Amongst the parkrun family there are numerous international athletes, Olympians and experienced coaches.

Each week we invite one of them to share their top tips and advice on training and improving your running, whether you’re looking to complete the course without stopping, break 45 minutes, go sub-20 for the first time, or just bag that new PB.

This week it’s the turn of Paul Martelletti!

As well as combining his full-time job with being a rapid 2:16 marathon runner, Paul is also a keen parkrun tourist, having completed more than 40 different events in six countries worldwide.



A proud member of the parkrun 100 club, his parkrun PB is 14:32, and he currently holds the parkrun USA country record, running 14:57 at College Park parkrun last year.



Away from parkrun, Paul (aka Spiderman) holds the world record for the fastest marathon dressed as a superhero, running 2:29, and represented Great Britain at the 2014 World 100k Championships in Qatar.

Hi Paul! First up, what’s your home parkrun?

At the moment I really enjoy going to Victoria Dock in London. It’s quite new so only has around 100 parkrunners, but it’s lovely to be running by the dock and seeing planes coming and going from London City Airport.

I’m lucky to have a few parkruns that I can run to easily so I often pop up (and often a nano-second before it starts!) at Hackney Marshes, Southwark and Mile End.

What is your favourite thing about parkrun?

I do love a bit of parkrun tourism. It’s a great way of going to places that you may not have otherwise gone to and there are some amazing locations both in the UK and abroad. Yeovil Montacute is a very cool location and course – and provides the all-important Y for the parkrun alphabet!

Abroad, you can’t beat the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge at Crissy Fields parkrun in San Francisco! I also loved the natural setting of Porirua parkrun in New Zealand as it follows a creek through some native bush and has a very fast second half as it is gradually downhill the whole way.

It is also great for meeting new people. Fellow parkrunners are always happy to chat running and share local knowledge. Last year we went to Washington (a good portion of the holiday was based around which parkruns were available!) and met a great bunch of people at College Park parkrun.

We’ve kept in touch with a few of them and this summer when Brian and Jen were in London we met up at Ally Pally parkrun.

It can be hard to fit in running and training around a work, family and social life – what’s your best tip for finding a work-life balance?

I do a lot of my training as part of my commute to and from work and that worked really well for me, and saved me going on the tube!

On the weekends I tend to run for longer but usually it will be just one run a day, so I’m often done by 10 or 11 provided I can get myself out of bed – parkrun helps with this on Saturdays!

What is your top tip to new parkrunners on how to improve their running?

My go-to reply to people asking how to improve is simply to run, run some more, and just freakin’ run! So in a nutshell, simply run more and try not to let things stop you.

Most people will see some improvements just by running more regularly and making it part of their routine. It’s not always easy to fit in with work and family life, but having some regular running days is a good start. From there you can add more time/distance (even if only 10 minutes) and eventually add more days.

Perhaps the second tip would be to get comfortable with uncomfortableness! What I mean by this is to do some running that pushes your limits, both mentally and physically, as it’s often our brains telling us it’s too hard and we give in quite easily.

If you have done it in training then during parkrun you’ll be more familiar with the discomfort and know that you can keep going that bit longer.

What would be your advice to parkrunners who are thinking about going beyond parkrun and training for 10ks and half marathons?

It’s important to find what works for you and keeps you injury free. I thrived off running more miles, but this was somewhat dependent on my body allowing me to do so. If trying to up your distance, then I would advise to reduce the amount of speed work you are doing as this is often linked with niggles and subsequently injuries. Give your body time to adjust to the increased workload and don’t expect too much too soon.

Another tip in improving your running would be to join a running club. I first joined my club, Victoria Park Harriers and Tower Hamlets AC, about 10 years ago and the opportunities that have come with it have really helped me progress as a runner. There are club events, club training nights, and local races and leagues available to all club members which help with both training and racing.

I know some clubs seem a bit serious, but once you’ve infiltrated the inner ranks you’ll find that everyone is more or less the same in that they want to improve their running, and also have some fun and enjoy the social side of running. There is also a wealth of information available within clubs as other runners will have been there and done that so tap in to that knowledge and you’ll reap the rewards.

Many parkrunners find that after weeks and months of PBs and improvements, their running can start plateau. What would you suggest to mix things up?

The plateau may be more mental than physical as it is not easy week after week to run your best. Something to try would be to pick a parkrun date in the future and treat it like a race (I know, I said the R word!). This means you will build up to it and mentally prepare for it.

On the day, make sure you get up a good two hours before running as this will allow your body a chance to wake up and be ready to run fast. In the meantime, while you are waiting for the day to come, perhaps have a few easier parkrun weeks where you run with a slower friend or maybe even volunteer to pace. That’s a great way to still get your parkrun in and helps others along the way – they will be very appreciative. It’s also a good way to practice your pacing at a slower pace.

One thing I always advocate when it comes to running is the importance of having fun along the way. Us runners can be a bit of a serious and strange bunch at times so just like your training program has its ups and downs with easy and hard days, so can your fun levels. Try not to get bogged down with results and training paces and every so often just go out and have a bit of fun.

Whether it’s going on a social group run with a bunch of friends on an unfamiliar route or dressing up as your favourite super-hero to run a marathon (yes, that really can be fun!), there’s something for everyone that will take away the stress and monotony that can creep in.

And finally, for those people who want an insight into the training of an elite athlete, what’s your favourite training session and why?

I really like doing 1k reps for 5k training as they get you ready for race pace and force you to run a bit quicker than you might otherwise. An example would be:

10-30 minute jog

4-6 faster strides of 50-80m

6 x 1k

2 minutes jog recovery in between

The aim is to run the 1k reps slightly faster than your goal race pace, and the 2 minute jog recovery allows your body to recover in time for the next one. Also, by doing 6 instead of 5 it gives you some confidence that you have covered more than the 5k, albeit with some rest in between.

I would always try to do this on a running track as it means you will be running on a flat surface and you know exactly where the distance is. There is also the advantage of being able to pace yourself better as you can check your splits every 200m (or 100m/400m etc).

You can progress this type of session by extending the length of the reps (say to 1200m) or shortening the recovery.

You can follow Paul on Twitter