Mia McGoldrick, who is running for the Yorkshire & Humberside region at this year's edition, explains how she's prepared for this year's edition.

This Sunday (April 26) will see some of the world's best distance athletes cross the finish line at the TCS London Marathon. One day before however, tens of thousands of kids get their opportunity to grace the streets of the British capital, making the 2.6km journey from Horse Guards Parade to The Mall.

Around 22,000 of them – an increase from approximately 18,000 finishers last year – will take on the 41st edition of the Mini London Marathon, an event created in 1986 to help inspire the next generation.

The list of former competitors at the event reads like a who’s who of British middle and long distance running, including athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson, Mo Farah, Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman, Laura Muir, David Weir, Hannah Cockroft, Alex Yee and Alistair Brownlee, to name just a few.

Mia McGoldrick will be one of those athletes hoping to stand out in the championships races this year. An English Schools junior cross country champion, the 14-year-old made her England debut last month at the SIAB Cross Country International. Predominately a 1500m runner on the track, she has a personal best of 4:43.79 over the metric mile and will now test herself on the roads in London.

This is her training diary:

FOUR WEEKS TO GO

I am gearing up for the Mini London Marathon. This week was focused on preparing for the Trafford Track Medal Meet 1500m on Sunday (April 5). At the start of the week I wasn’t feeling great because I had a bad cold and cough, which didn’t seem like the best preparation for the race. Despite this, I still kept moving with stretching, foam rolling, and a bike session, and by midweek I was starting to feel better as the cough began to clear.

The main sessions went well overall. The 4x800m session was tough after the first rep because I struggled with my breathing, but later in the week the 3x500m and 2x200m track session felt much better and I was hitting the times I was aiming for. I also completed a hilly session on the Ghyll field and finished the week with a light two-mile shakeout jog and strides before race day.

On Sunday, I raced the 1500m at the Trafford Track Medal Meet, finishing in 4:47.02. It wasn’t a personal best, but it was a solid season opener and a good starting point to improve on.

THREE WEEKS TO GO

This week my focus has shifted towards preparing for the Mini London Marathon. At the start of the week I had fully recovered from my cold, which meant I was able to get back into training properly with a steady four-mile road jog, followed by stretching and mobility work. On Tuesday, alongside a tough alternate hill and flat speed session, I also walked up Whernside, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with my family, which added some extra time on my feet and was a nice way to stay active. Wednesday was a lighter day with a jog in the warm weather, and on Thursday I had a solid track session consisting of 2 sets of 400m, 400m, 400m, and 200m, where I felt good throughout.

I also made sure to recover well, taking Friday as a rest day while still stretching. Over the weekend, I completed a grass pyramid session of 2, 3, 4, 3, 2 minute efforts, before finishing the week with a slow long run on Sunday to round things off nicely.

TWO WEEKS TO GO

This week continued to build towards the Mini London Marathon, and I’m starting to feel both excited and nervous at the same time, but really looking forward to it. On Monday I did a steady jog with my friends, which was a nice way to ease into the week. Tuesday was a harder day with a hill session of six hilly loops followed by 4 steep hill reps, where I felt strong throughout. Wednesday was a relaxed three-mile jog, before a pace judgement session on Thursday to get ready for my race on Saturday. On Friday morning I did a steady shakeout jog with stretches to stay loose.

On Saturday I raced a 1500m in Blackpool, and although it was very windy so I wasn’t too happy with my time, it was still good practice and experience ahead of the Mini London Marathon. I finished the week with a long run on Sunday. Being at Giggleswick School means I get three weeks off for the Easter break, which has given me more time to balance my training and recovery properly, and I feel like it’s helping me prepare well.

ONE WEEK TO GO

Looking ahead to the Mini London Marathon, I’m really excited. From last year, I remember the start line being a huge experience — it can feel quite overwhelming, but that’s also what makes it so special. The night before, I like to prepare by laying out my kit, doing a light shakeout jog, stretching, eating pasta, and having some dates so I feel ready for race day.

This year I’ll be wearing the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% 3, which I’ve only recently got and really like. I’ve also made some great friends through the Mini Marathon over the past couple of years, especially my Yorkshire teammates Jess Thake and Carlotta Bailey, which makes the whole experience even more enjoyable.