It’s 68 days until the London marathon, meaning runners have less than 10 weeks to get ready for the challenge. Warren Whitely (aka @wozldn), celebrity trainer who has trained the likes of Love Island host Maya Jama as well as other A-listers and athletes, shares his tips for elevating your running regime ahead of marathon season.

The nation’s interest in marathon prep is on the rise, with searches for ‘how long does it take to train for a marathon’ up +60% in the last 7 days, and ‘best marathon training shoes’ up by +90% this week.

With marathon season swiftly approaching, it’s time to get your head in the game. Whether you are trying to find inspiration on the must-have running gear for your marathon or looking for new trails like Samsung’s Circle the City route to keep the inspiration up, Samsung has you covered with the Circle to Search with Google1 feature.

Warren said: “Always train the body and never the ego. In a time when everyone seems to be getting into running, it’s easy to start comparing your journey to somebody else’s as we are competitive by nature, but I want to remind you to walk (or run!) your path in the best way possible for you.

“The key to success is in the planning and setting out a route that you are excited about that will stop you from getting bored or giving up. The Galaxy S24 is the perfect running companion, from capturing pics of your trail to reminding yourself of what you have achieved, to using it to find out more information about the interesting landmarks you come across thanks to Circle to Search with Google1.”

On Saturday, Warren was joined by TikTok running star Jonny Davies to lead Samsung’s Circle the City, to celebrate the new partnership between Transport for London (TfL) and Samsung. The world-famous Tube Map, which was designed by Harry Beck in 1933, has been temporarily reimagined into a circle to more clearly emphasise the Circle line, championing the new Circle to Search with Google1 feature – a new tool on the Galaxy S24 device

The Circle to Search with Google1 feature allows users to instantly search for anything on their phone without leaving the app. Whether it’s up looking where to buy a pair of running shoes they’ve seen someone wearing online or getting new route inspiration from a video they’ve seen on social media, users can get this information with a simple gesture.

Jonny Davies said: “It’s normal to have a go-to one to two routes, but when training for a challenge like a marathon, I’d recommend a change of scene to keep you feeling motivated. What better way to keep inspiration high as you get the miles in, than taking in the sites of the capital like we did running the Circle line. I recommend using Samsung’s Circle to Search with Google1 feature on the Galaxy S24 device to find the landmark checkpoints on your to-do list and create a route with a view.”

Warren’s top x5 tips for marathon training:

1. Be realistic
Set realistic goals that you can create a structured training schedule around. Doing too much too soon will not only increase your risk of injury, but it’ll become demotivating when you struggle to meet the unrealistic demands you’ve set yourself. Utilise Samsung Health’s tracking features for personalised insights, ensuring a balanced mix of speed work, long runs, and recovery days.

2. Shop the essentials
Prepping for a marathon can feel like a huge, daunting task. Take each step at a time – organise your essential kit, map out your training schedule and take inspiration from others on the routes they’d recommend. The Circle to Search with Google1 feature on the Galaxy S24 is especially helpful when planning. From finding sourcing the perfect running vest, to searching the landmarks you see someone else running by on socials, or even looking up recipes for a high-protein meal you’ve seen on social, try it to help with the planning process.

3. Training Must-Haves
Good music is essential and making a good Spotify playlist will be a secret weapon to getting that extra 5-10% out of your runs. That boost of dopamine from one of your favourite songs is guaranteed to help push you harder and further. To monitor progress, I use the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 to gather all my data, from KM pace to heart rate to blood oxygen levels! It’s a good way to make sure your activity aligns with your marathon training goals.

4. Food and Nutrition
Balanced nutrition is always a good thing but for marathon prep. I always advise a more intentional and structured nutrition schedule, increasing those carbs for energy, proteins for muscle repair, and healthy fats. Samsung Health helps you to track your daily meals, snacks, and even water intake.

5. Recovery
I’m very big on approaching recovery with as much enthusiasm as your training. Good recovery is the most important element to executing any training goal to avoid hitting a plateau. The key elements to recovery are sleep, stretching, hydration, balanced nutrition, and self-reflection for mental sharpness.