THE JOURNAL

THE
ORDINARY
TIMES

Training notes, gear you actually need, and existential running content. Written for remarkably average people.

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF

Showing Beginners · show everything

Black Ordinary Mile Club running socks laid flat, showing the reinforced heel and flat toe seam
Do Running Socks Actually Make a Difference?
What the evidence actually says about running socks, blisters, cotton and compression, and which features are worth the money. Read more...
Group of Ordinary Mile Club runners training together on a track during a 10K training session
10K Training Plan: Three Runs a Week
An eight-week 10K training plan built around three runs a week, for people with jobs, boilers and finite willpower. Read more...
Two runners pacing a long marathon training run together along the Thames in London
First Marathon: What Nobody Tells You
The taper, the wall, miles 20 to 24 and the half-mile walk to the station afterwards. An honest first-marathon guide for ordinary runners. Read more...
Group of runners in black kit resting against a river wall after a long road run in London
UK Races With the Most Generous Cut-Off Times
The UK marathons and half marathons that give slower runners genuine room, with cut-off times taken straight from the organisers own FAQs. Read more...
Ordinary Mile Club runners on a UK road run after missing out on the London Marathon ballot
Rejected From the London Marathon Ballot? What to Do Next
Missed out on the 2027 London Marathon ballot? The routes still open, the races worth entering instead, and the option nobody suggests. Read more...
Ordinary runners after finishing a 5K together
In Defence of the 35-Minute 5K
The 35-minute 5K is real running done by real runners, and it's time somebody said so in print. Read more...
Runner breathing steadily during a training run in Ordinary Mile Club kit
How to Breathe While Running (Without Sounding Like a Fax Machine)
If you sound like dial-up internet by minute three, this is for you. How to breathe while running, minus the mysticism. Read more...
Runners in Ordinary Mile Club kit training toward a first 5K
Couch to 5K: What Nobody Tells You Before Week One
Couch to 5K works. It also hides a few truths in the small print. Here's what to know before week one, from people who walked the walk breaks. Read more...
Runner starting out on a training run in Ordinary Mile Club kit
How to Start Running When You're Unfit: An Honest Guide
You don't need to be fit to start running. You need shoes, low expectations, and about twenty minutes. Here's the honest version. Read more...