
Sub-two-hour marathon, spooky houses explained and why is UK health in decline?
From Science Weekly by The Guardian
April 30, 2026 · 20 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the decline in health in the UK, the science behind marathon runners breaking the two-hour mark, and the reasons some old houses feel spooky.
Madeleine Finlay sits down with co-host and Guardian science editor Ian Sample to talk through three eye-catching stories from the week, including the news that the number of years people in the UK are spending in good health has declined compared with a decade ago. Also on the agenda is the science, tech and nutrition behind two runners at this weekend’s London marathon breaking the two-hour threshold, and an answer to why some old houses feel particularly spooky. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
People in this episode
Host: Madeleine Finlay
Guest: Ian Sample
Topics covered
- health decline
- marathon running
- spooky houses
- science
- nutrition
- technology
Keywords
- UK health
- marathon
- spooky houses
- science
- nutrition
- technology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Guardian
Places: UK
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