Alexandra Burke is buzzing about running this year’s London Marathon. Despite battling a chest infection, the multi-platinum recording artist is deep in the midst of preparation, and places the elation of completing last year’s race second only to her most thrilling experience – delivering a baby.
‘Getting past that finishing line [ranked] just under giving birth – it was the most euphoric feeling ever,’ the former Women’s Health interviewee told us. ‘I got to the end and said, “I need to do this all again.”‘
Of course, she gives her trainer full credit. ‘I have to big up my coach, Joe Clarke, though he’s actually a firefighter! This man saves lives every day. He runs for his mental health, does Ironmans for fun, doesn’t drink any alcohol,’ she said. ‘He trained me last year for the marathon and is again this year.’ Following his plan, she managed to the London Landmarks Half in 1:47:29. Now, she’s aiming to finish the marathon in sub four hours – here’s how.
Alexandra is running for Parkinson’s UK and The Melissa Bell Foundation. Donate here.
Alexandra’s maintenance running
Alexandra Burke//Instagram
After the marathon last year, Alexandra kept up a base of between 5k and 10k of casual running. ‘Nothing too strenuous, just enjoying it. Then I was on tour for The Addams Family. It got to about August and I started picking up the pace again when I knew I was getting a spot for this year’s marathon,’ she recounted.
‘I called Joe and he told me to keep my base going until we started properly in December. So I did two or three runs a week until November when I was rehearsing for the The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan [at The Mayflower theatre in Southampton], when I started doing a minimum of three runs a week.
‘During the panto’s 12 weekly shows, I started running four times a week, for a minimum of four miles per run, and have done that since December,’ the 37-year-old former Strictly finalist continued.
Alexandra’s 18-week plan
Alexandra started using Joe’s 18-week marathon training plan towards the end of last year.
‘When we started on the week of 29th December, I did four five-mile runs, so 20 miles in total for that first week. Then it increased to 24, 26, 30, 29 and then 34 as the weeks went on.’ She is programmed four runs per week:
1 Zones 2-3, conversational pace run1 long run, usually done on a Sunday1 tempo/fast run1 recovery run
As an example, on the week of 9th March, her plan was:
8 mile (13k) Zone 2-3 run13.1 miles (21.1k) long run, with a 1:50 target5-mile (8k) tempo/fast run, with a 40-minute targetRecovery 5-mile run 
Alexandra Burke//Instagram
As a working mum, Alexandra has to fit her training in around her children’s schedule, and only has time to work out in the morning before they get up or at night.
‘I’m really lucky to have a treadmill, bike and weights in my house. On any given day, I’ll wake up at quarter to 5, have a black coffee and get myself ready, jump on the treadmill at 5am, do whatever run I need to do and then the kids wake up from 5:45am or 6!’ she explained.
‘I get them ready from 6am-8am before they go to nursery. Then I leave work for 8:30 to do a 10am-6pm day, then race home for bath and bed. So the only time I get to do strength sessions would be in the evenings,’ she continued.
On one occasion, she decided to run 20 miles at 10pm because, having had no childcare that week, it was only time she could do it. ‘It was the worst decision because I knew it was going to take me hours. My baby woke up three times throughout.’
Her supplementary exercise routine
Around her runs, Alexandra fits in additional workouts:
1 upper-body strength routine1 lower-body strength routine1 full-body strength routine2-3 sessions of 10-15 minutes of yin yoga. ‘But sometimes I’m in bed with the compression boots and I fall asleep with them on, so it just doesn’t happen,’ she admitted.1 15-minute spin session as active recovery. ‘There’s no resistance on the Peloton bike, or it may go up to 10, which is really nothing – it’s my only escape,’ she said wryly.
She has no total rest days. ‘My mind can’t do that anyway,’ she revealed.
Alexandra Burke//Instagram
Her 5 non-negotiable core moves
Alexandra never skips her core exercises, and does them at least five times a week right after she has her morning black coffee. In her brother David’s words: ‘It helps you go to the toilet.’ Her go-to moves include:
Dead bugs, sometimes weightedRussian twistsButterfly sit-upsScissor kicksFlutter kicks Alexandra’s training support group
Two people Alexandra leans on are her brother – who has run multiple marathons – and her partner, Darren. ‘During the marathon last year, I had [them] as my running buddies, This year, I’ve not really had anyone [with everyone’s busy schedules] so I’ve had a lonely time training!’ she says.
Her brother is also a trusty pacemaker. ‘I have a tendency to go out too hot too soon because I’m in the moment and suddenly I’m doing a 4:15 kilometre. So he paces me quite well [and] I don’t burn myself out.’
Despite music being her life, she unexpectedly doesn’t listen to songs to practice. ‘Instead, I use the Nike running app and Coach [Chris] Bennett is my guy!’ she noted. ‘He’s genuinely changed my life as without him in my ear guiding me all the time, I wouldn’t be running.’
Throughout it all, her mum, former Soul II Soul lead singer, Melissa Bell, is her biggest inspiration. ‘When she got ill and sadly left us [after suffering kidney failure and diabetes mellitus] nine years ago, she tried her hardest to be there in her darkest hour,’ she said. ‘She even did Joe Wicks’ workouts before she got really sick, raising four kids.’
It’s why Alexandra believes in working around difficult circumstances. ‘If you can take care of your body and have the privilege of doing that, get it done.’
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