11 May 2026
"It's never too late to sign up, and it can act as a great motivator to get out running again and raise money for a great cause”
Dr David Archer
As runners prepare for the Sunderland City Run, a nutrition expert at the University of Sunderland has shared his tips for runners to improve their performance on the day.
The Sunderland City Runs will take place on Sunday 17 May, with over 5,000 people taking part across the 10K, Half Marathon and new for this year, the 5K. 2026 marks the 15th anniversary of the first Sunderland City 10K in 2011, which had 1,500 people take part.
One of those runners taking part is the University’s Dr David Archer, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, who is helping raise money for the Futures Fund.
As a nutrition and exercise expert, David knows more than most about what goes into creating a successful and healthy runner. Though he runs occasionally, David has not taken part in an organised run in almost 20 years until now - and he certainly views the City Run as a challenge.
“I used to be a decent club runner, but I've not raced in nearly 20 years, not even a parkrun,” said David. “My current running pace is what used to be my warm-up pace, which is very sobering.
“I turned 50 last month so I decided it would be a good time to restart doing some races. In addition, my 10-year-old is a great runner, so I'm trying to make sure I can keep up with them for a bit longer.”
David has used his own experience and research into exercise and nutrition to prepare for the run – see his tips below – and has called on the support of colleagues across the University.
“I've definitely taken advantage of colleagues' advice,” says David. “I’ve had to manage my training with an Achilles injury - another sign that I'm not getting any younger.
“But it's never too late to sign up, and it can act as a great motivator to get out running again and raise money for a great cause.”
David is joining other staff, students and alumni from the University to raise money for the Futures Fund which provides financial support for students and graduates to develop their careers and aspirations.
You can donate to the University’s Futures Fund here.
Ahead of the run, here are some of David’s exercise tips for new or returning runners ahead of any race.
David said: “The most important thing is to listen to your body and try to avoid going from zero to hero in too short a time. You're trying to balance up (alongside normal everyday life) getting sufficient training in to improve your fitness but still avoiding injury (unlike me).
“The NHS Couch to 5k app is a good starting point if you're new or returning to running after a long break. It's a 9-week programme, so it might be a bit late to start for this year, but useful if you're planning to start doing park-runs later this spring.
“For those with a bit more experience, develop a base of steady running, for example twice per week and build up to your race distance to ensure your body is managing this well.
“Interval sessions can be very effective at increasing your fitness and race pace (e.g. 8 x 1km with 1-2 min recovery), so consider adding one per week if your goal is to get faster.
“If you're planning to do the half marathon, you'll need greater emphasis on longer runs of up to race distance. Don't push yourself too hard for your recovery runs - you don't need to be at the limit for every session.
“Overall, I'd say, do what you enjoy as you're more likely to stick to it, whether it's jogging or some cross training on a bike. During the run itself, pace yourself as the natural temptation is to run too quickly at the start once the gun goes off.”
David is also busting some myths around effective nutrition for runners.
David said: “For a 10k race you don't gain any advantage from carbohydrate-loading. Whether you drink water or carbohydrate containing drinks during the race is basically up to your personal preferences.
“For a half marathon, you need more focus on nutrition. Carbohydrate loading, although not essential, can definitely help. I ran a half marathon 20 years ago in the cold and drank practically nothing, but today I would take on some sports drinks or a carbohydrate gel and water.
“Obviously, fluids are likely to be more important on a warm day, but practice drinking during training to help get used to this.
“In terms of supplements, there are decades of evidence that caffeine can reduces feelings of effort during exercise, and I'm planning to take advantage of that. We used to think that coffee wasn't as effective as caffeine pills, but more recent evidence shows that there is not much difference, so I'll probably aim for a double or triple espresso about an hour out from race time. Even if you're not planning on breaking any records, if the effort feels a bit easier that is great.
“Again, like drinking during races, you should try this out on a practice run to check that the dose isn't too high.”
Dr Archer concluded: “Fuelling and preparing correctly can benefit all levels of runners, from those whose goal it is to get to the finish line, all the way to those attempting to beat personal bests.”