Runner's World UK

THE LOCATION The charming mountain town of Ischgl sits in the Paznaun Valley in Austria’s Tyrol region, close to the Swiss border. A snow sports mecca in the winter, it transforms into a trail running paradise when the snows melt away and summer arrives. THE RUN The area’s signature trail event, the Silvrettarun 3000, takes runners from Ischgl to Galtür through challenging but stunning Alpine terrain, covering 40.1km with 1,800m of ascent over the full ‘Hard’ distance. But if you fancy a taste of Tyrol that’s a bit lighter on the legs, there are also ‘Small’ (11.2km/306m), ‘Light’ (19.36km/873m) and ‘Medium’ (29.9km/1,482m) routes on offer; plus kids’ races if you’re taking the next generation along for the ride. The 2023 Silvrettarun 3000 takes place on 14 and 15 July. Go to paznaun-ischgl.com for…

ELIUD KIPCHOGE HAS done so many remarkable things in his career – achieving the first sub-2:00 marathon and setting multiple world records – that it became easy to think of him as superhuman. But what makes him a brilliant ambassador, whose fame has spread beyond the sport, is that he doesn’t just care about winning, he cares about runners being the best they can be, whatever their level. As we learn in our interview on page 34, he’s driven by a desire to promote running as a tool of improvement for individuals and the wider world. We spoke to him following his sixth place Boston Marathon finish – a rare disappointment that in some ways makes him more relatable. He says he has bad days in training and races like we…

SAM MURPHY The running coach, author and RW columnist shares some of her personal experiences and delves into the research finally giving the issue some of the focus it deserves to help all those navigating the challenges of Running Through Menopause on p48. DAVE HOLMES The runner and Pulitzer-nominated journalist has written for Esquire, The New Yorker and Rolling Stone. His interview with the marathon GOAT reveals the discipline, focus and positivity needed to achieve the impossible. Eliud Kipchoge’s Higher Purpose, p34.…

That don’t compress me much A new study suggests there are no benefits to wearing compression socks during a run NOTHING DIVIDES a group of runners quite like the debate over the merits of compression socks. Some runners swear by them; others swear at them. While there is some evidence for wearing them after a race to speed up recovery, the evidence in favour of their in-race application is mixed at best. A new study* found that runners wearing compression socks on the run experienced increased muscle pressure (a sign of fatigue) and decreased oxygen. A blood test found that the socks did nothing to reduce muscle-damage enzymes, either. Researchers concluded: ‘The use of compression socks during running affects the muscles in the lower leg negatively in healthy individuals.’ That’s not your…

WE MIGHT DRESS differently and be less likely to live in the Arctic Circle, but runners have a lot in common with cross-country skiers – which is why the results of a new study* are worth listening to. The subjects were highly trained elite-level skiers, and researchers wanted to identify what type of training made the biggest contribution to their success. Conclusion: ‘Time in uphill terrain was most strongly correlated with overall performance [in a 10K time trial].’ Body mass and lean body mass were inversely correlated with overall and uphill performance. In other words, time spent training in the hills can make you light and strong. ‘These findings emphasise that high aerobic energy turnover to perform well in uphill sections should be development areas for improving skating time-trial performance,’…

New Balance performed the noble task of attempting to identify the UK’s toughest road marathon, based on DNF (did not finish) rate. It’s a misleading metric to use as there are reasons for DNFing other than the toughness of the course. For example, falling behind pace on a flat course when your only goal was to achieve a PB. That said, the winner, Langdale, is a beast. Packing in some 3,400ft of ascent – just less than the height of Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa – this Lakeland classic churns runners up and spits them out. See page 92 for more. 24% Improvement in time when running a long interval session in Nike ZoomX Vaporfly shoes, according to a new study*. The shoes also ‘reduced perceived muscle pain’ compared with regular running trainers. WORDS: RICK…