The British runner’s run in the German city moved her to seventh on the all-time UK marathon list.
Abby Donnelly is just getting started in the marathon and now plans to stop soon.
The 29-year-old made her 26.2-mile debut in Rotterdam last year, where she clocked 2:26:21. He followed this up with an incredibly impressive 2:24:11 at the Frankfurt Marathon last Sunday, which took the Briton seventh on the all-time list for Great Britain.
Donnelly, who trains at Lincoln Wellington ACstill believes he has a lot to learn in the marathon and is now targeting both London and potentially Berlin/Valencia next season. Her ultimate goal is to qualify for the marathon at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
AW: I caught up with Donnelly after his run in Frankfurt to talk about his thoughts and future road racing ambitions.
When you saw 2:24:11 on the clock, how did you feel when you crossed the line?
It was an amazing feeling to cross the border and see the time. Since it was my second marathon, it could have gone either way. You kind of remember the pain of the first one and the weather was also quite windy on the day in Frankfurt. So I thought that such a time just might not happen. But I was putting in a few extra miles in this block than before, so I was very excited to see what effect that might have on my performance.
I was so relieved when I reached the finish line. I said: “I did it.” It was a really good moment to cross that line and you’re just a little messed up. You are just so tired but also so happy. There’s a clip of me just looking a bit lost and wandering around the finish area.
Are you able to break the race and how did you feel at 5km/10km/half way etc…?
I was quite lucky in that the organizers asked us our target times and I clocked 2:25. So at the start of the race I was introduced to a couple of pacemakers. They went a little faster into the headwind.
I remember thinking at 10km that I didn’t feel so good. People tell you the first six miles are the easiest, but I definitely felt like I was going at the pace I was running. So I tensed up a bit and wondered how the last six miles would go.
But after that my anxiety was the same throughout the race and I didn’t hit the wall like I did in Rotterdam. It didn’t get any easier, but I was locked in with the speed that fell in from there.
Due to the headwind, we almost made it to the halfway point and then enjoyed the tailgate on the way back to town.
How did it feel halfway through? You went 72:17 before picking off ten runners in the second half.
I didn’t look at the half way split because I was actually a little scared. I thought we had 30 seconds to go to 2:25, so it was just about getting through the mile. When I looked at the kilometer splits in the second half, I thought “no, that can’t be right”. When I got into town my parents and partner were there and they told me I was on the 2:24 mark. I was just so closed inside.
It’s really good for my motivation that I was able to catch up with the girls in that race. A marathon is such a tough distance because if you overcook it, you never know when your legs are going to go. I am very excited to think if I could go faster and I want to find out.
Can you talk about your study block?
I was only doing ten miles under an hour on Monday, so that was probably my easier day. Then I hit the gym at night. On Tuesday I got up in the morning for about eight miles and then the Lincoln Wellington Club meeting in the evening. They differed quite a bit in build and that really helped with hill/track performance. Wednesday was 12 miles. Thursday is the same as Tuesday, then a rest day on Friday.
I was trying to get 100 miles in this block and had to take a rest day on Friday because it was pretty hard to do for six days. Saturday was a tempo and easy run in the evening. Back then Sunday was 20 miles most weeks.
Because I hadn’t done 100 miles in a week – I did three miles of that and the rest was 80 miles – it caught me a little bit. So the sessions were slower, but I was putting in longer efforts. It also became a bit of a nuisance as I really had to trust the taper. I actually told a few people that I had absolutely no idea what time I was going to run because I’ve never really been able to train at my race pace. I just did a 5:30 pace and was like “oh no”.
Overall, how much did you learn from Rotterdam since it’s your first marathon?
I learned so much from Rotterdam. The key was to relax with the timing. I got into a small group and I was only a few seconds off my target pace. I stressed about it, but you have time in the marathon, so don’t panic. I tried not to look at my watch too much this time because it can be won or lost in the first six miles.
Even the little things matter, like arranging my bottles the night before. I stuck the gels on the bottles but couldn’t get them off at first so this time I used a rubber band instead. I even thought about the types of bottles I used.
Since I have 5km cracks on my bottles, that’s how I break up the race. It’s a pretty nice thing to focus on throughout the run. Then it’s probably halfway and counting the miles in the single digits.
How important has Lincoln Wellington AC been to you?
They have been and always have been a huge part of my life. Rob Lewis, my coach, went through every step of the marathon plan with me. When you have a really long session to do, that club atmosphere helps a lot. You have people running with you and it’s so nice.
After I finished the Frankfurt Marathon, many people said they were following me too. Throughout the race, as some of the 5km sections were up and down, I was thinking ‘they’re going to get a bit tight’.
What does the future hold now? Will you be doing cross country in Liverpool and maybe the London marathon next year?
If I recover immediately from Frankfurt, I will compete in Liverpool at the end of November. I came back from Rotterdam a little early, so I’m making sure I have a proper break this time. I want to make the team for the European Cross-Cross Championship.
In the new year I will focus on road races like Valencia 10km, or Seville or Barcelona Half. Then the London Marathon becomes a big goal. I want to improve my road time next season.
In the long term my big goal is to get an Olympic qualifying time (2:23.30) for LA 2028. I’d just like to get as low as possible before Los Angeles in the 2:20.
