The role of nutrition during the Oxford Half Marathon
Runners reflect on how important nutrition and diet was during the lead up to the race, and how it took centre stage to fuel their victory.
Last month saw the attendance of more than 13,000 runners at Oxford’s annual half marathon, breaking the record since its commencement in 2011. Runners ran 13.1 miles through the historic city, supporting charities with a total of £95,000 raised for charities and organisations. Among the runners included Undergraduates and alumni from various universities including Oxford Brookes who discuss with us the changes in their diet during the lead up to the big day and how that impacted their pathway to success.
Toby Firkins, student at Oxford Brookes University stated, ‘my diet stayed relatively the same, but I ate more carbs in the days just before the race and the evening primarily’. He also emphasises the power of positive thinking when mentally preparing himself for the big event: “[I imagined] the race was going well and positive talking”.
When asked what he would do differently if competing next year, he said: “If I run next year, I’d probably run a little bit further every week and incorporate longer session runs into my training”