Jo Pavey on the Great North Run

Jo Pavey competes in her second Bupa Great North Run on Tyneside on Sunday. The leading British athlete, who finished fourth on her debut appearance in 2006, talks to spikesmag.com about the 13.1-mile course and what to watch out for.

Unlike many major road running courses which are pancake flat the Great North Run from Newcastle to South Shields is deceptively hilly, right?
It’s interesting because it is quite hilly but you can still run quick times on it. That is because it is such a good route, they are no real sections where you are twisting and turning. It does feel challenging when you are running it but I am also aware you have to run quickly to compete. It has shown itself to be a course when you can get a decent time. It does challenge you. It has got a lot of uphills but also a lot of down hill sections as well and you need to practice that in training and condition your legs for that. It is a good route.

So tell spikesmag.com about the early stages...
Right from the outset it is downhill and that is something you should be aware of because it is very fast from the beginning. You think because it is a long race it will go off at a pace that is fairly steady. You go past the major sights [e.g. Tyne Bridge] and that gives you a boost. The atmosphere of the crowd is great and it is all really exciting.

After the Tyne Bridge it is a long straight route into South Shields, talk us through this stage of the race?
It is important to stay relaxed and get into a rhythm. It is a bit quieter crowd-wise along the carriageway and it is important to concentrate and try and keep relaxed. It is important to conserve your energy but at the same time try and run fast not get tensed up. I always try and think of the time that I’ve got to run rather than thinking about how many miles I’ve got left to run.

What else do you think about when you run?
I concentrate on trying to keep relaxed. As a track runner you think about pushing on but if you do that on the road you’ll get tired. You also do think about what’s going on around you a lot as well. You think about the atmosphere and the support along the route. You do take that in.

The steep hill down to the sea front can be notoriously tricky and painful experience, right?
You have to think about whether you are going to throw yourself down the hill or whether you hold back and make your move along the sea front. You have to be careful with the drop down to the sea front. You can find your legs could be gone at the bottom.

Yes, but does the hill hurt?
It does. It’s very, very steep. You do have to be prepared otherwise it will take you by surprise.

Then that final, long, very long mile and a bit...
When you get to the sea front there is a great atmosphere but although you can see the finish it is quite a long way back and you sometimes feel like you are never going to get to the finish. It is slightly uphill as well. The run in is quite tough. You need make sure you are prepared for the final stretch.