Chris Thompson’s new lease of life as his body withstands road season

Chris Thompson says he has a renewed confidence and enthusiasm for running after the injury-plagued athlete came through a strenuous autumn road schedule unscathed.

The 35-year-old has battled back relentlessly from a seemingly perennial struggle against injuries – most significantly from an Achilles operation at the start of 2015 which threatened to put an end to his career.

In early September, AW reported that the 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist was left questioning his future in elite running after a frustrating seventh-placed finish at the Great North Run.

However, over the ensuing weeks, in which he ran in each of the Great Birmingham, Great Scotland and Great South Run events, the 2012 Olympian began to find form and grow in strength, leading to a runner-up finish in Glasgow and a victory over 10 miles in Portsmouth to round off a gruelling six-week period. Following that, Thompson also placed a close third at the Thanksgiving Day Manchester Road Race in the USA, finishing behind Ben True and Leonard Korir and ahead of Rio Olympic medallist Paul Chelimo.

Crucially for Thompson, the way in which his body managed to absorb the intensity of his schedule has convinced him that, even amid the …

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