In-form Welsh runner races within the British capital on April 26 and it is going to be his third marathon in 20 weeks.
When Dan Osborn-Nash stormed to a giant marathon PB of two:11:49 in Seville on February 23, it was a wealthy reward for years of more and more excessive mileage and the clever software of sports activities science.
The 31-year-old has a PhD in train physiology, he co-hosts a podcast referred to as The Physiology of Endurance Operating and he says he “loves the numbers”, though with regards to racing over 26.2 miles the stats solely take him thus far.
“I’ve coronary heart price limits as much as about 25km after which I run as onerous as I can to the end,” he says “I set myself up so I do know I’m going to have day however then at a sure level I ignore the watch and the info and simply run onerous!
“I don’t care what my coronary heart price is 35km right into a marathon! It’s going to be excessive and I’m going to be hurting however I’ve to only run as quick as I can.”
His sports activities science data along with patiently nudging up his weekly mileage to its present 125 miles degree has seen him knock chunks off his marathon PB.
In 2016 he ran 2:27:43 in Manchester however by 2018 he had improved to 2:18:53 in Brighton. Additional enhancements adopted earlier than he clocked 2:13:02 in Valencia in 2024 after which 2:14:03 in the identical Spanish metropolis in December final 12 months. Then, simply 10 weeks later, 2:11:53 in Seville this 12 months prior to now having a crack at London regardless of as soon as once more having solely 10 weeks between races.
“I do a lab take a look at earlier than each marathon and earlier than Valencia (2025) the numbers have been the perfect they’d ever been and the coaching was the perfect it’d ever been,” he explains.
“I ran 4 x 4 miles in beneath 20 minutes (for every 4M rep) with a mile regular in 5:20 so I did 20 miles in 5:05 mile tempo on my own feeling good, so I believed ‘I’m going to run 2:10-11 in Valencia’, however I ran 2:14 and obtained sick the following day,” he provides, suggesting that he was probably coming down with sickness on race day.
He added: “With 10 weeks to Seville, I believed ‘I don’t should be fitter, simply the identical form’.”
A minor catastrophe struck, although, with a peroneal tendon damage midway via his build-up to Seville, which led to every week off operating after which a low-mileage week with cross coaching to ease again into coaching.
“So earlier than Seville I’d performed no huge classes and had no thought how I used to be going to run,” he says. “The plan was to exit at 2:15 tempo and construct into it. I ran 3:10 for the primary kilometre and it felt fairly good. I’ve obtained coronary heart price information for all my marathons so I do know what I needs to be operating for every a part of the race.
“I ended up operating with Alex Milne, who got here sixth in Comrades final 12 months and has run 2:14 for the marathon and I’ve been in GB 50km groups with him twice so I do know him very well and we ended up operating the entire manner collectively.”
With no pacemakers, the pair helped one another – with Milne even lending Osborn-Nash his drinks bottle – they usually went via midway in simply outdoors 66 minutes after which closed with a faster second half.
“We have been targeted but in addition in management. At midway I believed we are able to get a 2:11 right here and even 2:10 if issues go dreamy.”
Endurance isn’t a giant situation for Osborn-Nash. In 2019 he broke the British 50km report in Romania with 2:49:01. He additionally has confidence in what the numbers inform him.
“I’ve run 12-14 marathons now and for the final 10 I’ve by no means blown up and just about executed each time,” he says. “I’ve obtained a few minute faster yearly since operating 2:18 in Brighton in 2019 so I really feel I do know what works for me. However you’ll be able to in all probability put limits on your self if you’re trying on the numbers the entire time.”
Osborn-Nash was born in New Zealand however moved to the UK at an early stage and grew up on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, operating for East Cornwall Harriers and Newquay & Par AC, though he now represents Pontypridd Roadents.
He studied biomedical science at Cardiff College however didn’t actually take pleasure in it. A placement 12 months at Cardiff Met of their physiology labs was extra pleasing and attention-grabbing, although, resulting in a PhD part-funded by Welsh Athletics.
With college funding winding down, he now works someday every week for Welsh Athletics and helps All In Run Membership’s efficiency teaching programme, led by former British 100km champion Lee Grantham, specialising in physiology testing and pacing technique.
“I’ve the dream set-up for my operating as I make money working from home most days,” he says. “I drop my son off at college and go for a run after which go for one more run later, choose him up and do some work within the night.”
He’s based mostly close to Newport and says the operating terrain is right as he can discover lengthy flat trails alongside canal paths or loads of hills if he likes.
“I got here to Cardiff Uni in 2012 and by no means left,” he says. “I dwell right here, married a Welsh lady and have a four-year-old son who was born in Cwmbran. My spouse additionally runs as we met at a operating membership at uni.”
In such kind, it might be a dream to run within the Commonwealth Video games this 12 months in Glasgow if it weren’t for the actual fact the scaled-down 2026 Video games doesn’t have any out-of-stadium races.
As a substitute, he’s specializing in trimming a bit extra off his PB in London this spring.
“I bounce again from marathons so nicely today,” he says. “The tremendous sneakers have an impact. I’ve been operating excessive mileage for 15 years. I’ve performed one thing like 12 marathons so I do know I can run the following day though I’ll be a bit sore. Then 10 days later I’ll be about as match as I used to be earlier than the marathon.”
In 2020 he cheekily tweeted London Marathon organisers to counsel he may get a spot on the elite begin line – and it labored. However now he’s quick sufficient to deserve one routinely.
On his restricted construct as much as firstly Seville and now London, he says: “It’s in all probability not the perfect thought for most individuals as there isn’t sufficient time so that you can enhance and put together. With the slightest hiccup you’ll be able to lose a good bit of your coaching block too. But when issues go completely you’ll be able to leapfrog from one marathon to a different.
“By the point London comes round I’ll have performed three marathons in 20 weeks and it’s undoubtedly unconventional however with the tremendous sneakers and since I didn’t blow up in my earlier marathons it makes it potential. The secret is to not rush through the build-up although I’ve one other marathon in 10 weeks. It’s essential to get better from the marathon earlier than you begin coaching for the following one in any other case you find yourself being drained earlier than you even begin a coaching block.”
On London, he provides: “The sector appears superb and I believed what number of instances will I have the ability to be a part of a discipline like this? The depth of the British runners is superb as nicely.”
Given his obsession with numbers, has his gradual enhance in mileage been completely deliberate over the previous decade? “Not likely!” he admits. “It’s been extra natural and extra random. The marathon is fairly easy in that if you wish to get higher you simply have to preserve doing just a little bit extra operating and a bit extra depth.”
He’s additionally fairly blissful to proceed teaching himself for the foreseeable future. “I’ve spent my life taking a look at information after which telling individuals easy methods to prepare so I feel I’ve to teach myself!? If somebody informed me what to do, I feel I’d simply find yourself disagreeing with them!
“I share my programme with individuals to get some strategies however then it’s my spouse Jemima who tells me if I’m doing an excessive amount of, look too knackered and have to again off a bit.”
Marathon progression2016 2:27:43 Manchester Marathon2018 2:22:55 Brighton Marathon2019 2:18:53 Brighton Marathon2021 2:29:12 London Marathon2022 2:15:34 Manchester Marathon2023 2:15:22 Valencia Marathon2024 2:13:02 Valencia Marathon2025 2:14:03 Valencia Marathon2026 2:11:53 Seville Marathon
