Alan Brazil kindly shared his ‘expertise’ for runners completing in the London Marathon.
Yes, you read that correctly, and luckily for Chris Evans he was in the talkSPORT studio to witness Brazil’s wisdom ahead of Sunday’s race.
talkSPORTAlan Brazil shared his words of wisdom ahead of the big race[/caption]
Evans is one of a group of celebrities taking on the grueling trek through the capital alongside EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt and singer Alexandra Burke.
Former England cricket captain Alastair Cook will also lace up his trainers for the race as will John Terry, ex-Juventus star Leonardo Bonucci and recently-appointed Norwich manager Jack Wilshere.
A host of Olympic and Paralympic marathon champions from the 2024 Paris Games will compete, along with 56,000 runners which is expected to break the record number of participants the New York Marathon set last year.
Brazil’s daughter Michelle, a regular marathon runner having run at the Paris and Boston races, will test herself over the 26.5 mile route with a target of completing it in four hours.
And we hope Michelle and Virgin Radio host Evans were listening intently as Brazil – who claims to have been a good runner in his early years in Glasgow – reeled off some handy tips for runners to follow on Sunday.
“Kick off quick and have a little break half way and then finish strong,” Brazil said. “Don’t look ahead, look down at the ground, it goes quicker.”
To which Evans hilariously replied: “None of that is right.”
It’s fair to say Evans wasn’t entirely convinced by the methods considering he has completed the race in the past. It remains to be seen whether he opts for a Brazil’s strategy this time round.
Asked about his past experience of race preparation, Evans said: “If you’re going to hit the wall, the wall is 20 miles, but the thing about running a marathon is that the training is the hard bit.
“They say you train to get to the start line and then the marathon is you just running to pick up your medal, That’s the easy bit!”
talkSPORT’s Andy Goldstein also recently reflected on his own London Marathon experience, and explained the strange sensation of the race-ending tunnel… and what most people miss inside.
“You go for a tunnel, it’s right near the end,” said the Drivetime host.
“There’s a lot that happens in that tunnel that people don’t see. Like people throwing up and being ill. You’re like shouting at them, ‘Come on, get through it!’
“Then you come out the other side, boom, it’s like being born again. Literally, it’s fantastic!”
Evans believes Sunday’s run will hold plenty of intrigue for fans looking to tune in.
“There might be a genuine sub 2 in the race,” he added. “There’s a guy who has run a 57-minute half marathon. He’s never ran a marathon before but he’s already favourite for the race.
“The elite ladies field is off the chain. The participation numbers might set a world record for the biggest marathon ever which is really exciting. Paris holds the record.”
He continued: “We’ve got the biggest entry of 70,000 but there’s normally a drop off of 15 percent on the day. That’s a natural thing.
Pressed on his favourite part of the race, he added: “Tower Bridge is the best bit, I love it. It’s mad, it’s crazy. You are just about half way, 12.5 miles.”
The route starts in Greenwich before heading to Woolwich and back on itself by the Thames to Bermondsey.
It then cuts across London Bridge before venturing into Canary Wharf and London’s old Docklands.
Racers then head through central London, along the Embankment until and towards Westminster Bridge and onto St James’s Park.
