The adidas Marathon Tech trainer draws original archive design inspiration from the adidas Marathon TR trainer, a trainer which saw Mr 3 Stripes himself, Adi Dassler, still involved in the design process. The Marathon TR was also one of Dassler’s final adidas projects before he sadly passed away in 1978. The trail runner design was first introduced in 1979 and started a new wave of retro runners, with its famous grippy outsole becoming an overnight hit with trail runners all over the world. Other styles that took the Marathon name included the Marathon 80, a running style which came a year after the original TR with a similar style mesh and suede upper but with a less trail focused outsole. It is also worth pointing out that the Marathon TR also included the famous Dellinger webbing to the midsole, a sole cushioning system designed specifically for runners needs. Eliud Kipchoge, who broke his own men's marathon world record last week in Berlin, is not taking part but will be in London to present medals to winners in the Mini Marathon on Saturday. Keep your eyes peeled for other famous faces too, such as BBC News presenter Sophie Raworth, McFly drummer Harry Judd, radio DJs Chris Stark and Reece Parkinson, and TV star Mark Wright.

On a trail, one mile could cover a 2,000 foot elevation gain and the next could be totally flat; you can’t compare how long it takes you do each one. Instead of focusing on your splits, pay attention to your effort level. Charlotte Purdue flies the flag for the Brits in the elite women's race, while Phil Sesemann will hope to improve on his seventh-place finish from last year in the elite men's. Sisay Lemma and Joyciline Jepkosgei won the London Marathon elite men's and women's races in 2021 It’s the same philosophy as training on hills or a high incline on the tread for a hilly race course, or training on flat surface for a flat, fast race course. “You want to make sure you’re simulating the course that you’re going to race on to the best of your ability,” says Kris Mendoza, an ultramarathoner with Merrell and winner of the World’s Toughest Mudder in 2018. “That’s going to help your body adapt to the different stimulus, like the changes in elevation and the uneven terrain.” Don’t Get Hung Up On Pace In his absence, defending London Marathon champion Sisay Lemma and Ethiopian compatriot Kenenisa Bekele are among the favourites for the men's title, while the women's race is headlined by last year's winner Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya and Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who set the fastest debut time for a marathon. With the attention heavily focused on adi's City Series lately, we thought we’d draw your attention away from those geographically-influenced lifestyle silhouettes and introduce you to our size? exclusive iteration of one of the brand’s most celebrated runners, the Marathon TR.Our iteration of the 40-year-old runner paints the silhouette in a striking yellow and red colourway. A comfy blend of breathable mesh and suede builds the models uppers, with soft nylon employed for the tongue. Underfoot, we’ve painted the runner’s protruding Trefoil print outsole in a gum shade – a first for the Marathon TR. Road runners tend to obsess over their pace, splits, and finishing time. But “the first piece of advice I would give someone training for a trail marathon is don’t worry about your pace, because every mile is created differently,” says Mendoza. Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah had been due to headline this year's elite men's race but withdrew earlier in the week because of a hip injury, while women's world record holder Brigid Kosgei - a two-time winner in London - was also forced to pull out. Talking of those markers, new 100 percent recycled mile markers will be in place this year, constructed from four tonnes of plastic waste.

A strong core is also going to help keep you upright when you hit bumps on the trail. “Your body takes a different kind of impact on a trail than on a flat road, because you’re working so many more muscles that connect at different points of your body,” says Woods. Since your core is your center of power, it needs to be able to withstand the extra stress. The 2022 marathon also sees the introduction of more inclusive policies. These include enhanced deferral options for pregnant or postpartum participants, and entries for assisted participants.

Protection

This year, a small section of the marathon route will be turned into Rainbow Row to "celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, promote inclusivity and create a carnival atmosphere for participants as they pass through the final part of their marathon journey".