Though the new PGA Tour season began in September at The Greenbrier, the turn of the calendar brings a fresh beginning. Here's what you need to know for 2020.

January

Sentry Tournament of Champions (Jan. 2-5)

To kick off the new year, the PGA Tour is recognizing those who found the winner's circle in 2019. Though not all of last year's winners are teeing it up at the scenic Plantation Course at Kapalua, a handful of big names are, including Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson. Come for the primetime coverage, but stay for the beautiful views.

The American Express (Jan. 16-19)

Formerly known as the Desert Classic, the PGA Tour returns to Palm Springs under a new title sponsor and with a new host. Two-time winner Phil Mickelson will expand his role to host at the new American Express, saying he wants to "bring back the vision of Bob Hope" who was a staple at the event that dates back to the 1960s.

Farmers Insurance Open (Jan. 23-26)

Following a historic 2019 season, Tiger Woods likely returns to Torrey Pines again to kick off his 2020 campaign. Woods has eight wins at Torrey, one of which coming on one leg at the 2008 U.S. Open. How will Woods look in his first competitive round since going 3-0-0 at the Presidents Cup last month?

February

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Feb. 6-9)

Mickelson returns to Pebble Beach, the site of his last win in 2019. Since then, Mickelson has struggled mightily, dropping out of the top 50 in the world for the first time since 1993. Lefty turns 50 in June and will be eligible for the PGA Tour Champions, but don't think he's ready to hang it up on the main circuit just because of a little slump.

The Genesis Invitational (Feb. 13-16)

Woods returns to Riviera, where he made his PGA Tour debut in 1992 as a 16-year-old amateur. Woods missed the cut, and his luck hasn't gotten much better in the 28 years since, failing to find the winner's circle. The 82-time PGA Tour winner is playing as well as he has in years, and as well as anyone in the world lately, so will 2020 be the year he breaks through at Riviera?

WGC-Mexico Championship (Feb. 20-23)

The first World Golf Championship of the year returns to Mexico City where Dustin Johnson claimed his lone victory in 2019. Hindered by injury, Johnson struggled for much of the second half of the season that ended with a tie for last at the Tour Championship. Now healthy, Johnson has a chance to regain his dominant form and defend his title.

March

Arnold Palmer Invitational (March 5-8)

Always one of the marquee stops on the PGA Tour, there's something magical about Arnold Palmer's home at Bay Hill. Francesco Molinari orchestrated a thrilling comeback win last season, capped off by a ferocious fist pump on the 18th. Aside from the Masters, the 2018 Open champion hasn't contended much since slipping on the red cardigan here.

The Players Championship (March 12-15)

Now in Year 2 of the return to March, The Players comes on the second week of a marquee back-to-back following the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It may be tough to follow last year's memorable win for Rory McIlroy who was tough as nails down the stretch, but if there's any place that's able to follow up a performance like that, it's at TPC Sawgrass.

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (March 25-29)

This event has Kevin Kisner written all over it. After finishing runner-up to Bubba Watson in 2018, Kisner did one better last season taking down Matt Kuchar, 3 and 2, in the finals at Austin Country Club. With no cut and double world-ranking points available at WGC events, these are always high-pressure tournaments, especially in match play.

April

The Masters (April 9-12)

For the first time since 2006, Woods returns to Augusta National as the reigning Masters champion. Usually the highest-profiled tournament of the year will get even bigger in 2020 with the now 15-time major champion returning to the hallowed grounds at Augusta National. With the way he's playing now, paired with his knowledge of the course, Woods has a legitimate shot to repeat for major No. 16, and inch closer to Jack Nickalus' record many thought was untouchable just a couple ago.

Wells Fargo Championship (April 30-May 3)

Woods opted not to play at Quail Hollow in 2019 with the new condensed schedule, and that could be the new normal moving forward. But make no mistake, this event is still one to circle on the calendar. Host of the 2020 Presidents Cup, Quail Hollow is a place where guys like McIlroy and Thomas have great success. Could one of them find the winner's circle to start the decade?

May

PGA Championship (May 14-17)

After a chilly and wet week at Bethpage Black last year, the PGA Championship heads to the West Coast for the first time since Vijay Singh claimed the Wanamaker Trophy at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington in 1998. Brooks Koepka will be going for an unprecedented third straight PGA Championship, something that hasn't been done since Walter Hagen won four in a row from 1924-27 when it was a match-play event.

June

The Memorial Tournament (June 4-7)

Like the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the Memorial Tournament at Jack's Place is one of the most revered stops on the PGA Tour, and will only get better with current renovations that are expected to be completed just before tournament week. Many big-name players use this as the final stop before the U.S. Open.

RBC Canadian Open (June 11-14)

It will be hard to top last year's edition, where McIlroy stormed back with a final-round 61 to take the title for his second win of the season. Expect McIlroy to return to defend his title, and he could very well contend, if not win for the second straight year and head into the U.S. Open, which he captured in 2011.

U.S. Open (June 18-21)

For the first time in 14 years, the U.S. Open will return to Winged Foot where it will host its sixth Open. Only Oakmont and Baltrusol have hosted more. When it hosted the 2006 U.S. Open, it was a brutally tough test as Geoff Ogivly took home the title with a 5-over 285 winning score. A lot has changed since then, but expect a similar traditional U.S. Open set up.

July

WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (July 2-5)

The anniversary of last year's epic Sunday duel, when Koepka outlasted McIlroy to claim his first WGC title. Pushed up a few weeks because of the Olympics, this will likely be some of the top players' final event before heading across the pond to Royal St. George's. 

The Open (July 16-19)

From Royal Portrush's second Open Championship last year to Royal St. George's in 2020 that will host its 15th Open, second in the current Open rota to only St. Andrews and Muirfield. The last two years saw first-time major winners in Francesco Molinari and Shane Lowry, could a third be in store in 2020? 

The Olympics

Kasumigaseki Country Club, Saitama, Japan (July 30-Aug. 2)

Following golf's return to the Olympics in 2016, it's back again for the 2020 installment in Tokyo. As it stands now, the U.S. team features Koepka, Thomas, Johnson and Woods. Not too shabby. McIlroy and Rahm will likely compete for their respective countries, and Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood lead the pack for England. Gear up for a thrilling week at the Games.

August

The Northern Trust (Aug. 13-16)

The second year of the shortened FedExCup Playoffs brings The Northern Trust back to player- and fan-favorite TPC Boston. Many were upset when this stop was pulled, which should make it a can't-miss event to kick off the playoffs. It's tough to predict who all will make the field, but it's tough to see Patrick Reed missing out on a chance to defend his title.

BMW Championship (Aug. 20-23)

Medinah hosted the BMW Championship last year, and another world-class venue gets its shot in 2020 when the second playoff event heads to Olympia Fields. A win here significantly improves your starting position for the Tour Championship, evident with Thomas' win that catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard to start Day 1 at East Lake last year.

Tour Championship (Aug. 27-30)

The last two winner's of the Tour Championship? Woods and McIlroy. No pressure for the 2020 edition, but this is where legends are made. With a $15 million check on the line for the winner, it all comes down to four rounds. Whoever has the best and most consistent season will be rewarded with a head start to the PGA Tour's ultimate prize. Who's it going to be? 

Ryder Cup

Whistling Straits Golf Course, Haven, Wisconsin (Sept. 25-27)

Ole, ole, ole, ole! The United States will get a chance for revenge when the Ryder Cup returns to home soil at Whistling Straits, which most recently hosted the 2015 PGA Championship. In 2018 at Le Golf National, Thomas Bjorn's European team trounced Jim Furyk's American team, 17.5 to 10.5. Steve Stricker will get his shot to bring the cup back to the U.S., while Padraig Harrington hopes to keep it with the Europeans. Buckle up.

Angelo Mathews has been named in Sri Lanka's squad for the T20I series against India starting January 5, and he could play his first T20I in nearly 16 months if picked in the XI. Mathews last played in this format for Sri Lanka as captain, in a one-off match against South Africa in August 2018, and scored a duck. August 2018 also happens to be the last time Mathews played T20s of any kind at recognised level.

Mathews' career has infamously been stop-start due to recurring injuries, but he has been something of a regular in Tests and ODIs for Sri Lanka over the last year or so, playing as a specialist batsman rarely bowling. That makes him one of seven specialist batting options in the 16-man squad named for the tour.

Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who played in Sri Lanka's last T20I series against Australia in November, is out injured and has been replaced by Kasun Rajitha, who had originally been left out of the squad. Shehan Jayasuriya misses out from that squad, and allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva is the other addition apart from Mathews.

Squad Lasith Malinga (capt.), Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Isuru Udana, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Oshada Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Kusal Mendis, Lakshan Sandakan, Kasun Rajitha

The first two and a half months of the season have given us the celebrated return of Carmelo Anthony, the continued brilliance of James Harden, the fall of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty, the rise of young superstars and the birth of a true rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers.

But what's real and what's just noise as we enter a new decade in the NBA?

As the calendar flips to 2020, our experts examine 11 trends we've seen -- and whether they're poised to continue.

The success of Portland's Carmelo Anthony experiment

REAL

But it's real with important context: The Blazers were desperate, and Anthony has helped stem the considerable issues Portland has, largely due to a flurry of injuries. Before signing Anthony, the Blazers' offensive rating was 108.0. Since, it's 111.2. Their defense is about the same and most lineups with Anthony in them are overall a positive.

He's playing hard, communicating and making heady plays. But in contrast to his last full season (2017-18 with the Thunder), Anthony has reverted to some older, New York Knicks-era habits. He's taking far fewer catch-and-shoot attempts, isolating more, holding the ball more and taking more midrange jumpers and fewer 3s. He's averaging 0.2 points per game less, in almost the same minutes on almost the same number of attempts. His effective field goal percentage is 47.1, which is well below league average.

Overall, Anthony has been about the same player he was in Oklahoma City and Houston, the one that essentially got dumped from the league for a year. But the Blazers need him badly, flaws and all, because they are fighting attrition.

The question is, if the Blazers can stay in the playoff race and get some injured players healthy, where does Anthony fit once the games start mattering even more? Opposing teams will target and attack him in pick-and-rolls; can he provide enough resistance to stay on the floor and justify the trade-off by lifting the offense?

-- Royce Young

More: How Melo and the Blazers found each other

The significance of Giannis Antetokounmpo's 3-point shot

REAL

No one will confuse Antetokounmpo with Ray Allen or Stephen Curry. But Giannis has become a willing 3-point shooter and a threat from deep -- as evident against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 19, when he dropped a career-best five 3s -- and that's all he needs to be. The thought of Antetokounmpo launching from behind the line tends to keep defenses honest and open up the floor for the rest of his MVP game.

And adding a reliable jumper to the Greek Freak's arsenal is flat-out scary.

Antetokounmpo's jumper won't always be there for him, as indicated by his 0-for-7 performance from deep against the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day, but he has smoothed out his mechanics and gained confidence. At 5.1 attempts per game, Antetokounmpo has nearly doubled his 3-point frequency this season and is up to 32.7% from beyond the arc after last season's 25.6% clip.

The evolution of Giannis' game shows a drive reminiscent of players like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, who continuously expanded their talents despite being at the top of the league. If you see his pregame routine before games, you notice he's drenched in sweat from the hard work. That's what you love to see in a superstar.

-- Eric Woodyard

More: Deep, audacious 3-pointers are taking over the NBA

James Harden's chances at matching Wilt's 40 PPG mark

NOT REAL

For this to happen, it would probably have to be a priority for Harden. He is adamant that it isn't. "I don't care about that," he said earlier this season, not waiting until the full question was asked before dismissing the subject.

There was a sense of relief within the Rockets last season when Harden's historic streak of 30-point performances ended at 32 games. The attention on the nightly milestone -- as well as the effort required to sustain the streak -- became a burden.

Harden has established himself as the best scorer of this generation. You can argue, as Rockets general manager Daryl Morey did over the summer, that Harden has surpassed Michael Jordan as the best scorer the league has seen since Wilt Chamberlain. Harden's 38.1 points per game ranks as the highest scoring average in a season by anyone other than Chamberlain. But Harden probably has to win an NBA title to be recognized in the upper echelon of all-time great players.

That is the goal, not averaging a nice, round number. Ideally, the Rockets can trim Harden's minutes for the rest of the regular season. He has played in all but one game and is averaging 37.6 minutes, the most of any player who hasn't missed extended time. Harden's workload has been as heavy as ever due in part to Eric Gordon missing six weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Gordon's return should allow Harden to get a little more rest, which wouldn't help him chase a historical 40-point-per-game average but would be better to prepare him for a potential deep playoff run.

-- Tim MacMahon

More: James Harden is the greatest scorer of this NBA era

The momentum behind Adam Silver's pitch for an in-season tournament

REAL

No matter what your snap judgment might be, there are two things to remember when considering the commissioner's desire to have an in-season tournament and why there is momentum behind it.

One is that Silver believes he needs to give franchises something to win other than the NBA title. He thinks it could energize fan bases -- and more specifically grow revenues -- to be able to play for more trophies. He's talked about European soccer, where teams routinely play in multiple competitions concurrently.

(Silver is also focused on a play-in tournament, where teams have a chance to play their way into the playoffs, much like conference tournaments in college basketball.)

You want to know why the league hasn't abolished divisions? In part, it's because six teams can claim a division title each year and, if they choose, raise a banner for it.

The second is the NBA is trying to connect with younger fans that love the league but are spending less time with regular-season games than their older siblings and parents. The league has done a lot of studying and surveying on this topic; it believes new products and more instant results could engage fans during a time on the calendar when they aren't paying as close attention.

Should we be convinced this will work and, more specifically, that the teams and players can be persuaded to care about a midseason tournament? No.

However, the league is watching the trends and trying to be proactive. Because the commissioner is highly invested in this happening, it likely will. But will the market be ready for it?

-- Brian Windhorst

The chances a trade will swing the NBA's balance of power this season

NOT REAL

First off, such title-swinging trades at midseason are few and far between. Before Marc Gasol for the Toronto Raptors, Nazr Mohammed of the 2005 San Antonio Spurs was the last player added via an in-season deal to average at least 20 minutes per game in the playoffs for the eventual champions.

Above and beyond that, the specific circumstances of the 2019-20 make it unlikely that a trade will determine the NBA Finals winner. The LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, the top two contenders in the Western Conference, both dipped heavily into their stock of future draft picks to acquire Paul George and Anthony Davis, respectively, over the summer.

While the Clippers can trade their 2020 first-round pick, the Lakers are unable to offer a team a certain first-rounder. (They could offer their 2026 first, but the other team would get that pick only if the New Orleans Pelicans elect not to defer the 2024 pick they have coming from the Lakers to 2025.)

Even for the Milwaukee Bucks, who do have a first-round pick to offer after acquiring one from the Indiana Pacers in a sign-and-trade deal with guard Malcolm Brogdon, it's not clear there's a title-swinging talent out there to be added by the deadline. Perhaps Andre Iguodala could have that kind of impact if the Clippers trade for him rather than taking their chances on landing Iguodala after a possible buyout. Or another contender like the Philadelphia 76ers might be able to boost their depth midseason.

Most likely, the championship will be decided by moves made last summer rather than those ahead of the Feb. 7 deadline.

-- Kevin Pelton

More: NBA Trade Machine | Latest news and intel

The idea that only the Lakers and Clippers matter in the West race

NOT REAL

Yes, an L.A. team should be in the NBA Finals. Both the Lakers and Clippers are deep with superstars and veteran role players, both defend and both are well coached.

But there are at least two potential obstacles that can derail these juggernauts.

The first is health. The Clippers have had a healthy and fully available roster just once this season entering 2020. Coach Doc Rivers has bemoaned the lack of practice time, especially with a hectic early schedule. Kawhi Leonard has been managing a knee issue. Paul George is still adjusting to playing with surgically repaired shoulders. On the Lakers' side, Anthony Davis has had his share of minor issues to deal with while the 35-year-old LeBron James has been banged up toward the end of 2019.

Second are a few teams that have the firepower or continuity to potentially upset either L.A. team. Denver, working with the same core that nearly made the conference finals last season, appears to be getting over early-season difficulties in dealing with expectations, and Nikola Jokic will be a force again this postseason. James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets have shown the ability to be a pain for the Clippers and certainly could pose a threat to the Lakers with so much firepower.

Utah's Donovan Mitchell can be a problem, as the Clippers can confirm. And Dallas and Luka Doncic could provide the Lakers with a test, as they have in two of the three meetings this season.

-- Ohm Youngmisuk

More: The two worlds inside Staples Center

The Nets' playoff chances, even if Kyrie Irving doesn't play another game in 2019-20

REAL

A Nets team without Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert isn't as sure a playoff bet as a full-strength Brooklyn team. Yet even without starters Irving and LeVert, the Nets end 2019 seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. LeVert's return is expected imminently, while Irving's injury timeline remains ... unclear. Irving has missed the past 21 games with a right shoulder impingement and has yet to participate in any contact drills. The Nets also lost a crucial bench player, David Nwaba, when he tore his Achilles on Dec 19.

In Irving's absence, Spencer Dinwiddie has stepped in as the Nets' offensive anchor, averaging 26.0 points per game since Irving was sidelined and playing himself into the All-Star conversation.

The bottom of the East standings isn't exactly full of juggernauts, so even with Irving missing further time -- or even the rest of the season -- Brooklyn should be able to lock down one of the final playoffs spots come April. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Brooklyn a 66% chance to make a postseason appearance, factoring in injuries, while ESPN's Basketball Power Index is even more bullish.

-- Malika Andrews

More: Big questions surrounding Kyrie, Dinwiddie and the Nets

The Eastern Conference being as deep as the West

REAL

The days of the West being "light years ahead" of the East are over. This season, the East owns an 82-88 record against the West, a .482 winning percentage in contrast to a .397 clip over the previous three seasons combined.

It's true the pillow fight for the eighth seed in the East isn't going to excite anyone -- maybe including the fans in Chicago, Detroit, Charlotte and Orlando, whose teams are competing for it. But the top six teams in the East are at least a match for the top six teams in the West -- and the Brooklyn Nets, who are over .500 despite not having Irving for the past month, and Kevin Durant at all, are no slouches, either.

Those six East teams -- the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers -- will be vying for positioning for the next several months, and the East playoffs are already shaping up to be the kind of slugfest the West circuit has grown accustomed to for the past two decades.

For years, pundits have called for a 1-16 playoff seeding system, regardless of conference. The league has hoped the problem would take care of itself, especially given that the 15 East teams were unlikely to vote against their own interests. Finally, things are starting to work out, it appears. Now, for the first time in a long time, the East can say it's approaching even footing with its West counterpart -- and it may even have the upper hand.

-- Tim Bontemps

A consensus No. 1 pick for the 2020 NBA draft

NOT REAL

NBA executives have been lamenting the lack of star power in the 2020 NBA draft's freshman class, and their biggest fears have proven to be mostly accurate, as no player has emerged as the consensus choice for the No. 1 pick.

LaMelo Ball, after his ascension in Australia, and Anthony Edwards, with his occasional flashes of brilliance, give this draft its best chances for a franchise player. But both prospects come with no shortage of questions that make scouts nervous. And unfortunately, four of the top five prospects in our most recent mock draft -- Ball, James Wiseman, Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton -- are out of commission and may not play any competitive basketball until summer league in July.

Steve Smythe, who has run a sub-3:00 marathon in five different decades and hopes to achieve it in a sixth, shares his experience of training for a marathon for 45 consecutive years and preparing a suitable schedule

My first marathon was back in 1976 when I had just left school and every year since I have done at least one marathon a year, including London every year since 1984 (missing just 1983 but I did another marathon that year instead).

My early marathons were based on the available training books at the time and later I was lucky enough, through my position of working in the media, to speak with many of Britain’s top marathon coaches such as Alan Storey, Bruce Tulloh and Cliff Temple and speak to leading marathoners in the 80s and 90s such as Hugh Jones, Mike Gratton, Steve Moneghetti, Eamonn Martin and Richard Nerurkar.

In 1993 I helped prepare an athlete for their first international marathon and later took over from Tulloh as the person in charge of marathon schedules for Runner’s World.

My best marathon is a 2:29 and as a M45 I won a British Masters title, ran 2:43 as a M50 and ran 2:56 in 2017 at the age of 58, 41 years after my first sub-3:00, which while no longer a world record span is the longest sub-3 span by a runner in Britain or Europe.

Marathon training

There are a few important things to consider when you embark on training for a marathon.

1. How many weeks do you want to train for the event?
2. What target time do you consider is possible and what time would you be satisfied with?
3. How many days a week do you want to train?

With regards to point 1, training tends to be over 12 to 15 weeks.

If you were already very fit, possibly on the back of an autumn marathon, you could get away with a 12-week schedule but if you were starting more from scratch, you will probably want a 15/16-week schedule.

Target time (see table below)

With regards to your target time, this would be influenced by your past marathons if you have experience.

If you previously ran 3:10 off an average of 50 miles a week, then a sub-3:00 might be feasible with 65 miles a week.

Other factors in your target would be what your 10km and half-marathon PB is.

For example, if you have a half-marathon PB of 1:30, then a 3:00 target is unrealistic but 3:15 should be an attainable target.

I think it is always best to have at least two targets as you start training.

One being a target that excites you at the start of the training and one that is meaningful – that could be sub-2:30, sub-3:00 or sub-4:00.

A secondary target might be more realistic but one that would still give you a sense of achievement for a job well done.

You may even bring a third target into the equation nearer the time, if training runs had not gone as well as planned or you had picked up an injury.

The target might also be dependent on how much training you can do. Even if you have a 1:20 half-marathon PB, then a sub-3:00 might still be difficult if you can only run three to four times a week.

That brings us to point three. The more days and miles you train, then the fitter you will get and the faster you can run but the more training runs you do, you increase the tiredness and the chance of injury and illness.

If every time you try and run six or seven times a week, you succumb to injury, then you might be better trying to survive off four to five times a week and aiming for a slightly slower time.

Injury and illness will undoubtedly be a potential minefield to any training schedule.

The most important thing of any training schedule is to get to race day in reasonable health and having carried out the vast majority of planned training.

Most runners at some stage in their marathon training will have to deal with illness and if not a full blown injury, a minor niggle that might require a few missed days of training or at least a few easier days or weeks.

Target table

This is only an estimate. The 10km time does give a suggestion of marathon potential but only if a runner trains fully for the marathon.

It is generally expected that the difference in paces required increases as your target pace is slower.

For example, an international runner may just have 15 seconds difference between their 10km and marathon mile pace but a prospective four-hour marathoner may be a minute a mile slower.

Once you have decided on a race date, a target and have decided on how many days a week you can train and for how many weeks you want to train then you can start planning.

For a 15-week schedule for the London Marathon (on April 26), you will need to begin on Monday January 13.

The last two weeks will be a taper (easing back the training after gradually building up) so you have around 12 weeks to gradually increase the training load so the highest volume will be towards the end of March and beginning of April.

The obvious target of the training is to prepare yourself to run 26.2 miles by a mixture of long runs, speed work and tempo runs over many months.

Long run

Undoubtedly the most important training session is the long run – usually carried out on a Sunday.

The traditional method is to increase the distance and also make some adjustment to the speed.

For a runner with a sub-3:00 target for London, this would be a possible build up over the 15 weeks.

I have suggested a pace but some runners may prefer a slightly faster or slower pace.

If your target is around a minute a mile faster (2:30) or a minute a mile slower (3:30) or two minutes slower (4:00), then simply adjust the long run pace accordingly by the same amount.

Speed training

While endurance is the most important factor in determining what time you will ultimately run, speed endurance will also be a major factor.

If you have a fast target – say 2:30 or 3:00 – the required mile pace is respectively around 5:40 and 6:50 and doing that pace for 26 miles will only happen if you can run significantly quicker at shorter distances.

I personally like to run interval training every Tuesday and I will vary the distances of the interval.

For London, I would do the following:

The session could be on a track or even firm grass, road or trail but remember a road surface is more destructive on the legs when running fast.

In theory, this sort of regular training should mean you are more relaxed and comfortable during the marathon and longer runs when you are running at a slower pace.

Interestingly, the 800m session gives most runners a rough idea of their marathon potential.

For instance, a potential sub-2:30 runner should be able to average inside 2:30 for his 800m and a sub-3:00 runner be inside 3:00 and a sub-3:30 runner inside 3:30.

Sometimes this might overestimate someone with significantly better speed than endurance or undervalue a runner lacking in natural speed but it should certainly be in the vicinity of the target time.

Tempo training

Running at marathon pace is difficult – a 26-mile run at marathon pace can take months to recover from and while there is some suggested work at marathon pace at the weekend, this should be minimal or you won’t recover to be able to do reasonable training during the week and potentially will lose more than you gain.

The suggested Tuesday speed sessions are at a far faster pace than you will need for the marathon but you should be doing some running at closer to half-marathon or marathon pace.

The best day for the tempo running in my view is Thursday.

Medium long runs

While the Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday runs are the most important training runs of the week, it is also worth getting a medium length midweek run in on the Wednesday.

Like the long runs, this should be gradually built up but on a cycle with some easier weeks and coming between the Tuesday and Thursday sessions, should be at a comfortable pace.

Other runs

Saturday sessions are generally easier, coming the day before the key training run each week, but a lot of runners like to run a cross-country race or a parkrun.

If you do have a tough cross-country run on the Saturday, it is suggested you take it slightly easier on the Sunday and cut the pace or the distance.

Monday and Fridays runs are optional and should be easy recovery runs at best of between 30 minutes and a hour but many runners take the day off or do alternative exercise such as cycling, swimming or gym.

If you want to get extra mileage, and can take more training, then you could do an extra run of 30-45 minutes every weekday morning and a short run every Sunday afternoon.

Another way of increasing mileage is to run to and from the track or your speedwork venue, if practical (for example, 3 miles away).

Listen to your body

While a detailed schedule is good, it should be looked on as just a guideline.

Adjust if you have an illness or injury or are struggling to run the suggested training times or suddenly realise you are in better form than planned and can up the pace of the training runs or speed sessions.

The suggestions given are on the basis that you have already done some base training. If you are starting from a low level of fitness, you will have to start far more gently that I have suggested and aim for a slower time or later event.

Don’t forget on the long runs that preparation is almost as important as the race itself.

Hydrate and fuel well before the run and if need be take drinks or gels during the run to combat fatigue or dehydration.

I only suggested one definite race date within the schedule but some runners prefer two half-marathons in the build up though one of them can be run just at marathon pace.

It would not do any harm to have a break from the slogs of long runs and instead run a 10km and make use of the hopefully increased fitness in your marathon build up.

Feeling inspired as we enter Olympic and Paralympic year? Elite stars offer advice for readers wanting to further their own athletics careers or push on in their training

While the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the target for the world’s top athletes this year, they will also have a number of other goals and a lot of experience and knowledge to share.

Here a number of track and field stars offer their advice for our readers who wish to further their own athletics careers or push on in their training.

Two-time Olympic and four-time world triple jump champion Christian Taylor

“The piece of advice I would give is to make sure to love what you do. A lot of people confuse this with something being fun. Being a professional athlete or collegiate athlete isn’t always fun and there are so many things that come into play, but if you LOVE what you do then you will always find a way to get better, to push through when others won’t, and to eventually reach your goals.”

World 50km champion and world record-holder Aly Dixon

“Don’t be scared to change things but don’t make massive changes all at once. If you plan on increasing training loads or introducing new elements do it gradually one part at a time so that you can monitor progress and adjust where necessary and always remember that rest is just as important as hard workouts – it’s where the adaptations and gains occur so don’t neglect it!”

Two-time world 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm

“Trust the process and make sure you have plenty of fun.”

British hammer record-holder Nick Miller

“The one piece of advice I would give is to set both big and small goals. It’s easy to get lost when you can’t see the end result coming. But if you set small goals along the way to your big goal then you can see the improvements happening and it helps to stay focused and for you to enjoy the process.”

Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi

“Keeping doing what you love. I think it applies for those pursuing an Olympic dream, those just running for their health and those that just like to watch our sport. Nothing keeps you healthier and happier than doing what you love so keep doing that!”

Multiple World Para Athletics sprint champion and world record-holder Sophie Hahn

“The harder you work in winter training the better prepared you will be going into competition season and the success will come. Be the best that you can be.”

2019 British 200m No.1 Miguel Francis

“Be happy with your small achievements in training. It will all add up as the season goes on.”

World long jump finalist Abigail Irozuru

“See every challenge as an opportunity or a gift and control the controllables, for example your response to situations, whether than situation is good or bad. And … smile and be thankful, ALWAYS!”

World 1500m finalist Jake Wightman

“It’s the tough days that make you. The sessions where you don’t feel great, the weather is bad and it’s your least favourite session, are the ones that will give you the biggest rewards.”

British pole vault record-holder Holly Bradshaw

“Find a way to keep it fun. Many people think you need to be super serious to succeed but the way to success is through enjoyment and fun. When I take things too seriously, I overthink everything and force it and I end up doing worse!”

World Para Athletics Championships T64 high jump gold medallist Jonathan Broom-Edwards

“Challenge yourself to see training and the ability to push yourself to your limits as a privilege rather than a chore. Our minds can be our greatest assets if we spin the mindset to an opportunistic one rather than a defeatist mentality. Friction allows us to grow, so help your mind get used to the toughness of training by pushing beyond the initial barrier your mind will put up when it tells you you can’t do it, and go get it.”

Welsh half-marathon record-holder Charlotte Arter

“Consistency is key. Focus on the process of your training and the results will show.”

World Para Athletics Championships T36 800m champion Paul Blake

“Although racing has been my life, life is not a race. Enjoy every moment as you work towards your goals big or small.”

Scottish record-holder and world 5000m finalist Eilish McColgan

“Join a local running group or arrange to meet up with a friend. It will make you accountable to your running goals if you know there are others motivating you to do the same!”

European indoor 800m silver medallist Jamie Webb

“I find targets make everything easier. Set a goal you’re working towards and hit the stepping stones along the way. Consistency is key!”

Former world number one Venus Williams has withdrawn from the season-opening Brisbane International after suffering an "unexpected setback" in training.

The 39-year-old, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam singles titles in 2008, hopes to play in Adelaide before the Australian Open on 20 January.

A replacement for the world number 52 will be announced on Thursday.

World number one Ashleigh Barty and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka are among a strong field.

The tournament begins on 6 January.

Medical experts will monitor air quality during the ATP Cup in Australia as bushfires rage close to the tournament's Sydney venue.

Measures have been taken to ensure the safety of players, staff and spectators in the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney's Olympic Tennis Centre.

The British team will play their group games at the venue, which will also host all knockout matches.

GB's opening tie against Bulgaria will start at 06:30 GMT on 3 January.

Some of the world's top players are due to take part in the new 24-nation men's team event, including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Matches will also take place in Brisbane and Perth, which have so far been unaffected by the bushfires that have killed at least eight people in the Sydney area and across the states of New South Wales and neighbouring Victoria.

"We have got medical experts on site during the tournament who will be advising in relation to conditions and ensuring it is safe for players to play and also safe for our fans and our ball boys and staff," said tournament director Tom Larner.

It is not yet clear what measures will be taken if health concerns are raised.

Two of the six groups of four teams are due to play their three round-robin ties in Sydney.

Belgium and Moldova, the other two teams along with Britain and Bulgaria in Group C, will contest the first match at the Ken Rosewall Arena from 23:00 GMT on Thursday, 2 January.

Countries in Group E - Austria, Croatia, Argentina and Poland - will also play their opening matches in Sydney before the eight qualifiers relocate to the city for the knockout stages, which are due to take place from 9-11 January.

Dan Evans, James Ward and Cameron Norrie will compete as singles players for Britain, with doubles specialists Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury completing the five-man team. Andy Murray was forced to withdraw due to injury.

The WTA's Brisbane International is also due to take place from 6 January, while the Australian Open gets under way in Adelaide on 20 January.

England fly-half George Ford is one of four players to have signed new contracts with Leicester Tigers.

George Worth, Sam Aspland-Robinson and Ford's international team-mate Ellis Genge have also extended their stays at Welford Road.

Tigers finished 11th in the Premiership last season and are again second from bottom after seven games this term.

"I believe in sticking it out through tough times and coming out at the other end," Ford, 26, said.

"It's going to be small building blocks, rebuilding little and often, rather than an overnight fix."

Ford and prop Genge, 24, were part of the England squad that were runners-up at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, with Ford starting the loss to South Africa in the final in Yokohama.

Worth, 23, has made more appearances than any other player for Tigers so far this season, while 22-year-old Aspland-Robinson has played 14 times for the club since joining from Harlequins in the summer of 2018.

Leicester have not revealed the lengths of the contracts signed by the quartet.

Relegation from the Premiership could be scrapped at the end of this season with some of the game's domestic superpowers in danger of the drop, believes former England wing Ugo Monye.

Saracens, champions in four of the last five years, are bottom after being docked 35 points for wage cap breaches.

"There are some big hitters down the bottom of the league," Monye told Rugby Union Weekly.

"If one is relegated, if Newcastle come up, it is going to get ring-fenced."

Saracens are 12th on -12 points, with Leicester, Wasps and Harlequins in 11th, 10th and eighth respectively.

Newcastle, who were relegated from the top flight at the end of last season, have made an impressive start in their bid for an immediate return, winning all seven of their matches to reach the top of the Championship.

Premiership boss Ian Ritchie told BBC Sport in December 2018 scrapping relegation from the top tier was being considered.

"There could be a massive case for someone to say 'I am not having this, close it off'," added Monye.

"As much as people want the Saracens story to go away, I can't see it going away anytime soon."

Danny Care, Monye's former team-mate at Harlequins and England and Rugby Union Weekly co-host, believes Saracens' breach of the league's financial restraints may mean there is a moral case for doing away with relegation.

"At the end of the season when Saracens stay up, is it fair that that team goes down?" the England scrum-half said.

"What if Saracens are found to still be over the cap this season? Not much has changed in that squad this year. I still think there is more investigation to be done.

"Until there is full disclosure - everything is out in public, everyone knows what they did wrong, what the fines were for, how much they were over, and how they rectified it this year, if they have - nothing is going to change. People are still going to be asking questions."

Exeter honesty 'refreshing' - Care

Saracens were beaten 14-7 by Exeter, who have lost Premiership finals to the Watford-based outfit three times in the past four seasons, on Sunday.

Exeter owner Tony Rowe and director of rugby Rob Baxter have both been critical of Saracens and the punishment meted out to them.

Rowe called for Saracens to be immediately relegated to the Championship, while Baxter said after the weekend win at Sandy Park that Saracens' critics had been portrayed as "the bad guys".

"I found Rob Baxter's comments kind of refreshing," added Care.

"Not many people have stuck their heads up and said how they feel, but Rob has laid it out how he and the club feels, and it has almost galvanised his team a little more to go and beat Saracens.

"As players you have to back what your director of rugby says."