Rob Corney - Trail, Sky and Road Runner
I’m Rob Corney, 36 years old and have been running on and off (due to an injury) for the last 10 years. I’m based in Aldermaston, just outside Reading in Berkshire and work as an Account Manager at Lifesystems, where we supply outdoor survival and performance products. I got into running around 10 years ago when my brother and I decided to run our local half marathon. After a slow start I got more into it and ran a marathon PB of 2:19:12 at Brighton in 2019. After an achilles injury in 2020 stopped me running competitively on the road, I took a couple of years out of the sport. I decided to manage the injury instead of opt for the offered surgery, and started running off-road and in the mountains around 2022. I now try to be as versatile as possible with my racing, and most of all, enjoy it.
Quick Fire Round
- Tea or Coffee? Coffee
- Powr Bar or Pocket Rocket? Pocket Rocket!
- Summer or Winter? Summer
- Morning or Evening? Evening
- Lie in or Early Night? Early Night
- Road, Trail or Fell? All of them!
- Climbing or Descending? Climbing
- Podium in a slower time or PB and outside the top 3? Podium!
- Physical Strength or Mental Strength? Physical
Factors to Consider when Switching from Trail & Sky Running to Road Events
I think the most important factor to consider is the change of pace. You might win a trail or a skyrace at an average of 9 or 10 minute miles, but to win road races you have to be ready to operate at 5 minute/miling and it is a completely different sort of fitness required. Leg turnover is a big one as well – you have to practise running fast on the flat; a running style that is efficient in the fells isn’t necessarily a fast way to run on the road.
How to Manipulate Training to Peak for Road Events
I mainly train on the road or on tracks with a good surface, so a lot of my training is really in preparation for road events. I actually tweak my training more if there is a “target” trail or skyrace coming up. For me that usually entails reducing the intensity of some road sessions and adding an extra hill session, or turning my long run into a long steady hill session.
What is your favourite road marathon training session?
I don’t know if I like these sessions, but I think a progressive 20 miler (starting easy, and getting up to 10km pace for the last mile) is a really good session to tick off when preparing for a road marathon. Another good one is: 10km steady, 10km at target marathon pace, 5km steady, 5km at target marathon pace. Both of these sessions get you operating at marathon pace or above for extended periods and can improve your running efficiency.
Why should you run Langdale Marathon?
I love running in the Lakes, I love running hills (weirdly), and I love road racing! The Langdale Marathon offered a chance to combine all three, which is actually quite rare – most road races want to offer PB potential so tend to be as flat as possible!
What's Your Favourite Part of The Course
The highlight has to be the top of the first climb near Blea Tarn with stunning views of the valley and a chance to check how much climbing the people behind me still had to do!
How to Fuel to Win Langdale Marathon
During the race I carried 2 VOOM Pocket Rocket bars (one Lemon & Lime and one Raspberry), I nibbled on half a block every 15 minutes or so, and when I passed the water stations. They work really well for fuelling little and often. I took water when offered on the course but didn’t carry my own drink. I had a 500ml (1 sachet) of VOOM Hydrate Smart electrolyte drink the night before, and the same again in the morning before the race.
Top 5 Kit Bag Essentials
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Safety Pins
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Spare Socks
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Warm Jacket
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Spare Hydration sachet and Energy Bar
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Gloves
For road racing I always have these in my bag!
Upcoming Events and Plans for 2025?
I don’t have much coming up now for the remainder of 2024, I want to put in a good, high mileage training block going into the New Year. I will race some of the local Cross Country league events, and probably the Southern Champs.
In 2025 I am going to the 84km race at Trans Gran Canaria in Feb, and then have the 100k at Ultra Trail Snowdonia lined up in May, and I’d like to do the Eryri Skyrace in June. No doubt I’ll fit in some road races in between as well, I don’t think a marathon PB attempt is on the cards yet but I’d like to see how close I can get.
