duran was played throughout the ceremony, including hits like Planet Earth, Save a Prayer and Together United, with which they closed the ceremony.

Games highlights

These 2022 Commonwealth games can indeed be considered something special. This is because of achieving several first Commonwealth games firsts and other immense sporting-related highlights that should not be overlooked.

These games can be considered a smashing success as a display of sports prowess. With 877 medals awarded, 96 Commonwealth and 4 world records broken, the competitors this year were clearly in top-notch form, giving sports enthusiasts a show they will not forget.

These games were also a triumph for inclusivity in sporting events as many gatekeeping situations were effectively nullified this year. There were more para-sport events than ever in a Commonwealth event, more medal events won by women than men, sporting debuts for basketball 33, wheelchair basketball 33, and cricket T20 for women only, and those now are the first Commonwealth Games designed with a Social Value Charter, taking into account wider economic, social and environmental effects.

In the entire Commonwealth, Australia topped the medal table with 178 medals, England with 176, and Canada with 92.

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony in these Commonwealth games marked the end of the 2022 Birmingham Games. The ceremony also took place at Alexander Stadium. It started strongly, with a surprise finale musical performance by Birminghams very own Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Tommy Cluefetos and Adam Wakeman.

Several other artists from all over the West Midlands also attended to play in a spectacular musical celebration in honour of this years games. Alongside this celebration, there was an exploration of peoples lives from 1950s post-war Birmingham to today. It would be inappropriate not to mention the premiere of dance company Ramberts specially commissioned performance work, inspired by their upcoming Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby. Finally, the ceremony concluded with handing the flag to the next games hosts: Victoria 2026. This was followed by the Smoking Ceremony and the handing in of a carved message stick to Dame Louise Martin DBE, current Commonwealth Games Federation President.

What makes the Birmingham games so popular?

For the duration of the games, many have wondered what has made these games so remarkable and beloved compared to other competitions such as the Diamond League or the UK championships. One answer is that many of these competitions have no significance other than earning a certain amount of money.

In comparison, a tournament like the Commonwealth Games means both medals and glory both for the athletes and the nation they represent. One of the most significant events of the Games was for 400m hurdler Alastair Chalmers after he won Guernseys first-ever track and field medal. The athletes and the spectators are highly patriotic and will cheer for their teams and flags as they compete for their countrys recognition and prestige.

The author, who ran his 2:29 PB in the first London Marathon in 1981 and has since run every London since 1984, looks at what is required to break the various time barriers in the marathon

Eliud Kipchoge smashed his world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:01:09 effectively just a mere 1.66 seconds per kilometre away from achieving the first sub-two in a genuine competition.

Other time targets may be a little bit more attainable for those participating in the 2022 TCS London Marathon on Sunday (Oct 1).

London may not be quite as fast as Berlin or Chicago but the number of world records previously achieved in the capital show that it is one of the fastest and best marathons in the world.

The target should be based on a number of factors. Your previous best, your age, the volume of your training and your recent half-marathon times. So if you struggled to break two hours in a half-marathon then a 4:30 to 5:00 marathon is more likely than a sub-four.

Plenty of 20-mile training runs may slightly make up for the lack of speed at shorter distances but you need to be realistic in your time target.

Going for a sub-4:00 when 4:30 is more of a realistic and attainable target could ultimately see you nearer or even outside five hours.

Age does come into it, even if performances like Nigel Rackhams UK M60 record at Berlin of 2:41:16 suggests that you can still run very fast at an older age. However, he ran faster when he was younger and, as you get older, you lose speed even though your stamina is maintained but dont expect to run as fast at 50 as you did at 40 unless your training has progressed.

Pacing is the most important factor. Kipchoge himself went a little too fast on the first half in his world record run. His 5km splits were 14:14, 14:09, 14:10, 14:12, 14:23, 14:32, 14:30 and 14:43 and his 10km splits were 28:23, 28:22, 28:55 and 29:13 which is hardly a great slowing down.

The slightly quick first half certainly did not cost him a sub-two but he may well have run a sub-2:01 had he been a little more controlled.

For London, the first half contains the quickest section with a longish downhill around the 5km mark and the anticipated brisk westerly wind will make it slower than it would have been, especially on the second half.

Obviously apart from pacing, fuelling and hydration is vital, although you only may realise you have got it wrong in the closing miles by which time, gels and liquids will be too late to make a difference.

Drink and fuel regularly but sensibly as too much water or gels or jelly beans might not necessarily make you faster and could have consequences.

Many say the half-marathon mark in a marathon mentally is 20 miles rather than 13.1 as the first half is relatively easy and the key to a good time is getting to 20 miles (32km) as relaxed and fresh as you can so you can maintain a solid pace for the last 10km and are strong enough to fight the fatigue.

READ MORE: London Marathon preview

Even pace is what many say is the desired goal but the vast majority of runners are not capable of running fast with 20 miles in their legs however quick they have gone in the early stages.

That does not mean you need to get lots of time hand in the first half while you feel good as that will tire you earlier and make it harder than it should be.

However, if you are aiming for a sub-three and it is a realistic and achievable target, a 1:28:30 first half shouldnt really take that much more out of you than a 1:29.

Kipchoges halves of 59:50 and 61:19 are effectively near even-pace running with a slight slowing which is what the vast majority of successful runners achieve.

Sub-2:00

Kilometre pace required: 2:50.6. Mile pace required: 4:34.8. Suggested first 10km: 28:15-28:30

Ideal 10km PB requirement: 26:30. Half-marathon requirement: 57.00

While it has been done by Kipchoge with a mass of pacemakers, and it only requires only a 0.94% improvement, the lack of someone able to challenge him through the last 10km, and the fact that at the age of 37 he is not improving his speed, suggests it might be a while coming.

Could the future be Commonwealth 5000m and 10,000m champion Jacob Kiplimo?

Aged just 21, the world half-marathon champion and world record-holder could be the athlete to push Kipchoge all the way or even eventually break the Kenyans record.

Certainly no one will come close to this barrier at London even if it was perfect conditions and while Kipchoge has now run a sub-hour first half in competition, no one has come close to producing a sub-hour second half with 13.1 miles at a fast pace already in their legs.

Sub-2:30

Kilometre pace required: 3:33. Mile pace required: 5:43. Suggested first 10km: 35:30-36:00

Ideal 10km PB requirement: 32:00. Half-marathon requirement: 70:00

Less than 150 runners broke this barrier in 2021 which is less than did it the first London in 1981, despite the great advancement in shoe technology and training and diet knowledge over the last 40 years.

Ideally a halfway time of around 73-74 minutes is required and most who achieve this barrier have run a sub-70 half-marathon.

There wont be a large number of runners at this pace so it does require concentration and the ability to set your own pace independent of others.

Sub-3:00

Kilometre pace required: 4:15. Mile pace required: 6:52. Suggested first 10km: 42-42:30.

Ideal 10km PB requirement: 39:00. Half-marathon requirement: 1:23

The sub-three is the traditional target of a quality club runner and there will be a number of runners trying for this goal but the pacers at this speed invariably end up with few of the followers who were with them at halfway still there in the last 5km.

While it has been known for some to break this barrier with a 1:27 half-marathon PB, those are a rarity and even a sub-1:20 half does not guarantee beating this time barrier but does gives a very good chance with 1:23 being a possible chance.

Sub-3:30

Kilometre pace required: 4:58. Mile pace required: 8:00. Suggested first 10km: 49:00-49:30

Ideal 10km PB requirement: 43:00. Half-marathon requirement: 1:30-1:35

As the pace gets slightly slower, the numbers on the road increase in intensity and space is at a minimum, meaning you may not always be able to run at the pace you had intended as others get in your way.

However, the staggered starts nowadays do allow a little more room as athletes in this popular time bracket attempt to maintain a sub-5min/kilometre pace throughout.

Athletes generally in this time bracket can run a time of around 1:30 for the half-marathon a minute a mile quicker than the target pace but a well-trained athlete with natural stamina may be able to achieve the target with a 1:35 best.

Sub-4:00

Kilometre pace required: 5:41. Mile pace required: 9:09. Suggested first 10km: 55:00-56:00

Ideal 10km PB requirement: 48:00. Half-marathon requirement: 1:45

It is extremely crowded at this pace with the highest concentration of runners with sub-four the target of the average competitor.

An average pace of around nine-minute is required so it helps if you have sustained a pace of around a minute of mile quicker in a half-marathon.

Sub-4:30

Kilometre pace required: 6:23. Mile pace required: 10:18. Suggested first 10km: 62:00-63:00

Ideal 10km PB requirement: 53:00. Half-marathon requirement: 1:55

It is still very crowded around this time barrier though a sub 4:30 is less of a desired target than the even hour 3:00 and 4:00 barriers.

It requires a 10-minute mile pace throughout and again a minute a mile quicker should be doable over the half-marathon distance so the pace feels comfortable.

Sub-5:00

Kilometre pace required: 7:06. Mile pace required: 11:27. Suggested first 10km: 69:00-70:00

Ideal 10km PB requirement: 60:00. Half-marathon requirement: 2:15

Running even-pace around this pace is not easy as a higher proportion of competitors walk in the second half and requires the ability to side step others in the manner of Ryan Giggs at his peak as they suddenly stop and slow.

I have some experience of this pace as, unhealthy and unfit last year, I ran a roughly two-hour first half and walked a near three-hour second half and hopefully was not too much of an obstruction for those maintaining a better pace.

READ MORE: London Marathon preview

Finills span is currently 39 years and 358 days but if he does achieve a sub-three, he will jump to a world record 43 years 149 days and he will be the fourth runner ever (and first European) to run a sub-three in six different decades.

Its crucial to have progressive policies that protect women athletes from abortion restrictions, writes Kate Seary

Overnight, women have been set back 50 years in the US. The decision to overturn Roe v Wade in June, thus removing abortion as a constitutional right, did not come as a surprise, yet was shocking at the same time.

In terms of sport, thats like going back to a leather basketball, cinder athletics tracks and cotton rugby shirts.

Although abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in October 2019, abortion services have still not been commissioned, meaning access to abortion is still restricted. In Scotland, there are no healthcare services which provide abortion care up to 24 weeks, forcing women to travel away from home. We have been sucked in to thinking this is a US issue but, in reality, it strikes much closer to home.

Sportswomen might not be the first group you think about when it comes to reproductive rights, yet it is a group for whom an unwanted pregnancy can be a life sentence for their careers.

Sport is a career which is completely reliant on being able to push your body to its limits. The success of an athlete is often fuelled by being able to control what their body does and being finely in tune with their bodys rhythm; a skill that is mastered over years.

The physical toll of pregnancy can change a womans ability to do that. Athletes around the world face the reality that there is no guarantee, unlike most jobs, that they can return to their role at the same skill level as pre-pregnancy.

That means an unwanted pregnancy, with the choice as to whether to go through with that pregnancy taken away, really can be the difference between pursuing a career in sport or not, pursuing a dream or not, and taking home a pay cheque or not.

There are of course women who do manage to have careers after pregnancy, and even continue their careers during pregnancy. Allyson Felix and Helen Glover are two athletes who come to mind and competed post-pregnancy at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

I will also always remember being in awe of Alysia Montano running at the US national track and field championships whilst eight months pregnant, but these pregnancies are often planned, calculated to the nth degree, and have financial support behind them.

This is not to take away from a feat of gigantic proportions, but it becomes almost impossible if its an unplanned pregnancy for an emerging, yet unsigned, athlete.

An argument thrown at athletes who seek abortions often goes a medal isnt worth more than a life.

Of course it isnt. Ultimately, athletes are trying to win medals. That is the aim of the game, but that is just the pinnacle of a career. An athletes day-to-day is about putting food on the table, just like any other line of work, it just happens to play out on the big screen and comes with a degree of glory. This doesnt make an athletes choice to have a career ahead of having a family any less respectable.

This argument comes from a deep-rooted issue present in sports culture where we view an athletes body as a commodity, owned by spectators, a governing body, a brand. But the sporting arena is an office without the rights and security afforded to normal workers.

That brings me on to the second reason why abortion restrictions especially impact women athletes. Life as an athlete isnt the financially stable one that it is often believed to be, especially not with the gender pay gap so prevalent in sport.

The high wages are reserved for those right at the top of their game, and mostly for men. The majority of women athletes just make enough to get by. In sport, short-term contracts are the norm, many with deductions in pay if an athlete doesnt perform enough that year. If an athlete is lucky enough to receive an income from their sporting governing body, there is always the risk of being dropped the next year.

On top of that, athletes rely on performance bonuses and additional income from competition wins to make ends meet. If youre pregnant, you may not even be safe to participate. Oh, and theres no maternity pay for most women athletes, either.

It goes further than a pay cheque, though. An unwanted pregnancy could also mean young athletes waving goodbye to sporting scholarships, which for many is their ticket to a good education.

Even if an athlete can get their body back to performing at elite levels, with another mouth to feed, a full-time athletic career may no longer be financially viable.

Sporting leaders must respond in light of these tragic attempts to control womens bodies and act to protect women in sport.  If companies are going to talk about diversity and inclusion and create adverts boasting their equality work in sport, then they must put their marketing where their mouth is and introduce policies that support women athletes through reproductive health.

Sporting bodies and brands do not have the power to change national laws on reproductive health, but they can do everything in their power to implement policies which support women to make informed, financially supported choices to prevent a situation where an abortion is needed in the first place.

As with all women, athletes dont want abortions. We need funded maternity and paternity leave for athletes, a ban on wage deductions for athletes who are unable to perform due to pregnancy, and commitments from sporting governing bodies and universities to financially and medically support athletes and student athletes through their pregnancies.

Sport lags behind on reproductive rights. These changes are the least that can be done to give comfort to women athletes who just lost what they hold most dear the control of their bodies.