TRACK AND PACE

AS THE LONDON MARATHON GOES VIRTUAL, 44-TIME MARATHON FINISHER KIERAN ALGER REVEALS THE TECH, TOOLS AND TIPS YOU NEED TO SURVIVE A SOLO 26.2

THIS weekend, thanks to Covid-19, the 40th London Marathon goes virtual. Fortyfive thousand runners will take on a challenge like never before. To earn the coveted medal, racers must run 26.2 safe-and-sociallydistanced miles anywhere in the world, providing a GPS track as proof.

It’s a far cry from rhinos charging past Cutty Sark, comedy mankinis chafing their way down the Mall and suffering celebs wishing they’d done Bake Off instead.

With the pandemic cancelling major events worldwide, virtual racing has boomed in 2020. For goal chasers and medal seekers, solo challenges offer the only option. But with no route to follow, no crowds for support and no water stations, virtual marathons present different challenges to a regular race day. Luckily, there are plenty of innovative gadgets to help ensure a smoother run.

FIND YOUR WAY

GARMIN FORERUNNER 945

Without a marked course – and other runners to follow – remembering where to run presents a challenge. The Forerunner 945 lets you load up your route and delivers turn-by-turn nudges to keep you on track. Personal best chasers can also use PacePro to create a coursespecific pacing plan that updates in real time on the watch once you’re pounding out the miles. £519.99, garmin.com

AVOID THE WALL POLAR GRIT X

Avoiding the dreaded ‘wall’ is all about effective fuelling during a marathon. Fail to top up your body’s energy stores and come mile 20, you’ll know it. The Grit X’s innovative FuelWise tool calculates exactly how many energy gels or jelly babies you need to scoff, based on distance and estimated effort. Once you’re running, it uses your real-time heart rate intensity to tell you when it’s time to refuel. £379, polar.com

RUN PREPARED

APPLE WATCH SERIES 6

This is the closest you get to a mobile support crew for inexpert solo runners. There’s contactless payments for buying emergency supplies, offline and streaming music for motivation, plus calls, messages and even a Walkie-Talkie mode to provide vital moral support from friends and family. But you need to run faster than a sevenhour marathon to ensure the battery lasts your whole run. From £379, apple.com/uk

If you’re stuck for ideas, look for a friendly-looking official marathon course near you. Check if the official site has a Strava to find route files from previous competitors.

GO THE DISTANCE COROS PACE 2

If it’s not tracked, it doesn’t count. So the last thing you want is your running watch battery giving up on you 20something miles into your race. The Coros Pace 2 packs the best GPS battery life you’ll get for under £200, with 30-hours run time. You also get built-in heart rate, running power and a bright alwayson display so you easily clock your stats mid-run. £179.99, coros. coros.com com