Runner’s World UK – September 2019

072 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK SEPTEMBER 2019

Career highlight
‘This year’s London Marathon –
running a 2:25 PB and going third
in the all-time UK women’s marathon rankings.
The race was also a qualifier for Doha [World
Championships], the Tokyo Olympics and
meant I was British Champion as well.’

Biggest disappointment
‘Last year I had to pull out of London three
weeks beforehand with a stress reaction in
my femur. I was really fit, so that was really
annoying. And then coming off that I trained
really hard for the European Championships,
got selected, but got a virus and had to drop
out of the marathon after 8km because I had
really bad cramp in my legs.’

‘IT WILL

BE REALLY

DIFFERENT

RACING AT

NIGHT’

British marathoner Charlotte Purdue

on preparing for the heat of Doha at

next month’s World Championships

KITBAG ESSENTIALS

Shoes

‘My everyday training

shoes are Nike Structures

or Pegasus Turbos. I’m

pretty sure I’ll be wearing

the NEXT% [in Doha].

I’ve worn the Vaporfly 4%

for all my other races,

I love them. I won the

Big Half in them and at

London, so they’re my

lucky shoes, but they’re

getting a bit old now and

I need to move on!’

Watch

‘I have a Garmin that

plays music, but I

can’t remember what

particular model it is.

But, really, the only

time I listen to music

is when I’m on the

treadmill – I’m usually

running with people so

I don’t actually listen

to music on those

occasions.’

To o l s

‘When I’m travelling I

take a small resistance

band for activation

exercises that I can do

in my room, and my

foam roller is an absolute

necessity – I don’t know

what I’d do without it!’

KEY

NOTES

The gear Charlotte can’t live

without, her favourite foods

and a typical training week

Name Charlotte Purdue

Age 28

Lives London

Milestones UK junior

record holder for

10,000m (32:36.75);

Junior individual and

team gold medallist at

2010 European Cross

Country Championships;

2017 Reading Half

Marathon winner; 2019

Big Half winner; Top 10

female finisher in 2019

London Marathon; third

in all-time UK marathon

rankings (after Paula

Radcliffe and Mara

Yamauchi)