Coventry running enthusiast on his top tips for a marathon
The London Marathon is taking place today
Last updated 27th Apr 2025
The London Marathon is the most anticipated running event of the year in the UK.
Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi says this will be his 44th marathon he has run.
We spoke to him in the week leading up to the event on the best way to prepare for the race.
Dr Hussain said: "I've done 43 marathons and the best advice that I will give is you don't know what's going to happen.
"What I would say is go in with an open mind, go with no expectations apart from trying to have fun by putting your hard work into practice.
"My three top tips would be, don't go crazy - just do what you'd normally do on your long run.
" The second tip is put your headphones either off or on low volume because you want to hear the crowds and soak up that atmosphere.
And the third and most important tip is for the 1st 10K go slower than your planned, you will thank me many times over in the final 10K."