As I write this article, there are just over 9 weeks left until the London Marathon, which I am participating in. This is his second marathon for me and it’s a big one. The London Marathon is a coveted race for runners around the world. It is one of the world marathon majors, along with New York, Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, and Chicago, and is a must-do marathon at least once.
Of course, running a marathon requires a lot of things, including lots of food and a tolerance for the sweetness of healthy energy gels. But these days, to train and race effectively, you also need a little bit of technology. From the best running watches to the best running shoes, here’s what I use as TechRadar’s fitness editor.
watch
The watch I use is a Garmin Epix Pro, which I’ve been using throughout my training so far. I also dabbled in the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but I keep stopping using it because of the battery life and because I love using my Android phone. As a daily training tool, nothing beats the Garmin Epix Pro, and I use its navigation tools pretty extensively during long distance runs.
Take a lot of the guesswork out of your long runs by creating a course with Garmin Connect, syncing it to your watch, and following full-color GPS maps that alert you when and where to turn. Never make it unintentionally too short or too long. You’ll know you’re on the right track even when you’re jogging through a strange part of London.
Knowing your direction and not slowing down to calculate where to go allows you to focus on what’s important: your training. Music controls, 2-week battery life, advanced running and recovery metrics, a bright AMOLED screen, and LED lights for use when running at night combine to make it a great training technology.
However, many of the advanced terrain and navigation features remain unused, making it too much of a hassle for me. I also use his TechRadar review sample, so I don’t think you need to spend nearly $1,000/£900/AU$1,600 on a watch to run a marathon.
If I had to buy one, I would probably choose the more affordable Forerunner 265. I used this during my first marathon last year. It has almost all of the tools listed above (except lights and some advanced fitness metrics) and is effectively half the price of Epix Pro. It’s a little slim, so you can wear it under a dress shirt.
those shoes
Last year, I took a leap of faith and chose the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% 2, a carbon-plated race shoe used by elite athletes. However, my marathon time (varied to 4:04) was far from elite and I felt faintly silly wearing these shoes. I was worried that I would look like a “I have all the gear and still don’t know” type of person, and that I wouldn’t have room for over-designed shoes that wouldn’t look out of place on Eliud Kipchoge’s feet. Ta.
This year I reduced the amount a little. I’ve been training in his ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25. This shoe has no carbon plating, has a less flashy design, and offers plenty of comfort. Specially made for long training sessions. It’s soft and fluffy and has been extremely comfortable for the 20km long runs I’ve done so far. On race day, he will be wearing his successor model, the highly acclaimed ASICS Gel-Nimbus 26.
The Gel Nimbus 26 is similar to the 25 and features the same FF Blast cushioning, but a redesigned upper and material changes create a slightly firmer, faster ride while maintaining comfort. I’m not particularly aiming for the top time yet (although my goal is sub-4 hours for him, so it’s a bit faster than my first effort). So it’s great to have a shoe that keeps your feet comfortable without sacrificing too much speed.
headphones
Wearing headphones is a bit controversial among marathon runners. Some swear that once the crowd’s cheers die down, the music is the only thing that keeps them going. Some people avoid headphones completely. Some events may prohibit this and only bone conduction headsets or open-ear headsets may be used.
I like running with headphones on. The London Marathon is a very busy course with very few quiet sections, so there seems to be little need for headphones on the road. However, I train using audiobooks and music, as well as pace reminders for each kilometer, so it’s nice to have the same tools available during my runs.With that in mind, I went to Shokz OpenRunthe best set of bone conduction headphones.
Shokz OpenRun is great and pretty cheap right now. Keep your ears free, comfortable for your ears, and extremely durable with IP67 rating. It charges fast, lasts a long time, and has good sound quality, even if the transducer is a bit small. The volume is set low, so when the crowd noise fades here and there, the playlist can take over and keep you energized until you cross the finish line.
Eating and drinking
On long training runs I’ve been using this cheap Fistokail running backpack with a water bag and flexible straw, but I won’t be wearing it on the day. There is a lot of support on the London Marathon course, so make sure to stay hydrated at the many water stations along the course.
For fuel, I carry Science in Sport energy gels and plan to “eat” one at the start line and another every 45 minutes of my run. He only needs six for a four-hour run, but he brings seven or eight just in case.