Rose Harvey on the art of marathon running

An interview with the 2:23 marathon runner on how she prepares for races over 26.2 miles, her mindset and the impact of shoe technology.

Rose Harvey is no stranger to overcoming adversity.

From hitting a car during training for the 2022 London Marathon to finishing the Paris Olympic Marathon with a stress fracture, the British distance-runner has consistently shown mental fortitude.

Harvey, who is sixth on the UK marathon all-time list with 2:23:21 from Chicago two years ago, now faces another test as she recovers from a stress reaction on her patella.

Since sustaining the injury in September, Harvey has mostly focused on cross-training, with the first part of that being in the pool before she got on the bike.

After running 2:25:01 at this year’s London Marathon – she was the second fastest British female athlete after Eilish McColgan – Harvey is keen to get back on the roads in 2026 and go even quicker.

We spoke to Harvey at the opening of Puma’s biggest European flagship store in Oxford Street, London.

How’s the recovery going after your knee injury in September? 

It’s going alright thanks! I’m getting back to it. These things always feel like slow progress at first but I feel like the last month or so, I’ve really turned a corner with it. I’m back running now and the focus is to progress well.

The injury itself is a classic running injury. It’s frustrating as for a while all I could do is swim – I couldn’t even cycle as the injury was in the knee. I had two solid months of committing to the pool but once I got back on the bike things picked up. Something like this just makes you mentally stronger.

It’s really tough when running is your job and you love it. I run every single day so you’re losing the endorphins and the purpose of your job as well as aspects of social life. You know you’re going to be off for a while so it’s just making the most of it. I’ve been working on other projects that have kept me excited so it’s all about reframing your mind.

Back in London you ran 2:25:01 and you’re currently sixth on the UK all-time list with 2:23:21. How was London and how much quicker do you think you can go? 

London is always awesome. It’s the best race and my favourite marathon. Running it in my home city, when all my friends and family were there so special. I actually felt I was in better shape than 2:25. My training was great but it was hot so I was really happy with that mark.

I hope 2:23 can be bettered! I know I’ve still got room to improve and there are so many more things to work on. Every marathon block is about learning, getting stronger and a little bit faster. I hope there’s a lot more that can be done.

What was your marathon training block for London like and do you evolve, learn and adapt from one to another? 

You definitely learn a little bit each time and there are tweaks you pick up in each block. Before London I was out in America with the Puma team which was great. I had an amazing block and that helped push me to the next level. I hope I’ll be able to do that again.

In the build-up to London I was doing between 100-110 miles most weeks. Some vary a little bit but that was an average. I love the really hard marathon workouts. It’s not a comfort zone because they’re horrible but it’s where I feel that I excel. They’re also the workouts that I look back on with confidence because they replicate that marathon effort.

My coach is amazing at getting me to focus on the last bit of the marathon. In London I was on my own in the last 20km and you have to be mentally prepared to really hurt.

How do you mentally break down a marathon? 

It always goes so quickly for me. A lot of people ask me what I think during a marathon and I honestly don’t know. I just make sure my mind doesn’t drift and that I’m focused on the race. Whenever race day comes around, you’ve put in so much work so it’s just about enjoying it and soaking in the atmosphere.

I always just remind myself on the start line that when things start to hurt, just look around and soak up the atmosphere.

How impactful has being a Puma athlete been for you, especially with the evolution of their shoes? 

It’s been absolutely insane. I ran my personal best in Chicago in the Fast-R Nitro Elite 2 and also did a load of testing when the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 came out. I immediately noticed the performance difference. I then ran in the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 in London and they were next level. I woke up the next day and my legs genuinely felt fine. Which was crazy.

When we think back to what we were running in 10 years ago, it’s mind-blowing isn’t it. When I look back I think ‘how did my calves survive?’ The technology has evolved hugely and it’s still evolving so much. I’ve already seen what the Puma innovation team are working on and it’s special.

How important is the opening of the Puma’s biggest European Flagship store for London? 

It’s awesome and the store is just very cool. It showcases the best of what Puma has to offer and what it’s all about. There are foot scanners to help choose the ideal running shoes. And there’s an F1 car in store! It just offers a great experience to find Puma shoes, running kit or whatever else you’re interested in.