With the Adelaide summer turning up the heat, Izzi Batt-Doyle wrapped up her final major workout before flying to Europe for Sunday’s Valencia Marathon. The session? A warm, windy grind of 4 × 2km reps, each followed by 3 × 200m, repeated across three sets — roughly 12km of work on tired marathon legs. The paces weren’t glamorous, but as she says, “12 days out, it’s not about getting faster — it’s about ticking the box.”
From here, Izzi tapers hard: short, rhythmic runs, a light threshold in London, 6×1km the Tuesday before race day, and a few one-minute marathon-effort pick-ups once she hits Spain. Everything else drops to 30–45 minutes — just enough to keep the engine humming without overcooking it.
Reflecting on the whole block, she’s confident. A strong 68:55 at the Melbourne Half set the tone, and since then she’s stacked weeks of 200+ km, consistent gym and Pilates work, and, crucially, stayed healthy. Unlike past builds, there’s no niggling hamstring this time.
“I feel in a better place than I’ve been for any marathon,” she says.
Her goals are clear:
✔ PB (better than 2:22:59)
✔ A shot at Sinead Diver’s Australian record (2:21:34)
✔ Race her own race against a world-class field — including fellow Aussies Jess Stenson and Gen Gregson
She also opened up about stepping off Strava for the past month — not because of injury, but to quieten the noise. After five years of logging every run publicly, the mental space has been refreshing. “Your training has to be for you,” she says, even if she does miss the kudos on big days.
Behind the scenes, she credits her support crew for keeping her upright during the heaviest weeks — partner Riley on the bike, family, her RunAsOne squad, physio, masseuse, and a fuelling routine that includes 150g of carbs per hour in big sessions and what she calls “the crumpet block.”
Izzi has now flown out: confident, experienced, healthy, and ready to chase something big in Valencia.
