In-form Welsh runner races within the British capital on April 26 and will probably 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 Working and he says he “loves the numbers”, though relating 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 an excellent 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 stage 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 yr. Then, simply 10 weeks later, 2:11:53 in Seville this yr 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 very best they’d ever been and the coaching was the very best it’d ever been,” he explains.
“I ran 4 x 4 miles in underneath 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 assumed ‚I’m going to run 2:10-11 in Valencia‘, however I ran 2:14 and received 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 assumed ‚I don’t have to be fitter, simply the identical form’.”
A minor catastrophe struck, although, with a peroneal tendon damage midway by way of his build-up to Seville, which led to per week off working after which a low-mileage week with cross coaching to ease again into coaching.
“So earlier than Seville I’d carried out no huge periods and had no concept 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 received coronary heart price knowledge for all my marathons so I do know what I ought to be working for every a part of the race.
“I ended up working with Alex Milne, who got here sixth in Comrades final yr and has run 2:14 for the marathon and I’ve been in GB 50km groups with him twice so I do know him rather well and we ended up working the entire manner collectively.”
With no pacemakers, the pair helped one another – with Milne even lending Osborn-Nash his drinks bottle – and so they went by way of midway in simply exterior 66 minutes after which closed with a faster second half.
“We have been targeted but in addition in management. At midway I assumed we will get a 2:11 right here and even 2:10 if issues go dreamy.”
Endurance isn’t a giant concern for Osborn-Nash. In 2019 he broke the British 50km file 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 received a couple of minute faster yearly since working 2:18 in Brighton in 2019 so I really feel I do know what works for me. However you possibly can in all probability put limits on your self while you’re wanting 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, working 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 yr at Cardiff Met of their physiology labs was extra fulfilling and attention-grabbing, although, resulting in a PhD part-funded by Welsh Athletics.
With funding from the colleges drying up, he now works for Welsh Athletics at some point per week and likewise does teaching for the All In working membership that’s run by former British 100km champion Lee Grantham.
“I’ve the dream set-up for my working as I work at home most days,” he says. “I drop my son off at college and go for a run after which go for an additional run later, decide him up and do some work within the night.”
He’s primarily based close to Newport and says the working terrain is good 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 reside right here, married a Welsh woman and have a four-year-old son who was born in Cwmbran. My spouse additionally runs as we met at a working membership at uni.“
In such type, it will be a dream to run within the Commonwealth Video games this yr 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 an alternative, he’s specializing in trimming a bit extra off his PB in London this spring.
„I bounce again from marathons so nicely nowadays,” he says. “The tremendous footwear have an impact. I’ve been working excessive mileage for 15 years. I’ve carried out 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 recommend he might 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 very best concept for most individuals as there isn’t sufficient time so that you can enhance and put together. With the slightest hiccup you possibly can lose a good bit of your coaching block too. But when issues go completely you possibly can leapfrog from one marathon to a different.
“By the point London comes round I’ll have carried out three marathons in 20 weeks and it’s positively unconventional however with the tremendous footwear and since I didn’t blow up in my earlier marathons it makes it doable. The bottom line is to not rush in the course of the build-up despite the fact that 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 sphere seems to be wonderful and I assumed what number of instances will I have the ability to be a part of a subject like this? The depth of the British runners is wonderful as nicely.”
Given his obsession with numbers, has his gradual enhance in mileage been completely deliberate over the previous decade? “Probably not!” 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 must preserve doing a little bit bit extra working and a bit extra depth.”
He’s additionally fairly joyful to proceed teaching himself for the foreseeable future. “I’ve spent my life taking a look at knowledge after which telling individuals tips on how to practice so I believe I’ve to teach myself!? If somebody advised me what to do, I believe 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 must 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
