In our RT Snap Q&A series, we’ve had the privilege of interviewing some of the world’s best runners, delving into their extraordinary journeys, celebrating their achievements, and exploring the unwavering dedication that defines their careers.
Philip Sesemann
- Born: October 3, 1992
- Nationality: British
- Long-distance runner
Philip Sesemann, a British long-distance runner, has made a remarkable shift from medicine to marathon training. Originally balancing a medical career with his athletic pursuits, Sesemann gave up his medical license in 2023 to fully dedicate himself to his Olympic dream. His decision paid off early this year when he achieved a qualifying time of 2:08:04 at the Seville Marathon, which secured his spot for the 2024 Olympics. His journey to this milestone has been marked by grit and resilience, particularly as he trained up to 210 km a week, often with his dogs, Haile and Kipchoge, who he fondly refers to as his “mileage mutts”.
Sesemann’s transition to marathons came after a mix of promising but inconsistent performances in track and shorter road races. His marathon debut in 2021 at the London Marathon saw him finish as the top British runner, earning him broader recognition. This performance set the stage for his decision to focus solely on marathon training. His career highlights also include out-kicking Mo Farah in the final stretch of the 2023 London Marathon, underscoring his progression into one of the UK’s top marathoners.
After competing among the world’s best in Paris, Sesemann is now considering his next goals. Reflecting on his Olympic journey, he has expressed interest in continuing to refine his performance in major city marathons and eventually attempting ultra-endurance events. His transition from medicine to full-time athlete has not only highlighted his dedication but also his potential to continue impacting the marathon scene for years to come.
Personal Bests
- Marathon – 2:08:04
- 3000 Metres Short Track – 7:51.27
- Mile – 4:02.53
- 1500 Metres – 3:40.93
- Half Marathon – 1:02:47
- 5000 Metres – 13:45.73
- Mile Road – 4:05.0h
- 800 Metres – 1:51.13
- 3000 Metres – 7:51.27
- 1500 Metres Short Track – 3:43.74
- Mile Short Track – 4:02.53
- 10 Kilometres Road – 28:26
- 5 Kilometres Road – 13:38
- 10 Miles Road – 47:45 *
- 10 Miles Road 48:48
RT: As a practising doctor, you’ve managed a delicate balance between a demanding medical career and elite-level marathon training. What strategies have you developed to make this dual commitment sustainable?
Phil: I am no longer a practicing Doctor, I gave up my license a year ago to go all in on my Olympic qualification attempts. To give a brief background, I graduated medical school in Summer 2017, then worked house officer jobs at 60% part-time for 4 years, after this I worked as a locum Emergency medicine Doctor for 2 years, gradually reducing my hours as my marathon career progressed. During my time working and studying, I was organised with the planning of my training, this removed any decision-making when it was time to train, I didn’t have to rely on motivation to complete my training, rather I just stuck to my plan and tried not to over think it. I was also very clear with myself and others around me(family, friends and colleagues) that I was very passionate about my running and that this was a major priority for me, I asked for help in prioritising my running wherever possible – this meant favourable timetables, placements, etc.
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RT: Do you find parallels between the discipline required in medical practice and your approach to marathon training? How has one influenced the other, especially under the pressures of both roles?
Phil: I think the biggest parallel is probably that both a medical career and running performance come down to putting in hard work. There is no shortcut for either career and nobody is going to give you extra exam marks or a better race finishing position because of so and so affecting your ability to study/train. I found this was the biggest crossover for me, excuses get you nowhere in either career and you simply have to put in the required work no matter what else is going on.
RT: You’ve consistently improved your times since your marathon debut. Could you walk us through your pacing strategies for different race conditions? Has there been a race where you learned a valuable lesson about pacing that has stuck with you?
Phil: I think Paris was the first marathon I’ve ran that wasn’t better or faster than the last one. I’m quite proud of my consistency and progression during my marathon career. I put this down to hard training(I will often run 24+ miles at a good pace in training) and realistic pacing strategies. I’ve still managed to go off too hard in some of my marathons and have suffered especially in the two Summer Championship races I’ve done but feel that my preparations have been sufficient enough to still carry me through to a solid result. I go off much steadier in hot conditions. If I’m honest, I much prefer big city paced marathons where I know exactly what pace I’ll be running for the first half beforehand, this removes any mental stress.
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RT: With your medical expertise, how do you approach injury prevention? Has your medical background influenced the way you handle overtraining and recovery?
Phil: Generally, I accept that with such high training volumes and intensity, most days I’m carrying some sort of niggle and running in discomfort/pain for a few miles at least. I think doing this for years and years has helped me develop my conditioning so that I am able to continue training at a high level and remain robust while doing so. I lift weights once per week with a focus on injury prevention and see a physiotherapist as often as possible, probably once a fortnight on average. I don’t think my medical background has had a massive influence on my approach to injury prevention and/or recovery. I generally work on the basic principles of sleep as much as I can and eat whatever I want, fuel training before and afterward adequately and then eat a bit cleaner in the 8 weeks ahead of a big goal race.
RT: What does a typical week of training look like for you?
Phil: A typical week in marathon training will consist of one hard Tuesday track session with around 20k in volume like 10x1kON/1kOFF, then a hard marathon specific session on a Friday like 4kMP/4kSteady for 36k and then if legs are alright I’ll do a steady 30-35k on a Sunday. Outside of this I’ll do easy running to total 125-135 miles.
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RT: What are your goals for the upcoming races or seasons?
Phil: I’m hoping to continue improving my marathon time all the way up to qualifying for the L.A Olympics. I’d love to keep placing well in the London Marathon and break in to the Top 5 one year. After that I’d like to run marathons in big cities all over the world and eventually give longer races like Comrades a go.
RT: What advice would you give to aspiring marathon runners, particularly those who are juggling other commitments like work or school?
Phil: I think the biggest thing is being patient, be consistent, stay committed and no matter what level you are, if you enjoy your running then there is no reason not to make it a priority in your life. You also never no what level you can reach until you’ve put years and years of good training together. I never thought I’d run at an Olympics but I got there at the marathon only 6 years after I was still trying to be a 1500m runner!
