Fifteen years ago, a Sunday morning in late April. Phil Sesemann was lacing up his shoes, ready to race on the streets of London. Blackfriars, Embankment, The Mall. Sound familiar? This weekend, things are a bit different, but that racing and the route remain the same. In 2010, it was the Mini London Marathon, in days when it ran on marathon morning, on the last part of the course. Perhaps it was a sign of what was to come.
Phil spoke to James Rhodes ahead of this weekend’s London Marathon – his fourth – where he goes in search of a maiden British title and a spot in Tokyo.
At 09:35 on Sunday, it will be Phil Sesemann’s fourth time on the start line hearing the gun go for the London Marathon elite men’s race.
In each of the three past appearances, he has finished inside the top-ten. Seventh on his marathon debut in 2021, tenth in 2022, and eighth in 2023. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that he has run faster each time. 2:12:58, 2:12:10, 2:10:23. In fact, the last time you put Phil and the words “London Marathon” outside the top-ten, it was that Mini London Marathon race in 2010. A twelfth placed finish in a field including now-fellow Olympians Ben Connor, Marc Scott and Zak Seddon.
Both of those trends are things the Leeds-based athlete hopes to maintain this year. Training suggests it will be possible.
“I’m pretty good. I’m deep into the taper now and you do start to question your build, question how you’re feeling, any little niggles and stuff. I’ve had a really good block, so I’m pretty excited to get out there and race”.
Early Season
It has certainly been a good start to the year for Phil. A significant PB of 28:08 over 10k in January was followed by a 61:28 half marathon in Barcelona in February. Both events Phil notes as not his strong point in the past; a perfect confidence boost to start a marathon block.
“I’ve been pretty useless at the other distances over the last three and a half years! It’s been quite nice to be competitive at those and be improving at those again.
I definitely feel like I’m just fitter through this block than I have been before. All the way from back in November, in December. I haven’t really felt like I’m chasing the fitness and waiting for it to arrive like I have in previous blocks”.
Different Approaches
Phil is no stranger to the marathon now, London being number eight. That of course includes the Olympic Games last summer, and the quick-turnaround PBs in Valencia and Seville to get there. There is plenty of learning and experience that comes from seven marathons. This year’s build up to London has seen some considerable changes. Perhaps largest, and best, is the birth of daughter Frankie in October.
“I guess the biggest difference is no training camps whatsoever. I’ve just been at home the entire time. Other than the two trips to Spain for races, I haven’t stayed away anywhere. That’s been quite a big thing for me.
Plus, it’s been my first training block as a father. That’s been challenging in terms of sleep, having that added priority in my life. But that’s also been really special. As cliche as it is, it’s been quite inspirational and definitely given me a maybe slightly different perspective on what I’m doing”.
Another change has been in sponsor, with Asics coming on board in place of Adidas. The partnership has worked well so far and in itself provides an added layer of motivation to perform well.
“It has been slightly different, getting used to new shoes and stuff. ASICS have great racing shoes, but they also have a really good set of easy running and a steady running shoes. That ticks all the boxes for me and has really helped me push my training volumes up higher than they’ve ever been before. I’ve been able to sustain that for longer than I’ve ever done before.
There’s also, maybe, extra kind of motivation when you’ve changed sponsor and want to reward Asics for that show of faith that they’ve put in you. It definitely gives an extra motivator to really do something good for them as well”.
Something Good
Of course, what comes next is the goals and definition of going something good. Naturally, a visit to Tokyo in September for a maiden World Championships is high on the agenda.
“I really want to qualify for the World Championships. I need PB to do that, need to run in the 2:07s and be in the top two Brits. That’s definitely the main goal. I do feel like I’ve done a really good block and I want to give another shot at something really quick. I’d like to aim for 2:06-something and give that a good roll.
I haven’t been outside of the top ten in my three London Marathons, so that’s definitely also on there as something I want to try and do. I’ve also never won an individual British Championship, so that is a big motivator for me. I want to do that so will be doing my utmost to be the first Brit across the line”.
He will be joined on the start line by a stellar field (“it’s wicked!”). A large group is more than likely to go out hard in search of a quick time. That provides some exciting opportunities.
“The race is going to be unbelievable. I think, ‘can I catch any of those guys, can I beat any of them?’. I don’t know, but I’m going to give it my best shot. Hopefully if I finish strong enough, there’ll be a few people to who’ve gone out pretty hard and hopefully I can catch one or two”.
Whatever happens, we are near-guaranteed a great race. The elite men start at 09:35 on Sunday 27 April. Live coverage is on the BBC with updates on Fast Running’s X and Facebook channels. As Phil says:
“It’s been a good training block. It’s never perfect, but I’m excited to race on Sunday and see what I can do”.
