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This weekâs Five Things running is all about perseverance. Also about doing the right kind of training sessions and then pushing through and holding onto for dear life.
This is what I like so much about running: the endurance. You have to stick to your training plan, rinse and repeat, and then youâll notice how your running form changes and you get to accomplish more.
Running is awesome.
How is your running going?
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European Championship records broken in womenâs and menâs marathon
This win is significant for Petros, 31, who lost a sprint finish for gold at the 2025 World Championships to Tazmaniaâs Alphonce Simbu.
âI chose one of the best tactics,â Petros said in the mixed zone of his decision to pull away between 25 and 30km. âI made the right decision to move. The road was very hard and was one of the biggest challenges today. It was not easy.â
He is the German national record holder for the marathon, and explained that he trained at altitude in Kenya for this event, running 200km per week. Petros came 15th at this yearâs London Marathon.
Amanal Petros is such a fantastic athlete, full of amazing positive energy. I am very happy for him that he finally got a big title. What a race!
âSo much more respect for myselfâ: NZ ultrarunner Sophie Woods on smashing a 2,000km alpine run record
In the face of extreme conditions, the 42-year-old New Zealander remained a cautious runner and kept focus â sometimes for 20 hours a day. One ankle sprain, or fall, could have scuppered her goal. Each day she consumed about 7,000 calories, and was supported by her husband, George Woods, and photographer Zoe Salt, who fed her, cooled her down and arranged rests and accommodation along the route.
By week three, she felt stronger than ever.
Can you imagine to run 2000 km? Up and down across the mountains? I think this is incredible and I love reading about these kinds of accomplishments.
The Secret to Max Jolliffeâs Badwater Course Record: The Treadmill, 50 Frozen Bottles, and Starting Stupid Slow
âI went so deep to the well during this race that I almost couldnât even feel anything at the end emotionally,â Jolliffe says. âI was so happy to be done.â
After 20 hours, 53 minutes, and 41 seconds, Jolliffe crossed the line nearly 40 minutes faster than the course record set by Japanâs Yoshihiko Ishikawa in 2019. Just 12 minutes after him, Perez crossed the line as the first woman, and in second place overall, to set a new womenâs course record by nearly 40 minutes.
Over 135 miles, Jolliffe averaged 9:18-minute mile pace with a 138 average heart rate. His discipline and consistency, both in his training and his racing, paid off.
Ok, this is also an insanely great performance. Am I the only one who thinks about all the sun screen that is necessary apart from all the extreme endurance?
Gravel Running Shoes: Do You Actually Need Them?
So what actually makes a shoe a âgravel shoeâ? Think of it as a trail shoe that got tired of being slow.
Lug depth typically sits in the 2-4mm range instead of the 4-6mm+ youâd see on a technical trail shoe. Itâs enough to grip gravel, hardpack, and doubletrack without turning every road mile into a slog. The midsoles usually borrow more from road race foam than trail cushioning as they chase rebound and speed over max protection.
And the outsole compounds are tuned for rolling, mixed-surface traction rather than digging into mud or scrambling over rock. Itâs a shoe designed for the runner who might start on pavement, drift onto a gravel road, and be back on pavement before the run is over. Something that can happen naturally over the course of a run.
While I admire smart product managers who come up with clever ideas to sell more product, I do think that you can just run on gravel with a normal running shoe or a trail shoe. We tend to overthink stuff and forget how easy running should be, without investing thousands of âŹâŹâŹ into gear.
Coming Back to Running After 50? These Training Changes Can Mean Better Workouts and Fewer Injuries
Rediscovering running after spending years or even decades away can feel really exciting⌠or intimidating, or both all at once. It might also feel difficult to truly enjoy your sport again and set goals youâre stoked about. But fear not: You can run faster than you did before your time away. [âŚ]
Thankfully, run coaches hold a ton of insight about how to change your approach to running to meet your current season of life. If youâre just getting back into running, or youâre thinking of making a return, take these pieces of advice with you.
Maybe, when I get older and wiser, I will actually act according to helpful tips.
Haha, that will never happen, I will always do it my way, get injured, sit out, try it again the painful way.
If you missed last weekâs edition, you can read it here:
Now, go running!
â Nico
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