Sub-two-hour marathon, spooky houses explained and why is UK health in decline?

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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