Kit & Gear

Phil Sesemann joins ASICS

Phil Sesemann, one of Britain's top marathon runners, is embarking on an exciting new chapter in his career as he joins the ASICS family. With a drive to push boundaries and a focus on maximizing performance, Sesemann shares why this was the perfect moment to partner with the iconic running brand. From gearing up for Tokyo’s World Championships to balancing life as a new dad and an elite athlete, Phil discusses his goals, training, and the critical role ASICS will play in supporting his journey.

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What made this the right time for you to join ASICS? 

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I feel like it's a nice period in my career where I've come off going to the Paris Olympics, and that was like a massive thing, a massive goal for me. Now the next stage of my career, I feel like I can take bigger risks and I can really push things as hard as I can and really try and see what level I can reach in running. 

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It's exciting to do that alongside a new brand and definitely a brand that has got really great shoes. Knowing that's going to really help with my training loads with high quality and lots of intensity, but also in keeping me injury free as well. ASICS will be really helping with that longevity.

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What are your goals for this year? 

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I really want to run well in my marathons this year, they are definitely my biggest races. I think competing amongst the top Brits again this year would be a great achievement. Running a PB and qualifying for the World Championships in Tokyo this September is also a big target. It really excites me, the potential of going over to Japan and experiencing that kind of change in culture and enthusiasm for marathon running. Where better to do a World Championship marathon than in Tokyo? 

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What are the key ASICS shoes that will help you achieve your goals? 

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Definitely the METASPEED SKY PARIS and the METASPEED EDGE PARIS, I'm currently undecided between which shoe I prefer for the longer stuff. Definitely feel like the shorter stuff I'll be in the METASPEED EDGE PARIS, I'm not sure yet with the longer stuff. 

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For me, I’m training in my carbon plated shoes often whenever I'm running quick, and then just having shoes for all those easy runs, that are really comfortable and keep me in one piece.

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So for training shoes, definitely those easy runs and high volume, it’s the GEL-NIMBUS 26 and also the NOVABLAST 5. The SUPERBLAST 2 I'll also be using a lot for steady runs and on runs, where I don't want to kind of plod around as much!

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What is training looking like at the moment?

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Training at the moment is really high volume and there's quite a lot of quality in the training. So at the moment I'm running up to 140 miles per week to prepare myself for marathons later this year. Running that kind of volume it's really important to have high quality shoes both to keep me injury free, but also to make those miles as easy as possible. 

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How many pairs of shoes do you think you use every year?

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I'm probably a little bit self-conscious about it, to be honest because it's definitely very excessive. I'm definitely someone who will change shoes kind of at the first opportunity. But I do genuinely believe that that is part of the reason that I've been able to maintain such high volumes of consistency, over the last 4 or 5 years of training, is just because the first signs of wear and breaking down and shoes, I just change them.

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I am fortunate as a professional athlete that I can do that, and it's not costing me an arm and a leg but, it's definitely a massive thing to remain injury free.

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Looking past 2025 and across the next four years, with an Olympic cycle, what are your long term goals?

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I really want to qualify for the next Olympics. That was really exciting, that was such a big goal for me and so much fun. The massive goal is just to get better at the marathon and be really competitive in Europe and then internationally as well across the world and, compete well in big races.

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Doing that alongside being a new dad and not neglecting that and just making sure that I'm doing the best I can at both things. 

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You also need to look after what must be some of the fittest dogs on earth if they come in running with you?

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Well, only one of them is running with me all the time now. The other one just comes out for the short evening doubles so she's got a little bit lazier. But Haile is just pushing and pushing and absolutely loves it. 

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I did look into doing CaniCross but that's for later down the line when the professional running career is over and performances might be tailing off a little bit, then you go and have a little bit of fun doing that type of thing.

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What made you choose to work with ASICS?

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There's a few reasons, firstly it was the support they had for me. They definitely believe in my ability and they want to support me through that. Having that contact with people at the brand and having conversations, it definitely felt like the right fit for me and obviously the shoes! ASICS are a running specialist brand and have really, really good running shoes, that was probably the number one reason, just knowing that I can be really competitive in these shoes. That's not going to hold me back. If anything, it's going to be a benefit to me.

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Then also knowing that they've set up training camps in places I usually train with in Kenya and Font Romeu when they have the ChoJo Camps. I will be able to get involved with and train with other athletes and use everything that they're providing to their athletes

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WIN A PAIR OF ASICS METASPEED & A T-SHIRT SIGNED BY PHIL SESEMANN

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For you chance to win a pair of Phil’s race day shoe of choice the ASICS METASPEED plus a t-shirt signed by the man himself, head to our app to enter by 17th January

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