An Olympic marathon runner’s tip for staying hydrated? Not water

ABDI Abdirahman is a road warrior in every sense of the word. The elite runner logs 400 running miles (643.7 km) a month and flies at least 50,000 miles a year. On Sunday (Nov 6), the five-time Olympian will be racing in the New York City Marathon for his eighth and final time.

He’s not done yet, though. The 45-year-old Flagstaff, Arizona, resident is on a quest – with thousands of runners around the world – to run all six major marathons. He plans to knock off Tokyo in March and then run in London or Berlin in 2023. “I love running, too, so, why not?” Abdirahman says.

The runner has twice finished as the top American in New York’s race, but all he knows for certain heading into this weekend is that he will be nervous. “You don’t get nervous because of fear, or you’re going to fail. You get nervous because you care about it. You want to succeed,” Abdirahman said. “Sometimes if I don’t get nervous, I feel like I’m not ready.”