Vlad Ixel is the quintessential man of the world. Born in the Ukraine, he moved to Israel at age four where he immediately caught the athletic bug. Another relocation to Australia as a teen proved difficult because he didn’t fit in right away, but Vlad’s enthusiasm for sports helped him make friends. It didn’t hurt his image that he became a tennis star at 17! After taking time to indulge his inner party animal, he made a fateful decision to pursue marathon running. A second place win at an ultra sealed his fate, but since he’s only 28, Vlad’s life story is literally just beginning.

Pristine beaches. Soaring cliffs. Breath-taking ocean sunsets. But there’s more to Australia’s best kept secret than the unspoiled picturesque landscapes.

Maximalist running shoes are quickly becoming the hot running trend of 2015, and for good reason: they seem to be the cure-all for a variety of ailments that plague runners. For a time, some runners were even opting to go barefoot in place of their so-called “minimalist” running shoes, because the minimalist running shoes were causing them so much pain and so many problems. Maximalist running shoes, however, are not the diametric opposite of minimalist running shoes – in fact, many elements of the maximalist running shoe is taken from minimalist design (because maximalist shoes use light materials, and their design draws from the aerodynamic look of minimalist shoes).

So, you want to run a marathon? Congratulations! Deciding to run and complete a marathon is a big commitment. So we have prepared this quick marathon preparation guide to assist you from pre-race day up to race day itself.

Before you start reading, I must make a confession: I can’t get enough wild colour combinations when I choose my running outfits! You read that right. I’m hot for bright pinks, vibrant blues, electric greens—you name it. So when I first glimpsed the Funkita Brick Braque singlet, in its signature splashes of colours, I fell in love! I grabbed one once I saw that it was available in my size (10) and then I caught sight of matching Brick Braque 3/4 tights. I need a slightly larger size, so I was over the moon to see that I could order these in size 12.

If you never met a race you couldn’t stop yourself from entering – and you’ve got nothing on your calendar for 25th July – consider yourself invited to one of the premier trail running events on the Asian rim: The 2015 MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50. Ninety percent of this race will be off-road, so start breaking in those new trail running shoes now!