Sally Green is an endurance runner, who has worked her way from a 4:56 marathon in 2018, to a personal best of 3:08.
We chat about how her running has evolved to gain her a Championship place in London Marathon in 2025, and what her training looks like.
You can listen to our full interview with Sally on the UKRunChat podcast here
How did you get into running?
I was a keen athlete at school, and ran for two different counties. I was never really happy if I came second place. But I left school, and just went on to do other things. You look back, and wish you had continued.
I started again in 2017. I wanted to lose some weight. I was an unhappy soul, and I heard on the grapevine that there was a local running club that was providing free 10K and 5K courses. So my friend and I signed up.
After six weeks, I could run a comfortable 30-minute 5K without stopping. For me, that was a massive boost of confidence. I haven’t stopped running since that point. It was the running community and the buzz of it, the boost of confidence that really drove me, and the weight started to come off.
Tell us about the decision to sign up for your first marathon.
Since I started running in 2017, I completed my 5K course, got my official parkrun time, and felt amazing. I did a local half marathon that year in Milton Keynes in 2 hours and 13 minutes. It was five laps around a lake, which was a bit soul-destroying, but I had friends run some laps with me.
Finishing that race was incredible. There’s a picture on my Instagram of my first half marathon compared to my last. I loved it. Soon after, I thought, “If I can do a half, I can do a full.” I went from zero to a hundred in eight months. I signed up for a sponsored athlete program with Clean Coach Katie. They were selecting one female and one male, and I got chosen. With all the support and a bespoke training plan, I used MK Marathon as my goal. Best day of my life. That achievement will always be special. Time was irrelevant—I didn’t care if I had to walk. I was actually injured with IT band syndrome at the time and didn’t know how it would impact me on race day. But I ran my first marathon, and there’s no feeling like it.
Did having a coach help prevent overtraining and injury?
Definitely. Katie kept me accountable and adjusted things as needed. It was a PDF plan, but if I wasn’t sure about anything, Katie guided me. The Treatment Lab was there for recovery and rehab. I felt really lucky to have that support. It helped me recover from IT band syndrome. On race day, I had no injuries. That’s the only time I’ve been injured, and I haven’t been since—touch wood!
Talk us through how that first marathon felt for you. What was going through your head while running it?
It was 28 degrees that day in Milton Keynes, so it was really hot. I was covered in sun cream. There were moments where I thought, “What am I doing? I can’t do this.” I think all runners have those thoughts. I ran 12 miles with a friend before we split off—I was running comfortably. My husband and son were biking around the course, taking pictures and videos. I looked forward to seeing them at different points.
I kept telling myself, “Come on, keep going. You’re not a quitter. Walk if you need to.” The local support was incredible. Finishing that marathon was one of the best feelings ever.
People were out with the firemen, who had their water pumps. That was definitely a highlight of the day. I remember that well. The ice creams and local support were just incredible. As I got closer to the MK Don stadium, I knew we had to do a lap of the pitch, and my family was there—my brother, my kids, my husband, my friends, my dad. My dad’s my biggest fan. It was just lovely to see them all cheering for me. I could hear them shouting from the other side of the stadium. I think that was when I ran my fastest mile!
Running a marathon is hard. If people say it’s easy, they should probably be running 100-mile ultras. The boost from the crowd gave me such an adrenaline rush. Right after finishing, I thought, “I could do another one!” But then I quickly said, “I’m never running a marathon again.” That feeling didn’t last long. It was an amazing experience, especially doing it in my hometown—it made it even more special.
Which is your favourite race?
No marathon will compare to that first one. The memories, the self-doubt, the lack of confidence, the injury—nothing can match that experience. I ran in really cheap trainers, totally naïve to what I was doing. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that version of myself, where I didn’t overthink everything.
At what point would you say your mindset towards running changed?
Running with the Redway Runners changed things for me. The drive, the focus, and the motivation from other runners inspired me. I latched onto some experienced runners and started thinking, “I want to be better, I want to be faster. What do I need to do?” After my first marathon, people told me to add interval training. It felt overwhelming at first, but I knew deep down what I needed to do.
So, I quickly signed up for the Manchester Marathon in 2019. I coached myself, followed a 16-week training block from a PDF plan, and adjusted as needed. I thought, “I can do this on my own.” I ended up running a 3:44 marathon.
Looking back, maybe I could have run faster in my first marathon—I don’t know. But to cut an hour and ten minutes was a huge achievement. People told me I had qualified for London’s Good for Age. But I missed the cut-off time by six minutes, which was really deflating. I had worked so hard and felt so disappointed. But instead of dwelling on it, I thought, “Right, what am I going to do about it?”
What changed between that first marathon and the second one?
It was my competitive mindset and the influence of the running community. Being around experienced runners and taking their advice made a huge difference. I knew I had more in me, and my husband always supported me. I started believing I could push myself further.
I also lost some weight, ate better, and increased my mileage. Training became more structured, and I made sure I ran with people every time instead of training alone.
Deep down, I knew I wanted to qualify for London. That goal kept me motivated. I put my foot on the gas and went for it.
Do you prefer running with other people?
Yes, definitely. Running with others helps push you. Even if you’re a silent runner, just having someone there can drive you forward. If I’m doing speed work, I might as well be on my own because I wouldn’t be able to talk. If I can speak during interval work, I’m not working hard enough—that’s what my coach always said. But for regular runs, I definitely prefer company. Just having people around you makes a difference. Running together is the best feeling in the world.
Talk to us about how you went from 3:44 to your current PB of 3:08, because that’s a significant difference in effort.
It gives me goose bumps to talk about it. I’m really proud of myself for reaching that level at 42. I invested in a coach and signed up for one of his PDF plans, and got a four-minute half marathon PB, bringing me down to 1:34.
I signed up for one-to-one coaching with him and trained with him for three years, starting just after COVID. He taught me everything I know today. I still train to lactate threshold and listen to my body—it’s crucial. I stopped training with him after the 2023 Chicago Marathon. I felt I had learned enough and achieved what I set out to do.
He got my half marathon time down to 1:13:16—those 16 seconds always bugged me!—and my marathon time to 3:17 at London 2023. I felt accomplished. I had achieved so much since COVID and working with Lloyd. I still look back at his voice notes, some of which were 10 minutes long. At the end, he’d just say, “Sally, you’re resting tomorrow,” and I’d listen.
One-to-one coaching can be very beneficial if you’re willing to listen and absorb the knowledge. That’s what I did, and it made me a better runner. I’ve set 2024 as the year to go out and smash my goals on my own.
Talk us through what happened in 2024?
A lot happened in 2024. In January, I had just come off the back of an indulgent Christmas and thought, right, I’ve put on a little bit of weight, so I prioritised my mental health and how I was feeling. I lost a little bit of weight—not a lot, but enough to make me feel happy again. Then I drafted my plan, my London Marathon plan, and just went from there.
I signed up for a half marathon in February and ran a 1:28:36. I was like, “Oh, where did that come from?” I had just been running exactly as Lloyd had taught me for years.
I had already planned to run London in 2024 with my best friend, so I knew I wouldn’t be pushing too hard that day. Secretly, I signed up for the Manchester Marathon. I told no one except my husband. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it for me—not because anyone else was watching or judging my times.
As runners, we can relate to Strava and the pressure of sharing stats, especially if you’re in the public eye. I didn’t want anyone tracking me on race day, so I booked it silently and kept quiet. It was very hard, especially not telling my best friend. If I ever did it again, I think I would at least tell her.
After that half marathon in 1:28, I thought, “I’ve got something here. I’m not wasting my potential.” In February, I booked Manchester, then signed up for some 20-mile races. I ran a 20-miler in 2:20, and I was getting better and better. Whatever I was doing was working, so I kept going.
I didn’t have a target time for Manchester—I just wanted to run by effort and see what happened. I finished in 3:08, and it still shocks me to this day that I did that. I trained entirely on my own, with just my husband’s support in the background, pushing me and reminding me I could do it.
At Manchester, some people I knew spotted my husband, so I knew then that people would start tracking me, which was fine. But I think, at least once in your running journey, it’s important to do something just for yourself—not because the world is watching. It’s nice to have support, but I felt great running that marathon without any added pressure.
Seven days later, I ran the London Marathon in 3:35. I have no idea how I did that! My best friend and I had planned to run together, and we finished in exactly 3:35:26. It was an incredible experience and an incredible time for me.
Looking back to Manchester, what specifically changed in your training, and how much of an impact do you think not having that external kind of pressure had?
Training didn’t really change in terms of knowledge. Mileage, of course, increased. I knew I had to ramp up my mileage a little bit more, get a couple more 20-mile runs under my belt. So nothing really changed there.
I don’t know, it’s really strange. I just felt like I had a beast in me. I’ve always had a little bit of confidence issues and liked people to check in with me, to reassure me that I’m okay. I have a good following on Instagram, and that has helped me document my journey—the highs and the lows.
I just didn’t want anybody to know. Selfishly, I wanted Manchester for myself. It was my race that day, and the best way of coping with that was just not telling anybody.
Can you share your typical training week or your routine in the build-up to Manchester?
Base mileage—I always kept my Sunday runs between 10 and 13 miles to maintain endurance. I didn’t peak at more than 55 miles a week. That might scare some people, but I stuck to that limit.
I use Final Surge to log all my sessions, including strength training. I’m a keen lover of the gym as well as running. My routine has always been pretty consistent. I run on the same days and am a morning runner. For marathon training, I shifted my long runs to Saturdays to have more time with my family on Sundays. I’d finish my long runs at parkrun.
I had a couple of added rest days when I felt fatigued. Listening to my body was crucial. I believe rest days are your best training days, and I’m a strong advocate for that. Typically, I ran five times a week for 16 weeks and went to the gym four times a week. Having structure and routine was really important to me, especially with my job.
What kind of things are you doing at the gym, and how long is each session for you?
I got into weightlifting with my husband in 2022, so it’s been three years now. I enjoy lifting free weights, and my husband coached me through it. We didn’t have a coach, but I never stopped going to the gym from that point.
I love lifting weights—especially squats, although I need to improve my leg strength. I also focus on core and upper body workouts. I try to go to the gym a maximum of four days a week. Running requires a strong physique and core, so the gym is important to me.
What mileage would you normally go up to for your longest run in marathon training, and how often would you do that?
When I first started running marathons, I would peak at 20 miles once and then taper down. Now, training has evolved. I go up and down in mileage multiple times.
For this year’s London Marathon, I’ve just completed my first 20-miler. I’ll do another 20, taper down, go back up, taper down again, and then peak again.
For Manchester, I think I did three 20-mile runs. I’ve got a few more scheduled this year, but I never go beyond 20 miles.
I think I would always just run four or five miles easy on a Saturday, and then on a Sunday, some of them are easy. I would peak at 20. I’d have some marathon pace miles thrown in there, which I haven’t started yet. I’ve got a couple of races in the build-up to London this year, so I would normally come back down, have a recovery week, and then build back up again with a gradual incline. I would never go from 15 miles to 20. I would always have about a 2-3 mile buffer, but I’ve got really good endurance now, so I can go from 17 to 20 miles without injury—well, touch wood.
Do you use the races in the build up to your marathons as paced workouts, or are they easy miles?
Last year, I used them at goal pace. Last year was completely different for me because I was just running for effort. To come away with 1:28 kind of sealed it for Manchester for me. Then I used a 20-mile race as effort as well, so I didn’t really know what my marathon pace was going to be. This year is completely different. I kind of know what my goal paces are, and I think I can really go for it this year. So I think I would use them as a session. If I’m entering a race, I do like to race it. I don’t have any self-discipline when it comes to races, but I am going to use one as a marathon pace session. I’ve said it on this podcast—I’m going to be more disciplined this year.
How do you incorporate marathon pace into your training runs?
Depending on the distance, if I use the one I’ve got on the 23rd of February, I’ve got 15 miles, but it’s only a half marathon. So I’ve got one mile easy and one cool-down at the end, but then I’m just running the 13 at marathon pace because I know I can hold that. That’s quite an easy one for me. Some other sessions I’ve got are like four times three miles, etc., with easy recoveries in between and a cool-down. It’s a mixture—not all of them are sessions because I think you still need to have those runs where it’s just about time on feet, not time or pace, just getting the distance in. I will adjust them if needed. Staying injury-free is really important to me.
What are your goals over the next few years?
I’m a bit of a silent goal chaser. My PB for a half marathon stands at 1:28:31, so I want to beat that at Cambridge Half Marathon in March. I have a goal target for that one—I’d like to PB. For London, I’d like a London Marathon PB, not necessarily a Manchester PB, but I think I’ve got something left in my legs to push for a PB. We’ll see—it’s too early to tell.
I’ve done London Marathon three years in a row. The first two years, 2022 and 2023, were all about PBs, and I did PB both times. Last year, I ran with my friend, and we did 3:35. On the back of Manchester, I know London can be gridlocked, but running a 3:08 marathon has secured me a championship place for London this year.
What’s different at the London start this year for you?
I get two stripy bibs. I start near the front—there’s no staggered start time. I start when the elites go, just behind them. But for me, it’s just, “I did this. I got myself here. No one else, just me.” I secretly wanted a championship place, but I kept that close to my personal goal. They changed the criteria for the championship for 2026, but for this year, they just lowered the time, and I managed to get in.
It used to be 3 hours and 14 minutes. For 2025, you had to run quicker than 3:10. I was like, “Phew!” But for 2026, it will be capped at 1,000 runners—500 males, 500 females—so it will be fastest first. But everyone’s getting faster. I don’t even know what the average marathon time is now. Everyone is improving and smashing their personal goals. I’m a prime example of that—I’m 42, and I’m not slowing down. I’m actually getting quicker as I get older, which is mind-blowing.
So for me, the championship means I got myself there, and I’m not going to waste this opportunity because I might not want to do it again next year. I might not have the same drive. So while I’ve got the drive and the competitive streak, I’m just going to keep going.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone attempting their first marathon, what would it be?
Just start slow. Enjoy yourself. Invest in good trainers—get your gait tested. Most new runners get injured because they haven’t got the right shoes, and then they don’t want to run anymore. Go to a local running shop, get tested, and start casually. Join a running club and find people you can bounce off. The hardest part is lacing up outside the front door, but once you do that, you’ll really enjoy it. I haven’t looked back since 2017—if I can do it, anyone can.
You can listen to our full interview with Sally on the UKRunChat podcast here
