Celebrate recent successes & build your best marathon season yet

Hi Reader,

What an incredible autumn of running it’s been!

A huge congratulations to everyone who tackled the Manchester Half and Great South Run - so many of you notched up brilliant personal bests. It's truly inspiring to see your commitment, and I have no doubt you'll carry this momentum forward to achieve personal bests in your spring marathons.

We’ve also got runners toeing the line at Frankfurt, Dublin, Valencia, Nice-Cannes, and Athens this month. If you’re racing or supporting, let us know how it goes - we love celebrating your progress as a community. Send us your medal pics on Instagram; we love sharing your stories!

While November brings the spectacle of the New York City Marathon - I’ll be there for my annual trip (my 40th visit to this spectacular marathon!) to support some of our runners. Our focus now turns to your next big goal: the London Marathon. Believe it or not, it’s only six months - or about 26 weeks - away, so let's get ready.

Start planning for London

Success in April starts with smart planning now.

To help you, we’re offering our sub-4-hour marathon plan for FREE with the code below - perfect for building a strong aerobic base and getting you prepared for whatever the spring throws your way.

Code: GOSUB4LONDON

If you want a more personalised approach or wish to push for that next breakthrough, book a free, no-obligation call with me. I’ll talk you through the coaching you’d receive as part of my ‘Run Your Best Race’ programme for £60/month. Whether your target is to break four hours, find new motivation, or simply make training fit your life, we’ll make the plan suit you.

Check out my latest Ask the Coach: How do I break 4 hours at the London Marathon 2026?

Marathon training tip: Find your Zone 2

As winter training starts, it pays to get to know your Zone 2 pace - the relaxed effort where conversation flows and you can focus on steady miles.

Spend most of your weekly volume here (around 65–75% max heart rate). It’ll feel slow at first, but it’s the key to building resilience, efficiency, and the aerobic base you’ll need on marathon day. Trust the process - even if progress feels incremental, you’re laying the foundation for a breakthrough season.

Remember, you can also ask me a question about your training in reply to this email, or via this link.

Read on for my bonus hill session 👇

Hill session power up:

Hill training is a powerful tool for every runner, great for building strength and preparing you for cross-country or marathon blocks.

We get it, it isn't always the most anticipated session in your training plan. But here's a secret: those tough efforts are precisely what unlock a whole new level of strength and resilience in your running.

So try this session, this week...

Try this 50-minute hill session for strength

Warm-up (10 mins):​
Easy jog on flat ground.

Main set (30 mins):​
Find a hill with a steady gradient.

• Beginners:​
  – Run up for 60 to 90 seconds at a steady, strong pace (not sprinting)
  – Focus on good posture, driving arms and lifting knees​
  – Walk or jog back down for recovery
  – Repeat 6 to 8 times
• Advanced:​
  – Run up at close to 5k effort, holding good form all the way
  – Jog down for recovery
  – Repeat 8 to 12 times

Cool-down (10 mins):​
Easy jogging and a few stretches.

Keep working towards your goals - I’m always here to support, answer questions.

Let’s make this your strongest season yet.

All the best,
​Mike Gratton (Head Coach, Coach the Run) & the team.