In London, England, tens of thousands of people are gearing up to run in this year’s marathon.
Thousands of miles of above them, one man is getting ready to do the same thing.
British astronaut Tim Peake has been training in space for this Sunday’s London Marathon.
Peake, who’s been in space for four months now, will run the marathon on the International Space Station using a treadmill called COLBERT and his iPad with RunSocial, an app that will simulate the London streets.
He said the view of the streets will help keep him focused and motivated.
“One of the main memories I have of 1999 when I ran the London marathon before was the atmosphere and the crowd,” he explained during a livestream provided by NASA TV Friday. “That spirit really lifted me the entire way through the race.”
READ MORE: How do you shower in space? Astronaut Tim Peake demonstrates
Even though he’s required to be in good shape to be an astronaut, the Briton said he may have some issues running the marathon.
“I’ve got a guilty admission, I probably do fall into that same category (of not having trained enough for the marathon),” he told reporters.
“I’m comfortable that I can get on and run the marathon on Sunday, but I’m certain there’ll be a few points where I’ll wish I’d have done more training.”
He expects to finish the race in 3.5-4 hours, and is running to raise money for the Prince’s Trust.
During a livestream interview from the ISS streamed Friday, Peake spoke out about a few of the differences between running on the ground and in space.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW: Astronaut Tim Peake speaks to reporters about preparations for the London marathon
First off, he’ll only be running with around 75 per cent of his body weight.
He uses a harness system to keep him strapped to the treadmill while he runs. The harness is chained to a bungee system which gives him the weight he needs to stimulate the muscles, so that he doesn’t lose too much muscle mass or bone density while he’s in space.
Before he starts running, he has to be careful about what he eats, and when he eats it.
He said he hadn’t chosen his breakfast yet, but he’d probably eat “some baked beans, sausage and eggs, fairly early on.”
“You certainly don’t want to be running up here on a full stomach,” he explained. “Food in microgravity doesn’t settle very well. It just stays floating around in your stomach.”
During the race, one reporter noted he’ll be off the hook for “queueing for the loo,” a common problem for marathon runners.
Peake confirmed this with a laugh, saying his bathroom is conveniently located next to the treadmill.
As for recovery, Peake said it will be easier in space.
“Weightlessness , I think, is one of the perfect environments, because the moment you stop running and the moment you get off that bungee system your muscles are in a completely relaxed state. I do think we recover faster up here from any aches or strains.”
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