Caught marathon fever? Here’s how to take your very first steps into running

The Metro says And just like that, the London Marathon is over for another year.

The roaring crowds and smiling, sweaty faces sprawled across the TV can be infectious – so much so that over 410,000 people entered the ballot for 2023, fighting it out for approximately 17,000 places.

Caught ‘marathon fever’ and feeling inspired to take on the challenge yourself? Here’s how to take your very first steps into running.

Make sure you have supportive footwear

First thing’s first – you need to get those treads right. Spending hundreds on the most expensive brands won’t necessarily get you the best shoe – you just need to make sure the ones you’re wearing are adequately supportive.

‘Your trainers are key!’ says Laura Bannister, a personal trainer and running leader from LKB Fitness. ‘As a beginner, just avoid trainers like Converse or Vans – you need ankle/foot support.’

Not sure what you need? Try a free online gait analysis tool through sportshoes.com or Brooks. These will analyse your technique and advise accordingly, but you don’t need to pick the exact brand they suggest – use the results to inform your choices.

That way, you can improve your performance and avoid any injuries which will undoubtedly keep you off the track and away from those PBs.