It is ten weeks until Mo Farah makes his debut at the Virgin London Marathon - but it is the long-term future that is very much on the minds of the organisers of the race.
A grant from the London Marathon has funded a new world-class athletics track in Iten, Kenya, which athletes from Great Britain will be able to use.
The British Athletics London Marathon Altitude Programme winter endurance camps takes runners to this part of the country, one of the major areas in Kenya for training.
And now they will have even better facilities in their attempt to match the way the Kenyans prepare for the toughest challenges that 26.2 miles can bring.
Farah, the double Olympic champion, will take to the roads of London on April 13 as he looks towards the next stage of his career.
He has been preparing for his debut at this Iten base and said: 'As an athlete, being able to get away from any distractions and train helped me. I could switch off and channel my energy into areas where it needed to go.
'Being surrounded by other athletes also helped to motivate me and make what I was doing more enjoyable.'
The decision to fund the synthetic track to replace the old cinder one is part of the London Marathon's aim to ensure the future of British distance running can stay bright.
Hugh Brasher, the London Marathon Race Director, said: 'One of the Marathon's founding objectives was to 'improve the standard of British distance running' and this new track is a testament to the lengths that we will go to help achieve that goal.'
If Farah's debut goes well, he could choose to run the marathon at this summer's European Athletics Championships in Zurich - or opt to chase a third successive European 5000m title.