Spartanfam: go hard or go home

It's a system of training based on using your own bodyweight – but also a whole way of life. One convert talks to the person behind it

Marathon training: sometimes less is more

James Ruskin: With the London marathon approaching, many runners will see a day off as a wasted opportunity – but remember that the more you train, the more rest you need - it's quality not quantity that counts

How safe are running supplements?

The death of runner Claire Squires during the London marathon last year has been put down to the sports supplement Jack3D that she took. So should athletes avoid them altogether? Patrick Barkham investigates