Patience and pace judgement are still more important for most runners than speed and aggression. Even-pace or negative splits by steady tortoises will almost always defeat the fast-starting hares.

Plenty of undersized ducklings grow into golden running swans. In running, it's no help to be a muscular giant. It's your legs, your heart, your lungs and your brain that need to be strong, not your pecs or your biceps... There's only one moral that matters in running - do the work.

Marathon running is a sport of goodwill. It's the only sport in the world where if a competitor falls, the others around will pick him or her up. It's the only sport in the world open to absolutely everyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or any other division you can think of. It's the only occasion when thousands of people assemble, often in a major city like New York or London, for a reason that is totally peaceful, healthy and well-meaning. It's the only sport in the world where no one ever boos anybody.