Marathon inspiration at the former Athletes' Village

Posted: 23.Apr.2015

Ahead of this weekend's London Marathon, those living at the former Athletes' Village have no shortage of fitness inspiration.

Get Living London's long standing partnership with Our Parks means East Village residents can get involved with daily free outdoor exercise classes and training bootcamps in Victory Park. Led by experienced, fully-qualified instructors, East Village residents and visitors can choose from a wide range of free evening fitness sessions - from Parkour interval training to outdoor yoga, hula hoop classes and Box Fit.

Runners are spoiled for choice with Sunday morning Run Fit training or group running sessions led by GoodGym, a charitable scheme initiated through another of our partnerships, which looks to benefit the local community by featuring a charitable service stop in group running routes.

Fitness fanatics also have the option to treat themselves to a spot of post-training rest and relaxation at the newly-opened ‘Neighbourhood’ pub, serving healthy options including smaller plates and delicious superfood salads. 

For those already on their way to Marathon success, Our Parks CEO & Founder, Born Barikor, shares his top five, fail-safe training tips:

1. Don't over train

Gradually increase your mileage weekly - jumping to more than three miles in one go can lead to injury.

2. Try other activities

Add some variety to your training regime and try out other activities such as yoga, boxing and circuit training to improve your strength and fitness.

3. Save your knees 

Switch up your runs and take advantage of the green open spaces at East Village- remember, uneven surfaces make you work harder!

4. Set the scene 

Changing the running scenery not only helps you stay focused, but different routes help you adapt to running in different settings, essential for the big day.

5. Get the right playlist

High bpm music helps to improve the tempo of your runs; as you get closer to race day, increase the tempo of your workout playlist. Drum’n’Bass the week before always works! 

Visit the Our Parks website to book into a session.