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 Races · show everything

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...
Club runners in black kit lining up for a UK half marathon start
The Best UK Half Marathons for Ordinary Runners
Seven UK half marathons picked for generous cut-offs, crowds that stay put and wave starts that do not make you feel like a nuisance. 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...
Runner mid-stride, the moment race photographers capture
Why Your Race Photos Look Like That
You felt like a gazelle. The photo shows a man mid-collapse pointing at nothing. The science and acceptance of terrible race photography. Read more...