2024-12-29 – News – www.theguardian.com
Olympian Jeff Galloway says his pace-shifting technique means less injury and better health for beginners and experienced marathoners alike
Jeff Galloway has run more than 230 marathons. He was a member of the US team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, has a 10km personal best of about 28 minutes and he has been a running coach for more than 50 years. But perhaps the 79-year-old’s greatest achievement is creating the run-walk method known as “Jeffing” that can be practised by beginners and experienced runners alike.
“Firstly, I must say how proud I am to be a verb,” says Galloway, before explaining that the idea goes back to 1973. “I was encouraging beginners to run, but they were suffering all types of aches and pains. I then realised that even world-class athletes need to warm up properly. They start at low intensity with a jog and then speed up to get the blood flowing.
