Running the London Marathon? Paula Radcliffe's 7 last-minute tips you need to know

Inspired by watching her father run the London Marathon in 1985, aged 12, Paula Radcliffe went on to become the most celebrated British female runner. Having won the London Marathon three times and held the women’s world marathon record for 16 years, there is little she doesn’t know about this race.

Set to be a record-breaker for the number of participants, the London Marathon is expected to see almost 60,000 people take part. Here Paula shares some expert last-minute tips, recorded for her podcast Paula's Run Club – and if you're running, you're going to want to read them...

Nothing new

'Please don't anyone do anything new for the marathon. Nothing. You want to have done at least a half hour run in what you are wearing tomorrow - if it’s good, you’re fine with that. You have to have done that. That is the best advice going into the marathon tomorrow.'

Look for the red telephone box

'What I really love on this course is the red telephone box, which means a mile to go. It’s really hard to see now because the crowds are so big. In 2015, when I ran it there was someone sitting on top of it, which really helped to pick it out. When you go past that, you know it’s a mile to go, so I was desperately looking for that the first time I ran the London Marathon and have every time since.'

Trust your body

‘Trust your body is the key. We’ve all done those long runs in training, we kind of know what it felt like to half way in those runs, try to tap into that and just keep a lid on it. The nerves and the excitement is there and everything wants to go off really quickly. Just keep that bottled up, and that energy will come out and you can really use that in the closing stages. Really feed off the crowd and pour it into the last 10K or so, and you can really finish and make it enjoyable over that last final bit.'

Don't look for niggles

'How many people have had a niggle going into a marathon, and after 5 miles you’ve forgotten about it? The marathon is the best pain killer in the world, it’s the best pain causer by the end too, but the endorphins that will be released just by being a part of that will help you get through.

'Gerard Hartman, my physio, said ‘when I was worrying about my knee injury and I was coming into the race in 2002, I was thinking ‘what if it bothers me’? And he said ‘do not go looking for it - it will come and tell you if it’s really bad’. So you don’t need to go checking in with it every mile to see if it’s alright, if it’s really bad, it’s going to be loud enough to let you know it’s there. Otherwise, forget about it.'

Paula's podcast co-host Chris Thomas added: "Adrenaline is a big thing, but it’s that distraction of the environment that you’re in and the runners next to you.'

Break the race up

'Breaking this course down into sections really helps. I break it down into eighths ,and then quarters and then thirds, and just try and get a little bit closer to halfway. And from halfway it definitely gets easier. The key is remembering that halfway is a good way past 13 miles. You can say ‘I’m looking forward to getting to Cutty Sark’.

'When you come over Tower Bridge, that’s a really big psychological marker - it’s ticked off that half way point.'

Put your name on your bib

During the podcast, Thomas suggested an easy way to get a bit more support.

'Write your name on your bib so that people can cheer your name - it does mean a lot. As elite athletes we get our names as well as numbers, which is something we take for granted, but it’s something special about someone shouting your name who you have not met before. And people cheering want to be able to make it personal, they want to be able to stamp that personalisation on that cheer squad. So give them that so they can make that connection stronger.'

Enjoy the party

'Please remember that nerves and excitement are very close together, and you need both. If you are nervous, it's totally normal - try to keep it on the excited more than scared side. But it’s a sign it’s important, you’ve put a lot of work into it. I repeat this a lot, but have a party.

'You’ve done all the hard work, you’ve done all the prep - this is the party and this is the fun bit and it is a privilege. And for those of you doing it for the first time, you have a big treat waiting for you out there. And all of those difficult spots will be made so much easier by the London crowd. It is something very unique and very special from the crowd around you and the race.

'Whatever you do, really bottle and remember that last 500 metres because it is an experience to remember. Huge good luck to everybody out there - make it your own, own it, back yourself!'