Running a marathon asks a great deal of the body. You need sustained energy, careful pacing, plenty of muscle endurance and smart hydration.

Marathons also ask a great deal of the mind. At some point, almost every runner has to deal with nerves, discomfort, self-doubt or the creeping sense that the finish line is still very far away.

That is why successful marathon running is not just about fitness. It’s about fuelling well, thinking clearly and responding effectively when the race starts to bite.

Here are some of the most useful nutritional and psychological strategies to get you through marathon day.

Fuel properly

For runners, carbohydrates are not the enemy. They are the body’s main fuel source at marathon pace. On race day, how and when you take them in matters enormously.

Once the race begins, your glycogen levels (a rapid-release form of energy stored in the body), steadily deplete. For many runners, these reserves begin to run low after roughly two hours of continuous effort, which is one reason people “hit the wall”.

Proper race-day fuelling helps delay that point. Runners should aim to consume around 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during the race. Gels, chews or sports drinks – often available at aid stations – are great ways of topping up carbohydrate stores. Race day isn’t the moment to gamble, so whatever you plan to use should already be familiar with its effects from training.

Hydration is equally important and just as personal. Some runners lose fluid quickly, while others cannot comfortably drink large amounts while running.

A useful benchmark is try to limit fluid losses to around 2–3% of your body weight during the race. The aim is to replace some of what you’re losing during the race without overdoing it.

One practical approach is to drink to thirst – taking small, regular sips rather than large volumes. This helps avoid both dehydration and the opposite risk, drinking far too much, which can lead to discomfort – or, in rare cases, hyponatraemia (low blood sodium levels).

Finally, remember that fuelling is part of race management. Taking a gel just before a challenging section or grabbing a drink during a quieter stretch can help you manage the miles more effectively.

Enjoy the atmosphere

Marathons offer a one-in-a-lifetime experience for many of us.

The crowds, noise, music, volunteers and sheer occasion can all work in the runner’s favour. Psychologically, this can help shift attention away from the discomfort you may experience during the race.

So do not be afraid to take the day in. Smile at spectators. Acknowledge the cheers. Let yourself be lifted by the event.

That said, excitement can also be costly. A marathon punishes early over-confidence. The occasion may tempt you to run faster than planned, especially in the opening miles when adrenaline is high and the legs still feel fresh.

The best marathoners are not those who ignore the noise. They are often the ones who use it well while still listening to their bodies.

Remember your motivation

For many runners, the marathon is about much more than a finishing time.
Some are running for a cause close to their heart, as way of connecting with someone or proving something to themselves.

That deeper reason matters, especially when the race becomes difficult. Be clear about why you are doing it. If nerves surface at the start line or the pain surfaces at the harder miles late on, reconnecting with that reason can help steady the mind and restore perspective.

At those moments, one of the most powerful thoughts can be a very simple one: it’s a big race but the race is not bigger than me.

Be kind to yourself

Most runners will have a difficult patch at some point in the race. That does not mean the marathon is going badly. This is just the reality of running a marathon.

This is where your internal dialogue matters.

Before race day, decide what you want to say to yourself when things get hard. The most effective phrases are usually not dramatic. They are believable, calming and constructive, such as: I’ve trained for this. Keep moving. This is tough, but so am I.

Write the phrase down, maybe keep it with you on race day. Use it when the doubts arrive. Positive affirmations are deemed to be helpful in tough and pressurised sporting situations.

One of the most valuable psychological skills in endurance sport is not pretending the challenge does not exist. It’s responding well when it does.

Because in the end, marathon running is not just about getting to the finish. It is about how you fuel, think and cope along the way.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump had something urgent to address while flying back to Washington from his luxury Mar-a-Lago estate on a recent Sunday.

It wasn’t the Iran war, nor the still-going partial government shutdown over Department of Homeland Security funding. He wanted to talk about a monumental issue of a different kind, hoisting up large artist renderings of the $400 million White House ballroom he’s building, complete with hand-carved “top-of-the-line” Corinthian columns.

“I’m so busy that I don’t have time to do this. I’m fighting wars and other things,” Trump said before extensively detailing plans for “the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world.”

His divided attention has become a Democratic point of attack and a concern for some Republicans who worry he’s not spending enough time on issues that voters care most about ahead of November’s midterm races.

The contrast was on full display Thursday, when, as Trump flew to Las Vegas to discuss tax cuts for Americans earning tips, his administration was pushing ahead with plans to build a 250-foot Triumphal Arch near the Lincoln Memorial replete with a Lady Liberty-like statue and a pair of golden eagles.

The president’s ability to speak to the concerns of working people has always seemed incongruous with his biography as a billionaire real estate developer. Yet his populist policies and emphasis on the economy during his 2024 campaign helped catapult him back to the White House.

Republican strategist Rick Tyler noted that, when Trump first ran for president in 2016, his wealth was a selling point.

“While other people, like Mitt Romney, played down how rich he was, Trump was giving free helicopter rides at the Iowa State Fair,” Tyler said. “People loved it.”

Still, Trump’s preoccupation with some of the gilded trappings of the presidency, as more Americans worry about bills, has drawn accusations that he’s a modern-day Marie Antoinette.

“‘Fighting wars’ and surging gas prices, yet Trump has time to brag about his billionaire backed ballroom,” Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, responded on X to Trump’s Air Force One presentation.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential hopeful, has been more direct in comparing Trump to the last queen before the French Revolution, who has come to embody extravagant opulence — even posting an AI-generated image of Trump’s face on her body on social media.

“TRUMP ‘MARIE ANTOINETTE’ SAYS, ‘NO HEALTH CARE FOR YOU PEASANTS, BUT A BALLROOM FOR THE QUEEN!’ Newsom wrote in October 2025, at the start of a 43-day government shutdown.

White House says Trump’s success benefits all Americans

Asked about opponents invoking Marie Antoinette, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump “is going to go down in history as the most successful and consequential president in our lifetime.”

“His successes on behalf of the American people will be imprinted upon the fabric of America and will be felt by every other White House that comes after him,” Ingle said in a statement.

The president faced similar critiques during his first term. But lately he’s been unabashed about accusations he’s disconnected from Americans’ worries about high costs, which could leave Republicans with an uphill battle to retain control of Congress.

About two-thirds of Americans said Trump is “out of touch” with the concerns of most people in the United States today, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll from February, though the same percentage said the same about the Democratic Party.

Presidents are usually removed from voters, separated by layers of security and surrounded by adoring subordinates. In her book “Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again,” Elaine Kamarck argues that presidents get too focused on their own political narratives rather than the public’s concerns. Yet, when it comes to Trump, “All of this stuff is frankly unique to him.”

She pointed to the ballroom as well as Trump’s other White House renovations, soon adding his signature to paper currency, and renaming the Kennedy Center after himself.

“It’s a reflection, I think, of his own background as a businessman and somebody who made his fortune selling his name,” said Kamarck, who worked in Bill Clinton’s White House.

While Trump focuses on the ballroom and other Washington projects, some public work projects in other parts of the country have languished.

Joe Meyer, the former mayor of Covington, Kentucky, spent years pushing for critical improvements to the Brent Spence Bridge connecting his town with Cincinnati, a project listed as a top federal priority dating back to Trump’s first administration.

Federal funds for improvements were approved under President Joe Biden but held up by a Trump-ordered review. Work is now finally set to begin later this year, though delays will likely limit design options and slow the project, Meyer said.

“The ballroom is Washington inside-baseball,” Meyer said. “The bridge is just a wreck. It’s frustration that we’ve been dealing with forever.”

A $100 tip and a golden tractor

Trumpeting new tax deductions for tips, Trump staged ordering McDonald’s to the Oval Office — which he has crammed with gold flourishes — and tipped the grandmother making the delivery $100. When she described large medical bills from her husband’s cancer treatments, Trump said she should bring him to an upcoming UFC fight on the White House lawn.

When hundreds of farmers were invited to the White House for an agricultural policy speech, they stood on the South Lawn beside a tractor that had been painted gold. It drizzled, but Trump stayed dry, addressing them from a covered second-floor balcony.

“You don’t mind rain,” the president told the farmers below.

He then flew to Miami for a conference of Saudi investors who, the president noted, were too rich to be impressed by U.S. families scrounging to save up $5,000.

“I know they’re looking like, ‘What the hell is $5,000?’” Trump joked. “Their shoes cost them more than $5,000.”

When asked in February, meanwhile, for his message to young people wanting to buy a home, Trump replied: “Save a little longer. Wait a little longer.”

Members of the Cabinet have also fed the perception that Trump’s promised “ Golden Age ” may not be arriving for everyone. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. advised Americans to buy liver instead of beef.

“If you go and buy a steak, it’s still pretty expensive. But if you buy the cheaper cuts, it’s great meat. And it is very, very affordable. Or liver, or, you know, all these alternatives,” he told podcast host Joe Rogan.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said people could still afford meals consisting of “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla and one other thing.”

The White House has sought to show that Trump is attuned to voter concerns by sending the president to politically competitive parts of the country to trumpet his efforts to lower costs. But Trump has stepped on the message by insisting that affordability concerns are a Democratic “hoax.”

Texas-based Republican consultant Brendan Steinhauser said he thinks that Trump “can kind of get away with” building a ballroom because voters have come to expect that from him as a brash dealmaker and businessman.

But Steinhauser said he worries that dramatic increases in gas prices and a potentially weakening economy could resonate with voters. Ahead of the midterms, Steinhauser said, Democrats could score points “trying to make it more about Trump and his oligarch friends.”

___

Associated Press writers Linley Sanders in Washington and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

Police became suspicious during a domestic incident when they found a man being called “daddy” by a child to whom the man was supposedly the uncle, leading to a DNA test

Two half-siblings have appeared in court — after having a child together.

The defendants, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, engaged in incestuous sexual activity. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the pair were introduced as half-siblings who share the same mother. They subsequently had an illicit relationship.

Their secret came to light when Staffordshire Police attended an address following a domestic incident. Officers found the defendants at the property with a child. The male defendant was described as the child’s uncle — but he referred to the infant as “my kid” while the child called him “daddy”.

Prosecutor Kyle Padley stated: “Police became suspicious and a DNA test was ordered. The test revealed the pair were half-siblings and that the child belonged to them, which strongly suggests they were involved in sexual activity.”

During the prosecution’s opening remarks, the male defendant became visibly distressed, shouting: ‘That’s my kid they’re talking about’. Court security officers had to escort him from the building, reports Stoke on Trent Live.

Both defendants had admitted engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a relative. Sarah Bedford, representing the female defendant, said that she is a profoundly remorseful individual with no previous convictions who presents no risk of reoffending. Ms Bedford informed the court: “She is the sole carer of the child, who is at the heart of these proceedings. These are quite emotional proceedings for all who are involved. The defendant has accepted her part in this and accepts responsibility. The defendants are half-siblings. She was adopted at birth and raised in and out of care. She met her mother and half-brother as an adult.

“She is a hard-working mother and single parent. She is a very well-behaved individual and it’s unfortunate that she finds herself in this position.

“I do not feel that the custody threshold has been crossed. She was suffering with insecurity at the time and alcohol played its part. This incident is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She has no previous convictions and presents no threat to public security. I ask your worships to consider a financial penalty or a community order.”

Magistrates issued an arrest warrant for the male defendant. The female defendant was ordered to pay a £443 fine. The magistrates said: “We have listened carefully to everything that has been said. This is a very unpleasant and difficult situation for everyone involved. We have considered the recommendation of imposing a community order, but there doesn’t appear to be anything you could or should be working on. We also don’t see any benefit in imposing a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.”

Emergency services were called to Bellway’s Sniperley Park DH1 development on Thursday (April 16) after reports a person had been injured just before 1pm. 

Durham Police has confirmed that a 17-year-old suffered head and neck injuries after a concrete pipe toppled onto him. 

The teen was given first aid at the scene before being taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle by ambulance crews. 

He remains there in a serious condition. 

The force said his family are being supported by specialist police officers. 

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) have both confirmed they attended the scene on Thursday. 

The Health and Safety Executive has also confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the incident and that it is working alongside Durham Police. 

HSE inspectors attended the site on April 16.

A NEAS spokesperson said: “We received a call at 12.49pm on Thursday, April 16, to reports of a person injured at an address on Sniperley Farm Road in Durham. 

“We dispatched an ambulance crew, a specialist paramedic, two clinical team leaders, and a duty officer to the scene, and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by road. 

“We transported one patient to the RVI for further treatment.”

A Great North Air Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Our critical care team was activated at 12.59pm to reports of an industrial incident at Sniperley Park in Durham.

“We had two paramedics and a doctor on a rapid response vehicle and they arrived on scene at 1.28pm.

”Our team worked alongside the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to assess and treat a patient.

“The patient was taken to hospital by a NEAS road crew, accompanied by our team.”

A HSE spokesperson said: “We are investigating this incident alongside our colleagues at Durham Police.”

The Northern Echo has contacted Bellway for comment.

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Mornings can be… a lot.

Maybe you have kids, maybe you’re trying to make the most out of a 7am fitness routine, or maybe you just wish there was a way to steal a bit more time for yourself.

It might not sound like the most thrilling thing in the world, but once you have a truly great morning routine nailed down, it’s priceless.

So, from electric toothbrushes to timers to buggy boards, here’s a list of fabulous (if not super fun) buys that the Lifestyle team here at HuffPost UK absolutely swear by for making the most out of their mornings.

“Without Williams’ support when I initially went into Formula 3, it would have been very, very difficult for me to even do one season,” the 21-year-old said.

Despite being in the Williams Driver Academy, he was expected to cover part of the costs himself.

“Williams were very aware of my financial struggles,” he said. “Of course, they only contribute a certain amount to my season and that came very early in the year, as is quite normal.

O’Sullivan added that it is “down to the driver to bring the funding”, meaning sponsors are “critical” but difficult to find.

He explained: “I think any sponsorship you get is either from an act of extraordinary kindness, or family, friends, or someone who’s very, very passionate about racing or believes in the driver.”

He described a phenomenon that he called “motorsport inflation”, adding that he is “amazed” by the number of people able to race with the current costs.

“There are very few regulations controlling how much you can spend,” he said. “So the top teams perform the best because they have the most money.

“For as long as you have people wanting to race and with the finances to race, the teams can set their price. And if people pay, they’ll keep upping their price.”

For example, a top level, race-winning kart chassis can cost upwards of £4,000 – and that’s without an engine.

O’Sullivan said that in his time in European karting, the top teams had budgets of about £180,000 a year, but that has now increased.

“That’s now up to around £300,000 with motorsport inflation, which doesn’t really follow the global trends,” he said.

O’Sullivan believes “there’s no hiding away from” elitism within motorsport, adding: “There’s a few cases of drivers making it without the funds but you have to be able to get to a level where you’re recognised by Formula 1 teams, which is normally European karting, which is very expensive.”

Having left F2 before the end of 2024, he says that “realistically” F1 is no longer the goal for him and he currently races in Japan in the Super Formula series.

Beetroot makes a great, colourful dip, but with this method you can use any root vegetable, from carrot to squash, and even spice things up with a little chilli or ginger if you wish. Try it topped with toasted chopped walnuts, or a sprinkle of the Egyptian spice and nut blend dukkah, too. I’ve served this with simple new-season radishes but you could use any vegetable crudités or flatbread.

Requires cooling time

Tom Russell, president of restructuring professionals trade group R3, said: “While it may be too early to see the full impact of the worsening economic situation in the formal insolvency statistics, energy and fuel costs have risen significantly, and for many businesses this has come at the same time as customers are becoming more cautious with their spending.

Police were called to an ‘industrial accident’ on Sunday (April 12)

A man has suffered serious injuries after he was hit by farm machinery. Cambridgeshire Police were called to an incident just before 4.40pm on Sunday (April 12) in Nixhill Road, Wimblington.

A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 4.38pm on Sunday to an industrial accident where a man was hit by farm machinery in Nixhill Road. He was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.”

The East of England Ambulance Service has been contacted for more information.

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