Marathon Trial What Lies in Store for Britain’S Olympic Contenders?
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MARATHON TRIAL WHAT LIES IN STORE FOR BRITAIN’S OLYMPIC CONTENDERS? STAYING POWER THE EXPERIENCED ATHLETES STILL LOOKING FOR MORE INTERVIEWS WITH... SHELLY-ANN FRASER-PRYCE, THE ART OF SPRINTING RENAUD LAVILLENIE, JO PAVEY AND NICK WILLIS - HOW YOU CAN GET UP TO SPEED DON’T MISS OUT ON YOUR ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS IN THE AW CLUBHOUSE! IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO AW, YOU GET A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN JUST A MONTHLY MAGAZINE. SIMPLY REGISTER ON OUR WEBSITE, USING THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW, TO DISCOVER: • LATEST RESULTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD • EXTENDED CONTENT • PODCASTS • AW MAGAZINE ARCHIVE • WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS AND REGISTER TODAY! 1 Visit athleticsweekly.com/clubhouse 2 Click ‘register here’ on your first visit to sign up to the Clubhouse 3 Select your subscription type and enter the requested information If you’re not an AW subscriber, become a member now! Simply call our subscription hotline on 01778 392018 PHOTO COURTESY OF AMERICAN TRACK LEAGUE OF AMERICAN COURTESY PHOTO THE OPPONENT INSIDE llyson Felix sprinting to 200m victory indoors. Nick Willis breaking a world record by running the mile in under four minutes for an astonishing 19th year in a row. Renaud Lavillenie finding his form again to vault his way over the six-metre mark for the 20th time in his career. A All are athletes in the latter part of their careers with a host of medals in the trophy cabinet and laurels which could justifiably be rested upon, yet still they continue to push themselves and have shown in recent weeks that the competitive fires still burn brightly as we edge closer to the Olympic flame being lit. As we know, athletics is a particularly tough sport on body and mind so what is it that really keeps them going? For this issue we have spoken with Willis and Lavillenie – as well as legendary sprinter Shelly- Euan Crumley Ann Fraser-Pryce and the evergreen Jo Pavey – to try and find out what goes into maintaining a Editorial Director career of such longevity at such a high level. Their answers are intriguing. A love of the sport has to be there, of course, plus that love of competition, but the common thread which stood out was that all identified themselves as their greatest opponent, the individual to which there was still something to prove. The clock continues to tick and athletics is bursting with younger stars looking to make their mark, yet experience counts in the key moments and there is a reason why athletes such as those mentioned above have enjoyed such great success. They are not done quite yet. As Fraser-Pryce, a double Olympic champion and nine-time world gold medal winner, put it: “I’m just excited about this year and the possibilities – what can happen, what could happen and what will happen. “Every time I step to the line I don’t want to be able to just compete, I want to compete hard. I want to make sure that I give this my all.” The Olympics is not far from the minds of anyone involved in athletics right now and it will soon be D-day for the British marathon runners who are preparing for this month’s trial in Kew Gardens. Jason Henderson Our event preview starts on p50 and the fact that it is taking place at all is a reason to be cheerful. Editor With more positive signs in the air, it feels good to be following Shelly-Ann and thinking about the possibilities of the months ahead. ATHLETICSWEEKLY 5 DIGESTCONTENTS STAYING POWER SHELLEY-ANN FRASER-PRYCE PUBLISHING FACTFILE AW, 21six Sport Ltd, The Barn, Calcot Mount, Born: December 27, 1986 Events: 100m and 200m Calcot Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire, SO32 2BN PBs: 60m: 6.98; 100m: 10.70; 200m: 22.09 THESE ARE THE INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: “ 2007: World Championships 4x100m relay silver 2008: Olympic 100m gold MOMENTS WHERE 2009: World Championships 100m gold and 4x100m gold General enquiries: 2011: World Championships 4x100m silver 2012: Olympic 100m gold, 200m silver [email protected] I SEEM TO and 4x100m silver 2013: World Championships 100m gold, 200m gold and 4x100m relay gold 2014: World Indoor Championships 60m gold, Commonwealth 4x100m gold 2015: World Championships 100m gold and 4x100m relay gold athleticsweekly.com , 2016: Olympic 100m bronze and EXCEL 4x100m silver twitter @athleticsweekly WHEN EVERYTHING facebook.com/athleticsweekly IS STACKED instagram/athletics.weekly ” EDITORIAL AGAINST ME EUAN CRUMLEY TALKS TO FOUR HIGH ACHIEVERS WHO Editorial director Euan Crumley ARE STILL INTENT ON TESTING THEMSELVES FOLLOWING LENGTHY CAREERS AT THE VERY TOP. UP FIRST, IS A [email protected] BONA FIDE SPRINTING GREAT WHO IS NEVER HAPPIER Editor Jason Henderson THAN WHEN DOING THE UNEXPECTED [email protected] Production editor Mike Taylor [email protected] 26 ATHLETICSWEEKLY.COM ATHLETICSWEEKLY 27 Web editor Jessica Whittington [email protected] 26 Results editor Steve Smythe Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce reveals the forces which keep driving her on [email protected] Product reviewer Paul Freary [email protected] MARATHON OLYMPIC TRIALS Photographer Mark Shearman MBE [email protected] Photography by Mark Shearman (unless stated) READY TO Design: Joe Provis, Rob Whitehouse, BLOOM Michael Ritson Marathon runners and race walkers are poised for thrilling and richly symbolic races on March 26 in Kew Gardens, writes Jason Henderson f athletes taking part in the of a flat road relays kind of course” such as the British Olympic marathon well-known circuit used at Sutton Coldfield for road and race walks trials in Kew relays “as opposed to the kind of course you get in Editorial contributors: Katy Barden, Gardens this month need to big city marathons”. I focus their minds on what is This is partly because the path is only about four at stake, they merely need to metres wide in places. However, with small fields Mark Woods, Jean-Pierre Durand, Stuart Weir, glance to the side of the course during their race. and multiple pacemakers to ensure the going is The event on March 26 coincides with ‘Sakura quick through the first 30km in order to achieve season’ – the time of year when cherry blossom qualifying times of 2:11:30 and 2:29:30, this should trees come into bloom. Not only will it provide a not be an issue. Peta Bee, Paul Hobrough, Toni Minichiello, picturesque back-drop but it is the national flower “Our intention has been to make it as fast as of Japan and a timely reminder to the runners that possible,” says Bedford. “My advice to athletes is their efforts on the roads of south-west London that they just switch off and go to sleep for an hour John Shepherd could see them win a ticket to Tokyo. and follow ‘the train’ and then get ready to go when Tom Bedford, the race director, describes it as the pacemakers drop out.” an amusing twist of fate. It certainly was not in Bedford has been helped by his father, Dave, anyone’s mind when the Borough of Richmond the former London Marathon race director with venue was chosen ahead of Manchester, Dorney organising the event. Among other things Bedford Lake and various horse and motor-racing courses to Jnr was based in Portugal during the winter and fell host the Olympic trials. ill with coronavirus in January, so his dad stepped AW athlete panel: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Instead, the main requirements were a fast, flat into help primarily with technical areas. and sheltered course that can help athletes nail The duo have also worked closely with staff at UK Olympic qualifying standards, plus the reliability Athletics such as competitions and events director Tom Bosworth, Holly Bradshaw, Hannah factor of a venue during such an uncertain Katy Brazier during what has inevitably been a pandemic-hit period. tricky few months due to the pandemic. Was there Marathon runners will tackle one small lap a particularly bad moment when the race was in followed by 12 big laps, therefore passing the cherry doubt? Bedford says shortly after Christmas when the Cockroft, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Hannah blossom trees and Japanese gardens a dozen times. virus began to surge and hospitals were in danger of Organisers have worked in recent months with being over-run was a worrying time. The Richmond course measurer Hugh Jones to iron out some of Runfest, which was due to be held at the same venue England, Brendan Foster, Elliot Giles, Sally the mild corners on the route. on the Saturday and Sunday following the trials Bedford is certainly happy with the progress made events on Friday, was postponed until mid-May. Apart and points to one particular straight that is almost from this, the organisers have been keen to give the Gunnell, Tim Hutchings, Colin Jackson, Jess an entire metric mile in distance. Olympic hopefuls a near-definite goal to work toward. Contenders like Steph Davis have already checked “It’s been tough for athletes and they have my Judd, Dave Moorcroft, Laviai Nielsen, Steph out the course and Bedford describes it as “more utmost respect for how they’ve managed to get Twell, Jake Wightman, Matt Yates 50 ATHLETICSWEEKLY.COM ATHLETICSWEEKLY 51 ADVERTISING 50 Olympic hopefuls facing a symbolic marathon challenge on March 26 Advertising sales executive Paul Bramley 07976 471245 / [email protected] PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS PUBLISHING AND PRINTING Managing Director Wendy Sly MBE [email protected] THINKING Published by 21six Sport Ltd Printed by Precision Colour Printing DIFFERENTLY ON CLOUDULTRA on-running.co.uk £160.00 SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES Running shoe guru Paul Freary examines some of the more innovative models on the market Another shoe targeting the ultra-runner is this new model from On.