Train on the surface you will race on

After all of the rain, mud and wind that runners experienced this weekend (on Saturday particularly) it may be worth considering how well you prepare for the conditions that you will be racing in.

The British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Cross Country Championships took place at the University of Gloucester on Saturday, where the playing fields could have been mistaken for a quagmire.

Running in mud requires specific strength, including lateral and core strength as well as balance and good proprioception and the runners from the University of Manchester had been preparing themselves specifically for these conditions. The result? Their best ever performance since 2004! 

Here, their coach, Jackie Newton, talks about their approach and how it paid off.