Iwan Thomas: ‘I could be in better shape given how much I train – but I love junk food’

How has your body changed?

When I was an athlete I was 80kg, now I’m between 90 and 95. That’s not too bad in 25 years. I never wanted to retire and become an overweight blob. I know I would be if I didn’t train. 

What exercise do you do?

After I retired I didn’t do sports for a while. I’d had enough. As the years went by I started to run 5ks, then 10ks, then half-marathons and marathons. I try to do something each year to give me the focus, which means I have to have a  reason to be fit. So I give myself a challenge. If I didn’t have that I could very easily fall into the lifestyle of still eating like I’m an athlete but not training. I’ve got a bike, so I cycle a little bit.

Any injuries?

In one respect my body is knackered because I put it through so much, but compared to most of my mates my age, athletes or not, I’m in a better shape. 

All my old injuries have settled down, like my ruptured achilles. It’s new injuries that I’ve done to myself in retirement like plantar fasciitis and fracturing a bone in my left foot. 

I broke my foot doing the ultramarathon, so I’ve had two years off running as a result. 

Do you still enjoy running?

Until my feet were broken I was running a lot. I used to religiously do Park Run.

It was a reason to keep sharp. But then I noticed people saying, “It’s that Olympic runner, I’m going to beat him!” I stopped doing Park Run when a nine-year-old boy in an Everton jersey kept beating me. I knew my time was up.