Mark Bissell - The Marathon Series

Where was your first marathon?

Mmmm, errr, my first marathon was the Yorkshire Three Peaks for a local Hull charity called H.E.R.I.B on my 18th birthday. Dressed in jeans, levis footwear and not a clue on navigation or nutrition but just a love for running. However, in terms of an England Athletics certified race, it was the 2007 Mablethorpe marathon. I finished in 3:21 and ran the whole race on whatever the checkpoints had. Training for the event consisted of running trail marathons every weekend and speed work with my club during the week. I was 19, running for only one year, when I ran Mablethorpe, and just loved running so thought another marathon, another weekend, why not!

Where was your last marathon?

2019, Manchester Marathon and loved every moment. This was the first marathon that I had decided to take seriously and train specifically for. A typical training week was as follows; Monday-8 miles easy, Tuesday-10 mile Tempo (60-62 mins), Wednesday-Track fartlek/pyramid/intervals, Thursday-12 miles easy, Friday-Rest, Saturday-20 miles with Parkrun inbetween, Sunday-24 miles. Nutrition was three High 5 gels and sips of Powerade at every aid station. At the finish line I managed to come away with a new personal best of 2:46.

What would be your main marathon tip for a first timer?

Pace. Target marathon pace and faster during training are important to train the body to cope with the demand. So many elements to marathon running, but mixing these paces into training is crucial.

Where is your dream marathon?

The Medoc Marathon in France.