Thousands of people are currently exhibiting behaviour that, to outsiders, appears downright bizarre. Some are sipping pickled onion juice or taking teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda on a daily basis, others have developed an ibuprofen habit that has raised eyebrows in the medical profession. Their goal? To run 26.2 miles as fast as possible.
With the spring marathon season nearing its zenith — the Brighton race is on April 14, and London’s on April 21 — a new breed of marathon extremist has emerged from the ranks of ordinary runners and they are prepared to employ radical methods to improve their times.
Experts say that there is a trend for celebrities and recreational runners to take the ultimate endurance challenge much more seriously. Although it