When I flew to Doha in September 2019 to commentate at the World Athletics Championships, one aspect of my trip that I was looking forward to was trying out Middle Eastern cuisine. Apart from a brief stay in Israel many years ago, this was my first visit to the region. I confess I am very much a beginner at Middle Eastern cooking. The warming spices, rich flavours, and plentiful use of herbs that I&rsquo;d tasted a little of, whetted my appetite to learn more.&nbsp;
On my first visit to the hotel dining room in Doha I was excited to find tabbouleh and baba ghanoush. But the next item I found was idli, savoury rice cakes which are a traditional food from south India generally served with coconut chutney and sambar. This immediately brought back memories of eating idli for breakfast every day during a visit to Tamil Nadu when I was a student.&nbsp;
Why south Indian food in Doha, I wondered, and guessed that they were catering for residents from the Indian sub-continent. This reminded me that food and people are inseparable, and the constant movement of people across the world over centuries brings an incredible array of food customs and traditions, wherever you go.
Fast forward to February 2021, and the Middle East is in my mind again, because the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) half marathon was to take place. Sadly, the race has been cancelled due to the pandemic but I'll still be seeking inspiration from memories of that race to progress my Middle Eastern cooking skills!
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/603101ec8d78765aab09b8c6.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
This week my starting point is a delightfully aromatic and earthy spice mix called ras el hanout, which is used in Middle Eastern and North African cooking. It is one of those foods whose list of ingredients varies from place to place.&nbsp;
The mix I&rsquo;m using contains 22 separate spices, but its main flavours are cumin, cardamom, ginger, coriander, cloves, turmeric, paprika, nutmeg and mace. Its fragrance when you open the jar reminds me of walking through Souq Waqif in Doha.&nbsp;
Many spices are anti-inflammatory, so are a useful part of any runner&rsquo;s diet. I&rsquo;m using ras el hanout in a lamb tagine but it can be rubbed into any meat or fish, or stirred into cous cous or rice.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>Ingredients</h3>
olive oil for frying&nbsp; 1 large or 2 small onions, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 carrots, chopped into small cubes 400g diced lamb 2 tablespoons ras el hanout spice mix 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 400g tin chick peas 150g dried apricots, chopped, or sultanas 200ml chicken or beef stock Handful chopped fresh coriander
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan, until it is really hot. Add the lamb, and fry for 2-3 minutes until browned on all sides, stirring continuously. Remove the lamb and set aside. Pour a little more olive oil into the pan and fry the onions and carrots for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue frying for a further 2 minutes.&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6031020c8d78765aab09b8c9.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
Add the spice mix and stir well until the mixture gives off a good spicy aroma. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and stir well. Put the lamb back into the pan along with the chick peas and apricots, pour in the stock and mix well, bringing the mixture to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer with a lid on for 15 minutes. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with couscous or rice, with the coriander sprinkled on top. In this recipe, I have used a frying pan to make it a simple and quick dish. But cooking it more slowly using a ceramic tagine or a large iron casserole dish instead will give more depth of flavour and authenticity.&nbsp;
Enjoy!
Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics Be Active

A healthy lamb tagine recipe, a North African favourite that's a perfect fit for a runner's diet.

Recipe: lamb tagine

A North African favourite that's a perfect fit for a runner's diet.

<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/8a1d4507-5605-49b2-9512-d91eb3b43460.png" alt="Kate Carter" align="left" />Exploring the pros and cons of making a cup of tea (or coffee!) an integral part of your pre-run ritual.</h4>
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<h4 style="text-align: right;">Kate Carter (<a href="https://twitter.com/katehelencarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katehelencarter</a>)</h4>
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If you can function without caffeine then I salute you: you are certainly a better human being than me. By many people&rsquo;s standards I&rsquo;m not even that much of an addict - a few cups of tea in the morning, the odd coffee, that&rsquo;s it. But try to get me to put together a coherent sentence before that crucial first cup of tea in the morning - or, god forbid, go for a run without one - and I will regard you with the horror most people reserve for slugs in their salad.
It is, of course, a truth universally acknowledged (by the British) that only the British can make proper tea. Don&rsquo;t argue with us, at this point in history it&rsquo;s possibly our sole remaining achievement. But seriously - if you order tea in a restaurant or hotel, and the waiter or waitress brings you a cup of hot water with a tea bag on the saucer, then it is too late. The tea is deceased. RIP that tea. You cannot make a proper cup of tea without boiling water straight from the kettle (don&rsquo;t even get me started on countries that don&rsquo;t seem to have kettles, yes America, I&rsquo;m looking at you). Making tea from a lukewarm cup of water is about as effective as brewing up from the sweepings of the tea factory floor - which is what a man in a tea factory in India once told me went into a certain popular global brand&rsquo;s teabags.
But coffee?
Coffee is universal. I&rsquo;ll leave the coffee-producing nations to argue over who makes the best stuff, but certainly the most effective pre-run coffee I&rsquo;ve ever had was in Ethiopia. Want to know the secret of Ethiopian distance running? You can talk about altitude and attitude - and read <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/18/out-of-thin-air-by-michael-crawley-review-the-secrets-of-marathon-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Crawley&rsquo;s new book on the subject</a> - but personally I maintain it's the coffee. That stuff is actual rocket fuel. I once had the good fortune to sit and interview Haile Gabreselaisse in his office in Addis Ababa over a coffee so strong I&rsquo;m pretty sure it holds a world record in weightlifting.&nbsp;
Of course, I should put here a strong health warning. Caffeine used to be banned for use in sports for a reason - and too much is most definitely a bad idea. It is, after all, a drug, and a pretty effective one. In 2014 a research report said &ldquo;it helps pretty much every kind of endurance exercise, giving a performance advantage of 1.5 to 5%&rdquo;. And though no longer banned, it is still on WADA&rsquo;s watch list, and its levels in athletes is tracked. And performance aside, too much caffeine is bad for you, may make you feel jittery, raise your heart rate and cause sleeping difficulties. So do not take this stuff lightly - or too frequently. The <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678#:~:text=Up%20to%20400%20milligrams%20(mg,two%20%22energy%20shot%22%20drinks." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayo Clinic suggests</a> up to four cups of coffee a day is ok.&nbsp;
In fact, it's quite common in amateur athletes, at least of my acquaintance, to drastically cut down on their caffeine intake, however modest it is, before a big race, so that the one cup they have beforehand really does have an effect. And even if a cup of java isn&rsquo;t their thing, marathon runners might take gels with caffeine in them, particularly later on in the race when they really need not just the carbs in the gel, but something of a mental lift.&nbsp;
However, with races a mere dream at the moment, my pre-run espresso is not so much a performance aid as a ritual, part of the process that helps me get out of the door into the winter weather. Get the running kit on, make sure the watch is charged, find the right shoes, double check the temperature to get the right number of pairs of gloves/buffs/extra accessories as appropriate. Open the front door, close the front door again. Remember the keys. Put the keys down. Immediately lose the keys and spend five minutes finding them again, exactly where I put them down. Then, the last part of the process, put the coffee machine through its paces, hissing and whirring out my espresso. Drink, then - excuses used up and faffing complete - go run.
If I had my way, there would be one of those coffee trucks with proper machines on hand before all race starts. Actually, not just races - club sessions too. Come to think of it, I&rsquo;d like one to follow me around when I&rsquo;m training. There&rsquo;s a couple of runs I vividly remember in the depths of marathon training where a brief stop for a takeaway espresso was the difference between running those extra few miles home, and bailing at the nearest bus stop. If the coffee truck with freshly made brew isn&rsquo;t available, then I will settle for a cyclist to loyally follow me around, nursing a thermos of piping hot coffee. Applications for this prestigious job are now being considered.&nbsp;
And while I&rsquo;m hiring, and rearranging the furniture of all races to satisfy my own personal requirements, let's do something about the finish line offering. When crossing that line, you may get offered an energy drink, water, or sometimes (sponsor dependent) a no-alcohol beer. To be honest, anything tastes pretty good after a marathon, or anything that removes that gritty, dry, gel-sticky taste from your dehydrated mouth. But what I would really really like after running 26.2 miles is a nice cup of tea. Just as long as it's made with freshly boiled water from a proper kettle and served in a good-sized mug. I don&rsquo;t ask for much.&nbsp;

Exploring the pros and cons of adding a cuppa (tea or coffee) to your running and training routine.

The Athletic Life: adding a cuppa to your training routine

Exploring the pros and cons of making a cup of tea (or coffee!) an integral part of your pre-run ritual.

<img style="width: 160px; height: 160px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg?cachebuster=36d9895b-365f-4c7a-b5f8-6f082ae4b35f" alt="Mara Yamauchi" align="right" />When I lived in Japan, one of the things I loved was &lsquo;Kyodo Ryori&rsquo; &ndash; local speciality foods or dishes which have a strong symbolic attachment to their place of origin.
Using ingredients drawn from the local landscape (mountains, coast, plains etc), they showcase the best of what a particular area has to offer in the way of food. The local people &ndash; as producers, cooks and consumers &ndash; are rightly proud of their town or region&rsquo;s Kyodo Ryori. And as a visitor, going to a particular place without trying the local specialities is a definite no-no!
My training and racing trips around Japan enabled me to try a few of them, including Sanuki Udon noodles at Kagawa Prefecture&rsquo;s Marugame Half Marathon, Shijimi (clam) Miso Soup at the Matsue Ladies Half Marathon in Shimane, and Taimeshi (sea bream with rice) at the Ehime Marathon. Perhaps my favourite of all is Oyaki from Nagano &ndash; small rice patties enclosing various tasty fillings. Japan&rsquo;s Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry has established a list of these dishes from every prefecture, so no matter where you go, there will always be a special local dish to try.
My recipe today is one of Hokkaido&rsquo;s officially designated Kyodo Ryori specialities: salmon chanchanyaki. Hokkaido is deservedly famous for its delicious fish and seafood. I love this dish because of its basic but very healthy ingredients &ndash; oily fish and lots of vegetables &ndash; which, along with a little flavouring, make a scrumptious, nutritious and simple meal.
Hokkaido&rsquo;s capital, Sapporo, will host the marathons and race walks at this summer&rsquo;s Tokyo Olympics. Call me biased but I absolutely cannot wait for these events! I&rsquo;m thinking of Sapporo this week too because its incredible snow festival of snow and ice sculptures gets underway next week &ndash; this year online due to the pandemic.
For anyone and everyone planning to visit Japan for the Olympics or later, do please try at least one Kyodo Ryori dish&hellip; I promise, you will be in for a treat! 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60153cd9972df7052d4c618a.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" /> 
<h3>Ingredients</h3>
&bull; Fresh salmon, 4 slices &bull; Salt &amp; pepper &bull; Cabbage, half of a small one &bull; Onion, one large &bull; Carrot, one large &bull; Mushrooms, one small pack (shimeji or enoki are best) &bull; Butter, one knob &bull; Miso, 3 tablespoons &bull; Sake, 2 tablespoons &bull; Sugar, 1 tablespoon &bull; Mirin, 1 tablespoon
&nbsp;
<h3>Method</h3>
&bull; Pat the salmon pieces dry with kitchen paper, and season with salt and pepper.
&bull; Wash and then chop all the vegetables into bite-size pieces. If using shimeji or enoki, cut off the base and roughly separate them (I used chestnut mushrooms as an alternative due to shopping difficulties during lockdown).
&bull; In a small bowl, mix together the miso, sake, sugar and mirin into a smooth paste.
&bull; In a large frying pan, melt the butter on high heat. Add the salmon pieces to the pan, skin-side up (if you don&rsquo;t like the skin, you can remove it at the start &ndash; I keep it in because of the fat under the skin which adds flavour).
&bull; Once nicely browned, flip them over and fry the skin side until just browned. Then add all the vegetables around the edge of the pan, surrounding the salmon pieces.
&bull; Pour over the miso mixture, ensuring a roughly even covering across the pan. Place a lid on the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. This should soften the vegetables without over-cooking them and cook the salmon pieces through.
&bull; Finally, with a wooden spoon, roughly break up the salmon into bite-size pieces and mix it in with the vegetables around the pan. Serve immediately with rice.
Traditional Japanese meals like this always include miso soup, but since this dish has miso in it, I prefer to eat it just with rice. Enjoy and&hellip;. itadakimasu!
Mara Yamauchi for Be Active
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<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60153cae972df7052d4c6187.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" />

This dish of basic but healthy ingredients makes a scrumptious, nutritious and simple meal

Recipe: salmon chanchanyaki

The dark evenings and relentless cold in the winter are undoubtedly tough for runners. But one aspect of winter that I love is the sweet, earthy root vegetables that are in season.
Parsnips, swedes and celeriac are my favourites. They make excellent warming soups and mash, and roasting them brings out their flavour and sweetness. They are a natural, unrefined source of carbohydrate and a healthy high-fibre alternative to processed carbohydrates.
I often try to make healthy versions of popular recipes. Using vegetables in baking is a terrific way to do this. They provide flavour, texture and moisture, and can be a substitute for less healthy ingredients such as sugar.
Savoury muffins are a tasty, convenient snack which are ideal for runners &ndash; simple to make, easy to digest and convenient for taking with you to training or a race. Muffins also lend themselves to including variety in your diet as you can mix up and vary your ingredients.
In this recipe I&rsquo;ve used sweet Asian pumpkin, but parsnips, sweet potato, courgettes and carrots are good alternatives. Similarly, instead of flour you can substitute polenta, buckwheat flour, fine oats, or ground nuts. Cheese works well in savoury muffins and there is further variety to be had there. The same applies to nuts and seeds&hellip; I hope I&rsquo;ve convinced you that there is lots of scope for variety!
The basics of muffins are eggs, flour, oil/fat, milk, a raising agent, and whatever provides your main flavour. Then you can add optional extras such as herbs, spices, cheese, nuts and seeds. You can use whatever you happen to have to hand, or create your own unique muffins with your favourite ingredients. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6002b98ff47817cb2a8734d1.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" />
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Ingredients</h3>
300g pumpkin, chopped into small cubes 250g flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 eggs, beaten 100m milk 100ml sunflower oil 100g parmesan cheese, finely grated Salt and pepper, a pinch of each Mixed seeds, a few sprinkles
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6002b9b2f47817cb2a8734d4.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" />
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Method</h3>
&bull; Pre-heat oven to 180C
&bull; Soften the pumpkin cubes. The simplest way to do this is by heating them in a microwave in a bowl covered with clingfilm. Mash them to a paste and allow to cool a little.
&bull; Add the oil, milk and eggs and beat well.
&bull; Finally add the flour, baking powder, cheese and salt and pepper and mix well.
&bull; Prepare a muffin baking tray by lining each dip with a greaseproof paper case or oiling lightly. Transfer the mixture to the muffin tray and sprinkle a few seeds on top of each muffin.
&bull; Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for approximately 15 minutes until golden brown on top. Enjoy!
 Mara Yamauchi for Be Active / World Athletics

A tasty, convenient snack that's ideal for runners

Recipe: pumpkin and parmesan muffins

<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/8a1d4507-5605-49b2-9512-d91eb3b43460.png" alt="Kate Carter" align="left" />Feeling a little lost as we head into another year of uncertainty? Or simply lacking in motivation? Fear not, as there are ways of adding more fun into your running.</h4>
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<h4 style="text-align: right;">Kate Carter (<a href="https://twitter.com/katehelencarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katehelencarter</a>)</h4>
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If there is one thing January tests, it&rsquo;s quite how much I really do love running. I know running in heat can be tough, but the envy I feel for anyone in the Southern Hemisphere who can run outside right now goes very deep. What I wouldn&rsquo;t give to go out in shorts and a vest, rather than three buffs, two pairs of gloves and a nose running faster than I am. I even pine for the gym treadmill, with its unchanging view of the worst angle of the gym mirrors and the box of foam rollers.
This January, getting out of the door seems harder than ever &ndash; for all that I feel trapped in the eternal lockdown cycle, the idea of heading out into the dreary, wet, English winter is deeply unappealing. Desperate to escape, and yet also weirdly glued to the sofa with inertia. And then there&rsquo;s the lack of urgency. I like a goal, and I like structure for my runs &ndash; but like many, if not most of us, my next realistic goal race seems so far away it might as well be a parallel universe. So, when motivation is at a low ebb, and your running goal is really just &lsquo;don&rsquo;t get unfit&rsquo;, what do you do?
During the late summer and autumn, when rules allowed, a group of us from my running club tried a whole variety of new approaches. Runs where the running was simply a way of getting between different locations a bit quicker &ndash; no training goal, no need to worry about pace &ndash; just riddles to solve and tiny objects to find.
Firstly, we embarked on a treasure hunt. A friend found and downloaded an ingenious treasure map from <a href="https://www.treasuretrails.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Treasure Trails</a> &ndash; a UK company, but I&rsquo;m sure others exist around the world &ndash; and we broke into pairs and solved riddles, hunted for landmarks, running in between them. We confused passers-by by scouring the underside of benches and scratching our heads by plain brick walls &ndash; all while trying to use a biro on the run and not let the precious pieces of paper disintegrate when it started raining. A few hours flew by, miles disappeared without my legs even noticing. Of course to do it in company was marvellous, but I&rsquo;d also do it again on my own like a shot.
Then we tried <a href="https://www.geocaching.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">geocaching</a>. This, for me, was like opening a door and discovering a whole new landscape beyond, rather than the dusty cupboard you were expecting. Just out of sight, hidden on the reverse of road signs or behind street furniture are countless tiny little geocache markers. You can use your phone GPS to locate them and tick them off virtually. Clues vary from literal locations to slightly more cryptic, from easy-to-find to almost impossible. And again, this can be done with others if rules allow, or alone. I cannot recommend it highly enough &ndash; give yourself a time limit, and see how many local ones you can find. Then challenge a friend to see if they can find more in the same time period. If you can&rsquo;t run together, you can at least do the same route together on different days. You could even challenge someone on the other side of the world, come to that.
Next up was <a href="http://worldofo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">orienteering</a>. Here I had flashbacks to getting very lost on a school camp, convinced I was miles from base and would be lost in the wild woods for all eternity, with nothing but brambles to eat and rainwater to drink. I was probably about 100m from the dorm room. There is very little danger of getting lost now &ndash; again, there are apps now that allow you to orienteer using your phone GPS. You just get near enough to the target spot for it to register on your phone, and off you run to the next one. Again, the key is to 'collect' as many as possible &ndash; some are worth more points than others, so ideally you plot a rough route before you set off to scoop up the high value ones and get you back to the virtual base in time. There&rsquo;s usually a strict cut-off and you start losing points within seconds if you aren&rsquo;t back in time. Street orienteering is perhaps simpler than a more trail-based map, given that there are fewer opportunities to take the wrong path but both have their own charms.
And all these adventures made me realise anew something about being able to run: it gifts you the opportunity to try so many other things. If you can run, you can &ndash; forgive me for stating the obvious &ndash; cover so much more ground. So if you are feeling a little lost, and lacking in motivation, why not treat running as a tool to open a box of other adventures, other sports and hobbies? It doesn't have to be a means in itself; it can also be simply a method of transport that lets your horizons get that little bit wider.

How new adventures can be unlocked through exercise

The Athletic Life: how new adventures can be unlocked through exercise

If you are lacking in motivation, why not treat running as a tool to open a box of other adventures?

When I was running 100-plus miles per week as an elite marathon runner, it&rsquo;s fair to say I was often hungry! Nothing burns off calories quite like marathon training.
One of my favourite snacks was fruit bread &ndash; slightly sweet bread with dried fruits such as raisins and sultanas. I found it easy to digest and a handy, quick source of energy if I had to train before the next proper meal. Fruit bread comes in various guises. Hot cross buns, traditionally eaten at Easter, are one of my favourites, as is my home-made fruity tea bread.
During a training camp in Lanzarote a few years ago, I happened to walk into a local bakery on the sixth of January &ndash; the festival of Epiphany. Being a fruit bread devotee, I was thrilled to find the bakery filled with what I discovered were Rosc&oacute;n de Reyes. This is a ring-shaped, slightly sweet bread similar to brioche. It is colourfully decorated with candied fruits to represent the crowns of the three kings who, according to Christian tradition, visited baby Jesus on the sixth of January. Having completed a long run that morning, I had to try my new discovery, and it was delicious! Sweet, fruit breads are all variations on a theme but I was excited to find a Spanish version of my favourite running snack.
When I discover a new food, I always have to try making it. After researching Rosc&oacute;n de Reyes, I was amazed to find that variations of it are eaten all over the world. Latin America (Rosca de Reyes), German-speaking countries (Dreik&ouml;nigskuchen), Portugal (Bolo Rei), France (G&acirc;teau des Rois) and the US Gulf Coast (King Cake) all have slightly different versions of this famous bread. They all, however, have the common feature of hidden &lsquo;treasure&rsquo; &ndash; traditionally a bean or figurine, which is a special treat for the lucky person who finds it in their slice!
My recipe is one for the French G&acirc;teau des Rois, which is a tradition in southern France. I have chosen to hide a Euro coin as my treasure to celebrate being European!
I hope I have enticed you to try making this delicious bread, which is the perfect food before or after a training run. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fe7737db41004e9d8f3ce4d.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" />
&nbsp;
<h3>Ingredients</h3>
10g dried yeast 50ml milk, slightly warmed 600g strong white bread flour 2 eggs, beaten 100g sugar 180ml milk, slightly warmed 10g butter at room temperature, chopped into small pieces Grated zest of one orange or one lemon 100g dried cranberries Treasure: a dried bean or coin 1 egg, beaten well, for glazing Decoration of your choice: candied fruits eg crystalised citrus and glac&eacute; cherries, crystalised sugar, flaked almonds, a gold paper crown
<h3>Method</h3>
&bull; Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Mix together the yeast, 50ml milk and 100g of the flour and set aside for one hour.
&bull; Mix the remaining dough ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, mix well and knead on a floured surface for 15 mins. Leave in a warm place to rest for two hours.
&bull; Turn out the dough and knead again for five minutes. Form the dough into a ring shape. You can either do this by rolling it into a sausage and joining the ends, or rolling it into a disc shape and creating a hole in the middle with your hands. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fe773a9b41004e9d8f3ce53.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" />
 &bull; Wrap your treasure in foil if necessary, and bury it inside the dough.
&bull; Place the dough ring on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, and leave to rise for two hours (I use an inverted ramekin in the centre of the dough to help keep its ring shape).
&bull; Brush the dough all over with the beaten egg to glaze it. Decorate as you wish with the candied fruits and, if using, crystallised sugar.
&bull; Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes until golden (if you hear a hollow sound when you tap the bottom, it is done). Leave to cool on a wire rack.
&bull; When still slightly warm, transfer to a serving plate. If you have not used crystallised sugar, sprinkle icing sugar on top, and add any further decorations.
Bonne ann&eacute;e et bonne sant&eacute;!
Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fe77399b41004e9d8f3ce50.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" />

Recipe: Gâteau des Rois

A ring-shaped, slightly sweet bread similar to brioche

&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/8a1d4507-5605-49b2-9512-d91eb3b43460.png" alt="Kate Carter" align="left" />Meet the winners of the inaugural Completely Fictional Awards for Creative Athletic Endeavours.</h4>
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: right;">Kate Carter (<a href="https://twitter.com/katehelencarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katehelencarter</a>)</h4>
&nbsp;
Welcome, everyone, to the first annual completely fictional awards for creative athletic endeavours. The jury has been holed up for weeks in the Imaginary Five Star resort, arguing late into the night over make-believe cocktails over the relative merits of the many nominations. It&rsquo;s been a tough process, but they are proud to have suffered such hardship so that you can relive some of the creative highlights of 2020. So with no further ado, over to our first award.
<h2>The Unnamed Kit Sponsor Award for Best Undressed</h2>
Absolutely no contest here, folks. The jury is entirely unanimous in presenting this award to Simone Biles. Indeed certain members of the jury suggested just giving all the awards to Simone Biles and packing off down to the bar, presenting the entirely reasonable argument that there is no clip of Simone Biles doing anything on YouTube that merits less than about 15 back-to-back viewings. I mean just <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68qqGdnpP5o">look</a>! And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fdp8SVOSF4">here</a>! Sorry, where were we? Ah yes. Back in April, Biles took <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-23sibhOHQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again">her sweatpants off</a>. While in a handstand. Using her feet. Seriously, you don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s worth an award? Try it, and get back to us. We are not liable for medical bills.&nbsp; 
<h2>The Pine Scented Soap Award for Best Use of a Floor</h2>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=164074651578499">Decathlete Simone Cairoli ought to get an Olympic gold</a> for his fantastically ingenious, creative and just downright brilliant recreation of a decathlon in one room. I mean come on, surely there&rsquo;s a few shiny gold medals with 2020 embossed on them that aren&rsquo;t going to any good use? Come to think of it, let&rsquo;s throw in a few Oscars for special effects and acting. There have, after all, surely been Oscars given to performances considerably more wooden than that parquet floor&hellip;&nbsp; 
<h2>The Ultimately Pointless But Strangely Uplifing Award for Human Endeavour</h2>
Back in February, an ultramarathon runner called Pan Shancu ran 31 miles around his tiny apartment. One lap was about 8m. That&rsquo;s 6,250 circuits. &ldquo;I am sweating all over, feels great!&rdquo; He wrote on social media, presumably still turning in the tiny circles in which he is now permanently locked. The jury only hopes his neighbours did the sensible thing and linked him up to the power grid, where he could produce enough wattage to power 45,000 electric cookers.&nbsp; 
<h2>The Taking Something to Pointless Extremes Award </h2>
In China, in France, in Spain - countries with total lockdowns - runners had to get creative. In France a restaurant manager called <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/21/man-runs-marathon-on-7-metre-balcony-during-french-lockdown">Elisha Nochomovitz ran the length of his 23-foot balcony 6,000 times</a> to complete his own self-isolation marathon. A week later, he did it again. The jury salutes them. But English people? English people could run outdoors. And yet they decided, apparently en masse, to go and do it round their sheds/ gardens/ patios/ balconies. Every day, another garden marathon. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-derbyshire-52232283">Sample quote</a>: &ldquo;It was extremely boring&rdquo;. The jury shakes its head, slowly, in utter bafflement.&nbsp; 
<h2>The Teenage Award for TikTok Challenges that Even Adults Can Understand</h2>
This prestigious award - which comes complete with eye rolls, and painfully condescending explanations from the jury - goes to the gymnasts <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-9y3C6g7jD/?utm_source=ig_embed">Arthur Nory of Brazil</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B--q-YHFZiI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again">Laurie Hernandez of the USA</a> for nailing the handstand challenge: moving your feet round the imaginary numbers of a clock while in a handstand (tricky) and all without causing any passing teens to self-combust in embarrassment at adult antics (far harder difficulty rating).&nbsp; 
<h2>The Ikea Award for Superior Kitchen Planning</h2>
The jury was minded to award this collectively to all the climbers who turned their kitchens into obstacle courses, but in the end, one performance stood out: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KciStpZ6X/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again">Brooke Raboutou from Team USA</a> and her epic traverse, fearlessly crossing such terrifying gaps as Kitchen Island to Kitchen Counter, and skirting the fearsome Sink Hole before reaching the pinnacle: a nice snack at the fridge.&nbsp;
And that&rsquo;s it, folks, the last award of the evening has been handed out and the jury is getting back in the pool for one last drink at the fictional swim-up bar.&nbsp; Thank you for joining us for this celebration of the oddest of sporting years, where more sport has happened on social media than in real life, and our sporting stars got - as we have just seen - just as bored of being stuck at home as the rest of us. May 2021 be better for us all.&nbsp;

Welcome, everyone, to the first annual completely fictional awards for creative athletic endeavours.

The Athletic Life: a tribute to the finest creative efforts of 2020

Meet the winners of the inaugural Completely Fictional Awards for Creative Athletic Endeavours.

Gift guide for athletics fans

Finding the perfect gift for friends and family can be tricky.

When I was eight, my family moved from Nairobi, Kenya, to Oxford in the UK. The first few months were a reverse-orientation process for me, living for the first time in the country of my birth and nationality. I was baffled why, when I talked about everyday things using their Swahili names, which was all I knew, my new schoolmates looked a bit confused.
At my local gymnastics club, one of the other girls asked me if I liked Spurs. I had no idea what Spurs was &ndash; a food, a place, an item of clothing?! Eager to fit in, I cheerfully said &lsquo;Yes!&rsquo;, only to discover much later that it was a football team.
In my first December living in the UK, as Christmas approached, I heard my friends talking with horror about Brussels sprouts. Every one of them, without exception, complained about their smell and taste. They swapped tips about how to avoid eating them. I took my friends at their word and decided I should keep my distance from the dreaded sprouts!
<img style="float: right; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg?cachebuster=f1e8fced-d42b-411d-9136-d450e0a8b3ad" alt="Mara Yamauchi" width="250" height="250" />
Fast forward many years, and much to my delight, I discovered that sprouts can be delicious, and that they are packed with nutrients! Traditional Christmas dinner in the UK means boiling sprouts but this really does them no favours. Therefore, I resolved never to boil them, and instead to find tasty alternative ways to prepare them.
From gratins and roasts, to salads and stir-fries, Brussels sprouts have a lovely nutty flavour which goes especially well with creamy cheeses, bacon and nuts. These mini cabbages, which are in season over the northern hemisphere winter, are packed with nutrients, including vitamins C, K and the B group, and also iron, manganese and fibre.
The simplest way I cook sprouts is shallow-frying them, finely chopped, with onion and bacon. But one of my favourite Brussels sprouts recipes is a crispy, crunchy slaw. At Christmas, I always add pomegranate seeds to make it festive and colourful. Enjoy! 
<hr />
&nbsp;
<h3> Ingredients</h3>
150g Brussels sprouts, washed and very finely sliced Half a red onion, very finely sliced 50g sultanas 25g pine nuts 1 small apple (optional) Heaped tablespoon pomegranate seeds 1 large tablespoon mayonnaise 1 large tablespoon plain Greek yogurt Half a teaspoon honey Half a teaspoon Dijon mustard Half a lime, grated zest and juice Salt and pepper
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fcc24da805c17ff026a6fdb.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" />
&nbsp;
<h3>Method</h3>
&bull; Place the sliced red onion into a bowl and pour over boiling water to just cover them. Leave for two minutes, drain and set aside. If you like your onions tangy and crispy, you can skip this step.
&bull; Mix together in a small bowl the mayonnaise, yogurt, honey, mustard, lime zest and juice, and salt and pepper, and stir well.
&bull; Roughly mix the sprouts, onion, sultanas and pine nuts in a large bowl. If you like your slaws a bit sweet, core, peel and grate the apple, and add that in too.
&bull; Pour in the mayonnaise mixture and stir everything together thoroughly. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds to finish.
 Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics
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Recipe: Brussels sprouts slaw

Packed with nutrients, this crispy, crunhy slaw is one of my favourite festive recipes

Start your weekend here, with a round-up of some of the best athletics, running and fitness-related stories from the past seven days.
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<h2><a href="https://www.balancedrunner.com/letesenbet-gideys-5k-world-record-running-form-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Letesenbet Gidey&rsquo;s 5000m world record&ndash;running form analysis</a></h2>
 <img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/e46eeccc-b7f9-42e6-835a-2920e2418b03.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
&ldquo;&hellip;She runs like a dragonfly hovering above lily pads on a lake,&rdquo; was how someone on Twitter described Letesenbet Gidey&rsquo;s running form.
He wanted to know the specifics that create that impression: was there something about Gidey&rsquo;s beautiful form that was an asset to her successful attempt to set a 5000m world record on October 7?
<a href="https://www.balancedrunner.com/letesenbet-gideys-5k-world-record-running-form-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (The Balanced Runner)
&nbsp;
<h2><a href="https://runningmagazine.ca/health-nutrition/corey-bellemores-struggle-with-an-eating-disorder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corey Bellemore&rsquo;s struggle with an eating disorder</a></h2>
 <img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fc22c68455435e493b71752.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="818" />
Corey Bellemore is a Canadian sub-four-minute miler and 3:39 1500m runner. He holds numerous national track titles, both indoor and outdoor, and has dedicated himself to qualifying for the upcoming Olympics. Bellemore suffered from an eating disorder during his 2019 and 2020 seasons, and he has since sustained two stress fractures. His current injury is a tibial proximal medial stress fracture that hasn&rsquo;t healed well. He says: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been ongoing since April. I took eight weeks off running when I was diagnosed, but we didn&rsquo;t get an MRI to make sure it was healed before I returned to running. Turns out, it wasn&rsquo;t fully healed. So now I&rsquo;m out again.&rdquo;
<a href="https://runningmagazine.ca/health-nutrition/corey-bellemores-struggle-with-an-eating-disorder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (Canadian Running)
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<h2><a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/athletics/2020-11-26-kipyegon-seeks-to-transition-to-5000m-after-olympic-games/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kipyegon seeks to transition to 5000m after Olympic Games</a> </h2>
 <img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/2f8e146c-6b12-4580-89ed-51e3ead5b468.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon is considering a new challenge after the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Speaking at her Global Sports Communication training camp in Kaptagat, Kipyegon said she will be upgrading to the 5000m event&nbsp; after a successful career in the three-lap race. &ldquo;My focus has now shifted and I want to compete in the 5000m after the Tokyo Olympic Games," she said. "This is my dream as I seek new challenges in my career."
<a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/athletics/2020-11-26-kipyegon-seeks-to-transition-to-5000m-after-olympic-games/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (The Star)
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<h2><a href="http://www.fast-women.org/2020/11/23/a-conversation-with-sally-kipyego/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A conversation with Sally Kipyego</a></h2>
 <img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/252e8bc4-777e-40a5-aa50-9f40f7cdac8d.jpg?cachebuster=a3b2a347-bc65-4f7a-8d36-9437c4ac989a" alt="" width="950" height="570" />
Sally Kipyego was born in Kenya but moved to the US to attend South Plains College, where she won seven NJCAA titles, before moving on to Texas Tech, where she added a record-tying nine NCAA titles. Kipyego earned silver medals in the 10,000m at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games for Kenya. She became a US citizen in 2017, and became a mother later that year (after infamously finishing second at the 2016 New York City Marathon while she was unknowingly pregnant).
<a href="http://www.fast-women.org/2020/11/23/a-conversation-with-sally-kipyego/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (Fast Women)
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<h2><a href="https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/halimah-nakaayi-dream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fight for your dream</a></h2>
 <img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/09c5d852-5961-4b29-9421-36d4f5b602aa.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="648" />
For a lot of my life, people told me I was wasting my time.
Uganda had some great runners down through the years, but none of them came from the central part of our country. Everyone, even those in my family, told me people from my area, my tribe, could not succeed in this sport. It&rsquo;s a good thing I didn&rsquo;t listen.
If you have a dream, you have to fight for it.
<a href="https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/halimah-nakaayi-dream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (Spikes)
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<h2><a href="http://citiusmag.com/i-like-track/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I like track (and so should you)</a></h2>
 <img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/03716d24-b28a-4447-aea2-8472b8ce5ff3.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
People asking &ldquo;How do you make track more entertaining?&rdquo; are asking (and answering) the wrong question. Track is entertaining. People that don&rsquo;t think so simply aren&rsquo;t paying attention. I know because I used to be one of them.
<a href="http://citiusmag.com/i-like-track/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (Citius)
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<h2><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-covid-19-is-like-running-a-marathon-with-no-finish-line-what-does/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covid-19 is like running a marathon with no finish line. What does sports science say about how we can win it?</a></h2>
 <img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/bd894a19-cd7e-490f-8d11-16f3b56b001d.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="713" />
In any feat of endurance, humans want to see the goal &ndash; and in the pandemic, we&rsquo;re not there yet, despite the breakthroughs in vaccine research. Staying in the moment might be better for us than fantasizing about a future just beyond reach
<a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-covid-19-is-like-running-a-marathon-with-no-finish-line-what-does/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (The Globe and Mail)
&nbsp;
<h2><a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a34759055/effects-of-ice-baths-on-aerobic-training-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Do ice baths have legitimate benefits for your recovery?</a></h2>
 <img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fc231b9c82d037e86227f70.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="635" />
Seeing an athlete in a bathtub full of ice water&mdash;complete with chunks of ice floating on the surface&mdash;is fairly common in movies and professional sports coverage, as a way to show how athletes lower inflammation quickly to boost recovery. But do ice baths really have legit benefits? According to recent research, the technique may be more cinematic than effective.
<a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a34759055/effects-of-ice-baths-on-aerobic-training-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (Runner's World)
&nbsp;
<h2><a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2419166/enda-mount-kenya-fkt-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Behind the scenes of a unique FKT attempt in Kenya</a> </h2>
 <img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fc2335ade3ab9c9bea901fd.JPG" alt="" width="950" height="713" />
You&rsquo;ve heard of Kilimanjaro, but what about Mount Kenya, which stands at a proud 17,057 feet? Owing perhaps to its subordinate status, Africa&rsquo;s second highest peak has not been as romanticised in Western culture as its Tanzanian counterpart &mdash; at least if Toto lyrics and Hemingway fantasies of moribund masculinity are anything to go by.
The discrepancy also applies to the realm of high altitude long distance running. If you look up &ldquo;Kilimanjaro&rdquo; on the website fastestknowntime.com, you will find a number of athletes, including a certain dauntless Spaniard, who have targeted the mountain for an FKT ('fastest known time') attempt.
When it comes to Mount Kenya, the list is more modest.
<a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2419166/enda-mount-kenya-fkt-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (Outside)
&nbsp;
<h2><a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/injury/a34619353/how-does-virtual-physio-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Is this the physio of the future?</a> </h2>
 <img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/b00cfeb7-088c-4497-99ac-d7546ab79596.jpg?cachebuster=334226e2-733a-4c90-9a34-e5c560dd8615" alt="" width="950" height="570" /> Let me start by saying that I was sceptical about the idea of a virtual physio. How could a physio fix a problem without being in the room with me? Halfway through lockdown, I picked up a niggle. Some physios were still open, but travelling on the London underground felt a little scary, so I explored the growing number of online options.
<a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/injury/a34619353/how-does-virtual-physio-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full story</a> (Runner's World)
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A round-up of some of the best athletics, running and fitness-related stories from the past seven days

Weekend reads: the best athletics stories from the past seven days

&nbsp;
<h4><img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/8a1d4507-5605-49b2-9512-d91eb3b43460.png" alt="Kate Carter" align="left" />We now know the outcome of the US election. But who would win an actual running race between US Presidents? Or, indeed, between other world leaders?</h4>
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: right;">Kate Carter (<a href="https://twitter.com/katehelencarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katehelencarter</a>)</h4>
&nbsp;
Running for office, fit for office, running mates &hellip; it turns out these are more than simply metaphors.
These days every politician who wants to be &ndash; or be seen as &ndash; fit for office takes the words literally, and heads out to pound the pavements before a busy day of handshaking. Or, it being 2020, socially-distanced elbow bumping.
Some, of course, may be staged photo opportunities &ndash; it&rsquo;s a handy visual metaphor &ndash; but surely most is not. After all, every runner knows the power of the sport for unbeatable stress relief. The only office I&rsquo;ve ever run for is class pencil monitor, so my experience of the stresses and strains of campaigning is a tad limited (though all that sharpening does take it out of a girl) but I can imagine the intensity of the attention, that constant need to be switched on, the media scrutiny&hellip; it certainly must require some release. And running is a considerably healthier option than burgers.
Last week the interminable period between ballots closing and the final result in the US elections could have hosted a few ultra-marathons &ndash; possibly an entire major athletics tournament. But when news did finally come, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris was out for a run. I like to think that, after being caught on camera calling President-Elect Joe Biden with news of their victory, she went into adrenaline-fuelled overdrive and smashed her mile PB on the way home. The new First Lady, Dr Jill Biden is also a keen runner, <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20837148/im-a-runner-dr-jill-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling Runners World in 2010</a> that &ldquo;Running creates a sense of balance in my life. And it really calms me down.&rdquo; I imagine her new position is definitely one that requires a fair degree of that calm, so start racking those miles up, Dr Biden&hellip; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We did it, <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a>. <a href="https://t.co/oCgeylsjB4">pic.twitter.com/oCgeylsjB4</a>
&mdash; Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1325126733482385409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
 While the current White House incumbent may be more keen on a round or 10 of golf (to be fair, it does seem to be the Presidential sport of choice) many other holders of the office have been keen runners, starting with Jimmy Carter back in the 1970s. Both George Bush Snr and Jnr were also often pictured out and about in some rather dubious leisure attire, while Bill Clinton&rsquo;s jogging habit was the despair of his secret service detail. At least they got a good workout too, albeit not one of their own choice. Mind you, they should have been on (more) danger money to be forced to look at him in his skimpy shorts every day.
So if the Presidents of the US had a 5k race &ndash; all in their prime &ndash; who would win? There is no question the internet has not already answered, calling it for George W Bush. Personally I&rsquo;d back Jimmy Carter, because us Carters have to stick together. But running them close would be Gerald Ford. His reputation now is of a clumsy, bumbling man, but actually as a youngster he was a star footballer, courted by the Green Bay Packers. He swam every day in the White House, played tennis and &ndash; of course &ndash; ran. That screams &lsquo;great cardio fitness&rsquo; to me. Though of course, if you throw the race open to Presidential candidates who never got selected, then Bernie Sanders is a good value bet: <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20860890/in-an-actual-race-which-presidential-candidate-would-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he apparently ran a 4:37 mile in his youth</a>.
Meanwhile here in the UK, our politicians too are out and about, though they are more likely to attract the attention of the fashion police than the secret service. Look, I&rsquo;m not one to judge anyone&rsquo;s sartorial choices, but <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/21/boris-johnson-cuts-dash-eye-catching-running-clothes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bermuda shorts, a polo shirt and an ill-fitting hat</a>? That&rsquo;s got &lsquo;unfortunate chafing&rsquo; written all over it.
So which UK politician would win an in-their-prime, Prime Ministerial 5k contest? You&rsquo;d have to, somewhat reluctantly, hand the contest to David Cameron by default: at least he seems to genuinely have a running habit, but I don&rsquo;t think the times would trouble any record books.
Actually, when it comes to endurance, many Members of Parliament have run the London Marathon while in office, but none has ever come close to former Conservative MP Matthew Parris who flew round the 1985 edition in 2:32:57. Then again, there&rsquo;s also a certain former Conservative MP called Sebastian Coe. The name might ring a bell &ndash; he wasn&rsquo;t too much of a slouch round the track, even if he had slowed down a bit by the time he became an MP in the 1990s.
Chairman Mao once apparently said that &ldquo;long-distance running is particularly good training in perseverance&rdquo;, but I don&rsquo;t think anyone is going to put money on him in my final race, the &lsquo;Miscellaneous World Leaders 5k&rsquo;. Kim Jong-un, of course, would claim he finished in 12 minutes dead but would receive a DQ, Vladimir Putin (bare-chested) would finish in five minutes, but on a horse, Justin Trudeau would be romping it before getting side-tracked to stop and take some selfies, at which point Winston Churchill would stroll past, puffing on an unorthodox mid-race cigar, flashing the V sign and taking the victory.

We now know the outcome of the US election. But who would win an actual running race between US Presidents? Or, indeed, between other world leaders?

The Athletic Life: who would win an actual presidential race?

Leafy green vegetables are seriously good for us. They are rich in iron and vitamins C and K, and high in fibre. A plentiful supply of leafy greens in any runner&rsquo;s daily diet is a must. And there are so many kinds to choose from.
The cabbage family, including spring greens, sweetheart cabbage and Brussels sprouts are my staples when I am at home. When I lived in Japan and travelled in Asia, I loved trying all sorts of different leafy greens including mizuna, moroheya, morning glory, shungiku, nozawana&hellip;.we really are spoilt for choice!
The key to eating plenty of leafy greens is to find irresistible ways to cook them. When they&rsquo;re in season, fresh and young, the leaves are delicious enough to eat just plain. But for many months of the year, this isn&rsquo;t possible, so I&rsquo;m always looking for tasty recipes to keep things interesting.
Recently, inspired by my childhood in Nairobi, and the formidable Kenyan athletes who dominate distance running, I&rsquo;ve taken to cooking a Kenyan staple &ndash; sukuma wiki. It&rsquo;s a very simple dish &ndash; leafy greens cooked in oil with onion, tomato and curry spices. Although it&rsquo;s easy to make and a basic daily dish, the curry spices (cumin, coriander and turmeric) give it plenty of flavour and a hearty, wholesome warmth.
If I close my eyes when I eat a mouthful of sukuma wiki, I can go straight back in my mind to running around as a child in the hot Kenyan sun. The curry spices are a reminder of the south Asian influences in East Africa.
Classic sukuma wiki uses collard greens but I use spring greens which are very similar. Kale or other leafy greens are also good alternatives.
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/052403b8-fd79-4754-94fc-f30a52d60b09.jpg?cachebuster=1251b980-a81b-4dd2-ad95-31e4a9c196ca" alt="" width="600" height="400" />
Ingredients 1 large onion, finely chopped 400g spring greens, washed and roughly chopped 2 large tomatoes or 10 cherry tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons sunflower oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin Half teaspoon ground coriander Half teaspoon ground turmeric Juice of half a lemon Salt and pepper
Method &bull; Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for five minutes until softened.
&bull; Add the spices and stir for about one minute until they give off a good aroma.
&bull; Add the tomatoes and fry for a further five minutes, mixing well.
&bull; Pour in the chopped greens and stir well, ensuring they are well-coated with the spicy mixture.
&bull; Finally mix in 200ml of water, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can reduce this time if you prefer your greens a little crunchy.
&bull; When ready to serve, mix in the lemon juice and salt and pepper, and serve immediately. In Kenya sukuma wiki is served with ugali, a type of stiff porridge made with maize flour.
Enjoy!

Sukuma wiki is a very simple dish – leafy greens cooked in oil with onion, tomato and curry spices