While marathons like Chicago and Berlin are known for their fast and flat courses, marathon majors like the New York City and Boston Marathons are known for their demanding climbs, descends, and deafening cheer sections. We looked at thousands of data points provided by Strava to understand better how runners fare in the Boston and NYC marathons.

A Note On Courses, Weather, and Methods

Each course is unique and has different participant density, while the logistics of the race themselves vary, too. Those variables should be taken into account when looking at why runners perform differently at each event. Boston also has a qualifying standard, too, which means that most of the field has run a marathon previously and is self-selected for faster finishes.

We鈥檝e removed the data from NYC 2022 because the historically hot temps were a bigger factor in finishing times than the course itself. That said, both marathons are susceptible to swingy weather. For the three years we analyzed, Boston had starting temperatures at 60, 46, and 48 degrees Fahrenheit, with 88 to 99 percent humidity, while NYC had temperatures ranging from 44 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit (excluded year) and 50 degrees Fahrenheit with 71 percent and 64 percent humidity.

Most of our analysis compares runners in a certain pace group (for example, runners targeting a sub-four-hour finish). Simply comparing results across both races would skew the analysis because of their varied pace distributions (in no small part because of Boston鈥檚 stringent qualifying requirements for most participants). Both races are fairly similar in gender composition. This year, 55 percent of NYC competitors identified as male, as well as 57 percent of Boston runners.

Performance Indicators Across Marathons

A major indicator of marathon performance is a negative split, or running the second half faster than the first. It鈥檚 a prudent racing strategy but tough to implement on race day, especially on hilly courses like NYC or Boston.

In the faster pacing groups, more runners at Boston managed to successfully negative split (again, likely due to previous race experience, as evidenced in this previous analysis of Boston Strava data). Runners aiming for a 2:30 to 3:00 finish were 38 percent more likely to negative split Boston (11 percent versus just 8 percent of the same pace cohort at NYC). Runners shooting for a 3:00 to 3:30 finish were 19 percent more likely to negative split at Boston than NYC, but for runners targeting just under four hours, there was a similar likelihood of a negative split. Interestingly, for runners aiming for a finish over four hours, Boston runners were less likely to negative split. While Boston is a net downhill course, those Newton hills can really chew up quads!

RELATED: Looking to Qualify for the Boston Marathon? Here鈥檚 What Strava Data Says About That Elusive BQ.

Now, let鈥檚 look at how many runners at each race met their goals. To do this, we compared runners鈥� average pace in the first eight miles and their projected finish times. We instituted a strict threshold and didn鈥檛 count times even a second over their goal finish time. Using this analysis, runners are significantly more likely to hit their goals at Boston. Again, this is likely because qualified runners have more marathons under their belt, and experience is invaluable in pacing and race-day execution.

But executing an ideal marathon is easier said than done, regardless of the course. Less than 10 percent of runners nailed their exact goal in either field, regardless of race or pace group. The biggest difference between races was in the 3:00 to 3:30 pace group, with a 67 percent difference between Boston and NYC runners in that particular pace group hitting their goal. In pace groups for four hours or longer, there was a fairly negligible difference between pace groups.

What About The Bonk?

While it’s fascinating to determine what makes for a successful marathon experience, we鈥檇 be remiss if we didn鈥檛 use our fine-tooth data comb to parse the fascinating data around what makes a bad day at a marathon.

鈥淏onking鈥� or 鈥渉itting the wall鈥� happens when the body has depleted its glycogen stores and starts to fatigue and burn fat, causing the legs to slow and energy to plummet. Legs feel heavy, exhaustion can feel overwhelming, and taking a quick asphalt nap can be tempting. This tends to happen around miles 16 to 20 and is many marathoners鈥� worst nightmare.

RELATED: Why Do I Bonk When It Gets Hot?

We looked at the difference in runners鈥� average pace for the last 10K versus the first 20 miles to see how many people bonk. A 10 percent slowdown is an off-day, not totally outside of the realm of possibility for many runners. It isn鈥檛 out of line with fairly normal marathon fatigue (or a quad-explosion in the Newton Hills). But a 20 percent slowdown is a true bonk, a pretty bad day. For athletes targeting a sub-4:00 finish, a ten percent slowdown would look like going from 9:09 miles to 10:04. A 20 percent slowdown would go from 9:09 to 10:59.

Here鈥檚 where things get fun. There鈥檚 significantly more variation between years for Boston, with 2023 being a more consistent year with fewer bonks in the field. The footprint of the 2022 NYC Marathon is also clear here, with the majority (71 percent) of the field (speedsters included!) slowing down significantly in the heat and humidity. The groups with the biggest bonks were the folks shooting for four hours or longer at Boston (more time on feet can increase the potential for a bonk, especially if there鈥檚 significant time between aid stations).

Bonking is still significantly more likely at the NYC marathon across all pace groups and years. For instance, for athletes targeting a 2.5- to 3-hour finish, runners are 33 percent more likely to experience a moderate bonk (slowing down 10 percent or more) at NYC, and 55 percent more likely to experience a severe bonk (or 20 percent or more slowdown), at NYC (accounting for 20 percent of this group at NYC, versus 13 percent at Boston).

Hills Versus Bridges

Boston is known for its hills, both Newton and Heartbreak. New York has bridges and boroughs. But which causes runners to slow down the most?

To do this, we looked at the first eight miles to establish a 鈥済oal pace鈥� for athletes targeting a sub-four-hour finish and saw that both races are pretty evenly split across the halfway mark.

About a third of athletes start to slow down at the halfway mark, but not by too much. At NYC, things get tricky in miles 15 to 16, with almost all athletes slowing by 5 percent as they tackle the Queensboro Bridge. (79 percent of runners slowed down here, and to the 21 percent that didn鈥檛, please DM us your strength routine.)

There鈥檚 another crux at mile 24 of the NYC marathon, with a mile-long climb into Central Park. We see 85 percent of runners miss their goal pace here, with runners averaging a 20 percent slowdown (for four-hour marathoners, going from 9:09 to 10:59 pace).

Boston has its infamous Heartbreak Hill, which causes the biggest slowdown of that race. Eighty-one percent of runners slow as they hit the 20th mile, and 90 percent slowing in the 21st mile. So, while the hills of Boston are undoubtedly hard and have earned their reputation, maybe it鈥檚 time we pay the bridges the respect and attention they deserve, too!

Regardless of the course, running a marathon is a major accomplishment, and to all the competitors who toed the line, we say hats off to you and your majorly impressive data!

The post Boston Versus New York City: Which Marathon Is Harder? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Hellen Obiri and Tamirat Tola earned impressive victories in the 2023 New York City Marathon, but they also did it wearing two of the hottest newly released super shoes.

Obiri, a 32-year-old Kenyan runner who trains in Boulder, Colorado, with the On Athletics Club, wore a similar pair of yet-to-be-released On CloudTri 1 shoes that she also used for her win at the Boston Marathon back in April. She narrowly edged out Ethiopia鈥檚 Letesenbet Gidey, who wore a pair of Nike Alphafly 3s鈥攖he same shoe that Kelvin Kiptum wore to set a new men鈥檚 world record (2:00:35) at the Chicago Marathon in October.

Meanwhile, Tola, 32, of Ethiopia, wore a pair of white and pink Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1s, the $500 shoe that Tigst Assefa wore to set a new women鈥檚 world record (2:11:53) at the Berlin Marathon in September.

RELATED: The Best Road Running Shoes of Winter 2024

Here鈥檚 a look at the footwear worn by frontrunners at this year鈥檚 2023 New York City Marathon. In terms of sheer numbers in the top 15, Nike led the charge (10), with Adidas in second (4), followed by Asics and Puma (3).

Women

1. Hellen Obiri, 33, Kenya, 2:27:23, On CloudTri 1 (white/black)
2. Letesenbet Gidey, 25, Ethiopia, 2:27:29, Nike Alphafly 3 (white/orange)
3. Sharon Lokedi, 29, Kenya, 2:27:33, Under Armour Flow Velociti Elite 2 (red/white/black)
4. Brigid Kosgei, 29, Kenya, 2:27:45, Nike Vaporfly 3 (orange/red)
5. Mary Ngugi, 34, Kenya, 2:27:53, Nike Vaporfly 3 (orange/red)
6. Viola Cheptoo, 34, Kenya, 2:28:11, Adidas’ Adizero Adios Pro 3 (aqua blue/white)
7. Edna Kiplagat, 43, Kenya, 2:29:40, Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2 (yellow)
8. Kellyn Taylor, 37, USA, 2:29:48 – Hoka Rocket X 2 (black/pink/green)
9. Molly Huddle, 39, USA, 2:32:02 – Saucony Endorphin Elite (green)
10. Fantu Zewude Jifar, 27, Ethiopia, 2:34:10, Xtep 160X 3.0 Pro (white/yellow)
11. Solange Jesus, 36, Portugal, 2:34:27, Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite (yellow)
12. Sydney Devore, 32, USA, 2:36:01, Saucony Endorphin Elite (yellow/green)
13. Marie-Ange Brumelot, 30, USA, 2:40:22, Nike Vaporfly 3 (white/orange/yellow)
14. Ivana Iozzia, 50, Italy, 2:41:16, Hoka Rocket X 2聽 (green/yellow)
15. Meriah Earle, 45, USA, 2:44:11, Nike Alpha Fly 2 (yellow/orange)

Men

1. Tamirat Tola, 32, Ethiopia, 2:04:58 – Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 (white/pink)
2. Albert Korir, 29, Kenya, 2:06:57, Adidas’ Adizero Adios Pro 3 (green/white)
3. Shura Kitata, 27, Ethiopia, 2:07:11, Nike Vaporfly 2 (blue/orange/white)
4. Abdi Nageeye, 34, Netherlands, 2:10:21, Nike Vaporfly 3 (orange/red)
5. Koen Naert, 34, Belgium, 2:10:25, Asics Metaspeed Sky+ (red/white)
6. Maru Teferi, 31, Israel, 2:10:28, Nike AlphaFly 3 (white/orange)
7. Iliass Aouani, 28, Italy, 2:10:54, Adidas’ Adizero Adios Pro 3 (black)
8. Edward Cheserek, 29, Kenya, 2:11:07, Skechers GOrun Speed Elite (blue/white/purple/orange)
9. Jemal Yimer, 27, Ethiopia, 2:11:31, Asics Metaspeed Sky+ (red)
10. Futsum Zienasellassie, 30, USA, 2:12:09, Hoka Rocket X 2 (green/yellow)
11. Elkanah Kibet, 40, USA, 2:12:23, Nike Vaporfly 2 (fluorescent yellow/orange)
12. Hendrik Pfeiffer, 30, Germany, 2:12:54, Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite (yellow)
13. Sydney Gidabuday, 27, USA, 2:14:34, Asics Metaspeed Sky (red/black)
14. Nathan Martin, 33, USA, 2:16:16, Nike Vaporfly 3 (black)
15. Erenjia Jia, China, 30, 2:16:50, New Balance, FuelCell SuperComp Elite v3 (white/yellow)

RELATED: The Rise of the Semi-Super Shoe

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Ethiopian Tamirat Tola and Kenyan Hellen Obiri ran masterful races to win the New York City Marathon on Sunday morning, but they earned their victories in decidedly different fashion.

Tola, the 2022 marathon world champion, pulled away from countryman Jemal Yimer with a quick surge near mile 19 and went on to win in a course record 2:04:58, while Obiri outlasted a strong pack of聽 women bunched together through mile 24 to win in 2:27:23.

But one of the biggest stories in the race was how well American women Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle ran in their postpartum return to the marathon. Taylor, less than 11 months after giving birth to daughter Keegan last December, led a large contingent of runners in the women鈥檚 race through the 23rd mile mark, en route to finishing eighth in 2:29:48. Huddle, who gave birth to daughter Josephine in April 2022, finished ninth in 2:32:02.

RELATED: Our Greatest Marathon Training Advice

Both runners, who are still breastfeeding this fall, will be running in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on February 3 in Orlando, Florida, in an attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team that will run in the Paris Olympics next summer.

A field of 50,000 runners ran the point-to-point race through New York City鈥檚 five boroughs amid ideal fall running conditions with temperatures in the mid-50s. (For complete results or to track a specific runner, visit the )

Tola Breaks Away

The men鈥檚 race was fast from the start, as a small pack at the front stretched out the pro field before the first several miles. By the halfway point, five men were on course-record pace, (1:02:43), but soon Tola, Yimer, the 2023 Los Angeles Marathon champion, and Albert Korir, the 2021 New York City Marathon champion, were alone at the front as they crossed the Queensboro Bridge and entered Manhattan near the 16-mile mark.

From there, Tola and Yimer surged away from Korir during the long straightaway on 1st Avenue with a 4:28 mile. The two Ethiopians ran stride for stride for about two miles, but Tola looked much more comfortable and seemed intent on breaking the race open as they ran through the 30K (18.6-mile) aid station. He gained a few strides over Yimer by mile 19 and then definitively gapped him on the short, hilly section through the Bronx.

From there, the 32-year-old Tola, a two-time fourth-place finisher in New York, was untouchable, continuing to push the pace to the finish line in Central Park. He broke the longstanding course record of 2:05:06 that was set in 2011 by Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai.

Tola finished third in the London Marathon (2:04:59) back in April, but then he dropped out of the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon in Budapest in mid-August because of stomach problems.

鈥淚 am very, very happy today,鈥� Tola said. 鈥淭hrough 20K, there were some very good runners with me, but I continued to work on the up and down parts of the course. I knew the pace was not too hard for me, so I continued to run as fast as I could.鈥�

After being dropped from the lead pack, Korir didn鈥檛 fade, but instead rallied over the final five miles en route to a runner-up finish in 2:06:57. Shura Kitata, a two-time New York City Marathon runner-up, was third in 2:07:11, while Abdi Nageeye, a Somali-born Dutch runner, was fourth in 2:10:21.

Edward Cheserek, a Kenyan athlete who was a record-setting high school runner in New Jersey and a 17-time NCAA champion for the University of Oregon, finished eighth in his debut marathon in聽 2:11:07. Futsum Zienasellassie, a member of the HOKA NAZ Elite team based in Flagstaff, Arizona, was the top American in the race, finishing 10th in 2:12:09.

Obiri Pulls Rare Boston-NYC Double

The women鈥檚 race started at a relaxed pace with a dozen runners in the lead pack through the halfway split (1:14:20). Taylor and Huddle were consistently in the mix along with Ethiopia鈥檚 Letesenbet Gidey and a deep contingent of Kenyans that included Obiri, Viola Cheptoo, Mary Ngugi, Edna Kiplagat, former world record holder Brigid Kosgei, and last year鈥檚 winner Sharon Lokedi.

Although Huddle, 39, fell off the lead pack near mile 20, Taylor, a 37-year-old mother of four, who was sixth in New York City in 2021, ran stride for stride with the lead group through mile 23 at a聽 5:18-mile pace after it had dwindled to just nine runners. From there, Cheptoo pushed the pace鈥攔unning the 24th mile in 5:09鈥攁nd only Obiri, Gidey, Kosgei, and Lokedi could keep up.

RELATED: 24 Hours with One of the World鈥檚 Best Marathoners

With a mile to go, Obiri was in a battle with Gidey and Lokedi, and it looked like any of them could win it. But as the runners passed through Columbus Circle on the way back into Central Park, Obiri began to surge. She and Gidey broke away in an all-out sprint over the undulating final 400 meters, while Lokedi fell a few strides behind.

As Obiri began to open up a lead, she kept looking over her shoulder, but Gidey couldn鈥檛 respond, and Obiri broke the finish tape to win with a six-second margin over Gidey (2:27:29). It was the reversal of their final sprint in the 10,000-meter run at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, where Gidey outkicked Obiri for the win.

Lokedi was third in 2:27:33, followed by Kosgei in fourth (2:27:45) and Ngugi in fifth (2:27:53), making it one of the closest finishes in New York City Marathon history.

A year after making her marathon debut in New York鈥攕he finished sixth in 2:25:49鈥擮biri, 33, has emerged as the top women鈥檚 marathoner in the world. She won the Boston Marathon in April in 2:21:38. She became the fifth woman ever to win Boston and New York in the same year, the first time since Norway鈥檚 Ingrid Kristiansen did it in 1989.

鈥淚 knew it was going to be difficult because Gidey and Lokedi are both very fast,鈥� said Obiri, who trains in Boulder, Colorado, as part of the On Athletics Club and coach Dathan Ritzenhein. 鈥淏ut the marathon is all about patience, and so I kept saying, Let me be patient. Then with 400 meters to go, I tried to sprint and get away and it worked.鈥�

Five of the top ten women finishers are mothers, including Obirri, Ngugi, Kiplagat, Taylor, and Huddle.

Switzerland鈥檚 Catherine Debrunner, 28, won the women鈥檚 wheelchair race in a course-record 1:39:32, while 37-year-old countryman Marcel Hug, a 12-time world champion and six-time Paralympic champion won the race for the fifth time in 1:25:29. The U.S. Paralympic marathon team was selected from the New York City results, as Daniel Romanchuk (second, 1:27:38) and Aaron Pike (fourth, 1:39:58) were the top American men, while Sussannah Scaroni (third, 1:48:14) and Tatayna McFadden (sixth, 1:53:31) were the top two U.S. women.

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Edward Cheserek has wanted to race the New York City Marathon ever since he was a teenage runner in New Jersey. His objective to attempt the distance of 26.2 miles is part of his long-term blueprint as he transitions away from the track and onto the road.

So far, the 29-year-old鈥攚ho left behind a legacy at the University of Oregon as the most decorated NCAA runner in history with 17 national titles鈥攊s proving he can measure up as he matures into longer road races. His long-awaited marathon debut is one the most intriguing in recent memory.

鈥淚鈥檝e been running track for a long time, and I feel like I鈥檓 losing my speed,鈥� Cheserek said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I decided this [marathon] is the best option. I decided to move up slowly.鈥�

Of the six half marathons that Cheserek has competed in鈥攈is longest competitive distance to date鈥攈e has finished in the top ten in every race, including winning the Copenhagen Half Marathon in 59:11 in September. Cheserek admitted that even he was surprised and described himself as 鈥渞usty鈥� in what was only his third road race in 2023.

RELATED: Top 10 Things to Know About The 2023 New York City Marathon

鈥楾he Hard Work Is the Training鈥�

Now, Cheserek says he is聽 鈥渞eady and excited鈥� when he talks about competing in the New York City Marathon, taking place at 9:10 A.M. ET on Sunday, November 5. The world鈥檚 largest marathon, and one of the most iconic sporting events across the globe, is expected to include more than 50,000 runners from 150 countries.

The New York City Marathon also brings together one of the toughest competitive fields in the sport, but unlike other major marathons like Berlin, this race does not have pacemakers as it is not a world record-focused course. Cheserek will compete in the that will include 2021 New York City Marathon winner Albert Korir of Kenya, 2020 London Marathon champion Shura Kitata of Ethiopia, as well as Somali-Dutch runner Abdi Nageeye, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist in the marathon. Ethiopian Tamirat Tola, the 2022 world champion who has run a personal best of 2:03:39, is the fastest entrant in New York鈥檚 elite field.

Cheserek鈥檚 opponents, however, will no longer include defending champion Evans Chebet and two-time winner Geoffrey Kamworor, both of whom withdrew from the marathon in mid-October. Chebet offered Cheserek a few words prior to his debut, 鈥淭he hard work is training, but the race is easier.鈥�

Preparing for the Podium

Cheserek began his marathon training in June, running upwards of 150 miles a week, his longest run topping out at 25 miles. Though he is based in Flagstaff, Arizona鈥攁 distance running hotbed 7,000 feet above sea level鈥擟heserek opted to prepare for the marathon while living in Kaptagat, Kenya, located nearly 8,000 feet above sea level and offering a better training advantage compared to in Flagstaff, he says. In Kenya, Cheserek said he would often run alongside Kelvin Kiptum, who broke the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October.

鈥淗e has more experience than me,鈥� Cheserek says, laughing. 鈥淚t was tough, but nothing is easy in training.鈥�

Cheserek trains under the guidance of Andy Powell, his college coach with whom he has returned to train after a brief stint with Stephen Haas, coach of 2022 New York City women’s champion, Sharon Lokedi. Cheserek relied on workout instructions via email and text and twice weekly check-ins with Powell.

And though Cheserek is based in the U.S., he officially represents Kenya in competitions, a decision he made in 2020 as he awaits to become an American citizen. His goal is to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Born in Kapchebau village in the Rift Valley of Kenya, Cheserek grew up on a farm, the fourth oldest of seven siblings. He is a member of the Marakwet, a subgroup of the Kalenjin, a tribe known for its world-dominating runners that includes two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, the first man to run a marathon in less than two hours.

Cheserek, however, got his start in soccer before his father encouraged him to run. Though he hails from a family of runners, Cheserek is the only one to have taken his ability to an elite level. In 2010, at age 14, Cheserek left his family in Kenya and moved to the U.S. alone after he accepted a scholarship to attend St. Benedict鈥檚 Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey.

He quickly developed into a high school running phenom, winning two national titles in cross-country and setting the national record for two miles. Cheserek鈥檚 talent catapulted him into the public eye as he became one of the nation鈥檚 fastest high school runners and a blue-chip recruit.聽

RELATED: 24 Hours with One of the World鈥檚 Best Marathoners

After Cheserek enrolled at the University of Oregon, at the time he was described in the media as one of the most exciting talents in the sport. His storied collegiate career included 14 national titles in track and three in cross-country. He became a 21-time All American by the time he graduated from Oregon in 2017 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in business. That same year, Cheserek signed a sponsorship deal with the Skechers Performance Team.聽

Cheserek鈥檚 foray onto the pro circuit has yet to match the illustrious career he experienced as an amateur. Although he ran a 3:49.44 indoor mile in 2018 as a first-year pro鈥攖he second-fastest in history, at the time鈥攈e has not been on a podium at a world championship or at the Olympics, partly due to the complexity of what country he鈥檇 represent and, therefore, attempt to qualify for such prestigious global competitions.聽

But Cheserek remains hopeful that more is to come, and perhaps the marathon is what he is uniquely qualified to do, more so than what he has accomplished on the track. On the starting line near the base of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island on Sunday, Cheserek will quickly figure that out.聽

And though he admitted feeling a little intimidated to run his first marathon stacked against some of the world鈥檚 best, 鈥�It鈥檚 going to be tough,鈥� Cheserek said, adding, 鈥�I鈥檓 prepared for whatever happens.鈥澛�

The post Can This Former Track Star Win the New York City Marathon? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Thomas Eller is on a mission to become the world鈥檚 first deaf-born person to complete all six of the World Marathon Majors prestigious races: Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo. When someone runs all six, they become a Six-Star Finisher.聽

Eller was born deaf into a supportive hearing family in Essen, Germany. His mother was protective, especially because she knew how difficult it would be for a deaf child to live in a hearing world. But Eller was particularly resilient, and went on to take speech therapy three times a week and learn to speak and sign in three languages.聽聽

He was always an excellent runner, and in 2018, Eller鈥檚 friend Dr. Rafael Lochowslo convinced him to take on his first marathon, the Petra Desert Marathon in Petra, Jordan. Although he was hesitant to compete at first, Eller placed fourth overall, and hasn鈥檛 stopped running races since.聽聽

A teacher at David-Ludwig Bloch School in Essen, a popular school for deaf people, Eller was motivated to become a Six-Star Finisher to show his students that deaf-born people can go out into the world and follow their dreams without fear. To this day, he hopes to build a bridge, through running, to connect the hearing and deaf community.聽

The Six-Star Stories episode takes us through Eller鈥檚 final days of training for the final Six-Star Finisher, the Tokyo Marathon. He was coached by Olympian Petra Kurkova, who is also deaf. Eller notes that he was lucky to find a coach like her, because team sports are often more popular in the deaf community compared to individual sports like running.聽

鈥淭hey feel separated, so they protect themselves and stay in this circle,鈥� he says in the documentary. 鈥淚 left the circle to run marathons all over the world. I want to show the deaf community that it鈥檚 possible to make connections with the hearing community.鈥澛�

When he arrived in Tokyo days before the marathon, Eller had a reunion with all the runner friends he鈥檇 met over the years. He was especially excited to see Kevin Hii, who Eller met while running the Berlin Marathon in 2019. The two share a close bond and would run the race side-by-side, becoming Six-Star Finishers together. Eller says that the special thing about Hii is that he doesn鈥檛 care about his disability.

鈥淚 was first and foremost impressed by his ability as an athlete before anything else,鈥� Hii says. 鈥淔or somebody who ran his first marathon close to four hours, to then improve by almost an hour, I thought, This is an exceptional athlete.鈥澛�

People approached him at the start line to offer words of support and thank him for being an inspiration. During the race, he thought of his family, his students, and the people who supported him鈥攊t all came to a head when he crossed the finish line and broke down, becoming emotional over the idea that he had just made history.聽

鈥淗ellen Keller once said, 鈥�Blindness separates people from things, but deafness separates people from people.鈥� I don鈥檛 think I agree with Helen Keller. I鈥檓 living proof that Helen Keller may be wrong.鈥澛�

Watch on 国产吃瓜黑料 Watch.

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Rahsaan Thomas still remembers immense leg cramps the day he completed his first marathon in 2017. On a cold Friday morning in November, he tied up a pair of donated white-and-grey Nikes and pounded around a quarter-mile loop of gravel, dirt, and concrete in a yard surrounded by barbed wire fences at San Quentin State Prison, a maximum-security facility 25 miles north of San Francisco, California.

Thomas grew up in Brownsville, in east Brooklyn, one of New York City鈥檚 poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods. He was 29 when he was arrested after he fatally shot someone and injured another during a drug deal. Three years later, Thomas was sentenced with 55 years to life for a second-degree murder conviction.

RELATED: Why I Run in Prison

While Thomas was incarcerated, he had dedicated himself to rehabilitation. He became a staff writer for the San Quentin News, a regular contributor to , and he developed into an acclaimed journalist, co-hosting the Pulitzer Prize-nominated podcast 鈥�,鈥� an audio production created from within San Quentin highlighting daily life in prison. Thomas also worked with several criminal justice reform groups in addition to earning an associate鈥檚 degree. And he found running.

26.2 to Life

At San Quentin, Thomas had joined the prison鈥檚 in 2013, a running program led by volunteers and implemented as a way to encourage those incarcerated to run 1,000 miles or more while serving time, says the club鈥檚 head coach Frank Ruona, a former army officer and accomplished marathoner. Ruona oversees the prison鈥檚 annual marathon, which is the subject of a new documentary , directed by Christine Yoo.

鈥淏eing able to go inside prisons is very important in order for people to understand what鈥檚 really going on in the system,鈥� Yoo says. 鈥淭his is how we can begin to address reducing incarceration. We owe it to ourselves as a society not to just lock them up and throw away the key, because these are human beings who are being punished for being poor and on drugs or have developed criminal behavior as a result of growing up in abusive households, which loops back to poverty and drugs. It鈥檚 an overwhelming and depressing situation. But what I learned from the 1000 Mile Club is that it鈥檚 possible to change lives, to make a lasting impact, that with support, rehabilitation is a realistic goal, and it can change the prison system as we know it.鈥�

Yoo says she hopes the film will inspire the incarcerated population and prison administrators to better understand the benefits of rehabilitation and want to start their own running clubs.

Running, Thomas says, gave him a breath of freedom, though it was short-lived. He ran for acceptance and simultaneously for punishment and redemption. As grueling and painful as it felt, Thomas wanted to prove that, if he could finish a marathon, he could endure anything. So he kept going around the loop, which comprised six 90-degree turns in the prison鈥檚 yard, surveilled by armed guards in towers. Thomas, nicknamed 鈥淣ew York,鈥� circled it 105 times alongside a couple dozen other incarcerated men, all of whom were members of San Quentin鈥檚 1000 Mile Club.

Dressed in loose, knee-length grey shorts and a white sweatband around his forehead, Thomas moved gingerly, urging himself not to quit. He struggled through muscle cramps on the way to finishing the marathon distance in 6 hours, 12 minutes, and 23 seconds.

鈥淭he hardest thing I鈥檝e ever done,鈥� said Thomas, 53. Now, he will run his first marathon outside the prison walls.

鈥淢y Knees Complain鈥�

Thomas was granted a commutation, a reduced sentence, from California Governor Gavin Newsom. After being incarcerated for nearly 23 years, he was released with parole on February 8, 2023. He celebrated that day by eating steak and French toast for breakfast, before he shopped for clothes and called his mother and his son.

Five months later, in July, Thomas began training for the New York City Marathon, as part of a pact he made with Claire Gelbart, whom he met at San Quentin when she volunteered as a journalism teaching assistant. They agreed to run a marathon together in the future if ever he was released.

鈥淚鈥檇 always wanted to walk from Brooklyn to Harlem just to see New York,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淭he opportunity to run all five boroughs to see the whole city really appeals to me.鈥�

But he knows all too well that preparing to run a marathon is an art of consistency. 鈥淢y knees complain,鈥� he says, laughing. 鈥淚鈥檓 slow.鈥�

A Natural Leader

Fitting in the training has been a calculated effort since his release nine months ago, as life has become as busy as ever. Thomas, who currently lives in the Bay Area, is awake by 6 A.M., often starting the day at the gym for an hour before plugging into continuous Zoom meetings before mentoring youth at San Francisco鈥檚 juvenile hall.

His priority is bringing awareness to , a nonprofit Thomas co-founded and launched in June 2020 while he was incarcerated. Its mission is to use art and writing to break cycles of intergenerational incarceration and poverty and achieve public safety without violence. In October, Thomas started a with the goal of raising $120,000 to support Empowerment Avenue鈥檚 programming initiatives.

RELATED: Running in Prison Changed Everything

Mass incarceration 鈥渙nly punishes symptoms like poverty, a lack of opportunities, isolation, and a culture that breeds hate,鈥� Thomas wrote on the fundraiser page. The idea behind Empowerment Avenue is to offer a different approach by connecting incarcerated men in filmmaking, art, and journalism with respective industries to bridge creative partnerships.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about showing the world something different and at the same time getting people paid for their work so their individual lives will be better,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淧eople coming home broke and not having the opportunity to make money legally [or] being excluded from society is not a good thing.鈥�

Thomas learned by experience while at San Quentin, where he began his writing career from his four-by-nine-foot cell. He says Empowerment Avenue helped normalize inclusion of his work as a writer from behind bars.

鈥淲hen you include people in society and provide economic opportunities to heal, you get people that don鈥檛 come back to prison,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淵ou get people that become productive members of society.鈥�

Empowerment Avenue鈥檚 fundraising initiative comprises tiered goals: $5,000 can support the expansion of a writing development program at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit, a women鈥檚 prison of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Gatesville, Texas; $10,000 can aid a year of books, magazines, stamps, and other supplies for Empowerment Avenue writers and artists; upwards of $40,000 will support the production of an exhibition curated by an incarcerated artist as well as funding for a film.

Thomas says his goal is to employ the formerly incarcerated on staff as he continues to expand Empowerment Avenue. He hopes that by running the New York City Marathon he can bring necessary awareness that can help make an impact.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a proof of concept. We鈥檙e showing the public the importance of having access to society, getting our messages out, holding the system accountable,鈥� says Thomas. 鈥淣o matter how hard it is, you鈥檝e got to keep going. I keep going.鈥�

The post His First Marathon Was in Prison. His Second Will Be in New York City. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Following the mid-September news from the Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) that the Sydney Marathon would be the host race for the 2024 Age Group World Championships next September, it was announced on October 31 that runners who qualify and participate in the 2024 championships will receive a provisional WMM star at the race.

It doesn鈥檛 mean the Sydney Marathon will become the long-awaited seventh WMM race, but it is one of three destination races engaged in a two-year qualification process to possibly join the majors circuit in 2025.

Since the city chosen to be the 鈥渟eventh star鈥� in the World Marathon Majors will not be announced until 2025, this provisional star awarded in Sydney is meant to be an interim nod of acknowledgement to those runners who will compete Down Under.

鈥淭he Age Group World Championships is a program our community feels strongly about and one that has produced record-breaking performances in a number of categories,鈥� says Dawna Stone, CEO of Abbott World Marathon Majors. 鈥淭hat demonstrates the standard of runners taking part and the level of commitment our participants have to this goal. We believe it is only right that this special group, that is already part of the AbbottWMM family, should be rewarded for dedicating themselves to training for, traveling to and racing in our flagship event.鈥�

The Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships were introduced in 2022 at the London Marathon, offering the masters running community the opportunity to add a further layer of competition to their goals by qualifying to compete for their age-group crown or a podium finish.

This year鈥檚 Age Group World Championships were held in conjunction with the Chicago Marathon on October 8. Cesar Lizano Cedeno, a 41-year-old runner from Costa Rica, was the men鈥檚 overall age-group champion in 2:24:05, while Japan鈥檚 Mai Fujisawa was the women鈥檚 overall winner in 2:41:43.

As of yet, there is no non-binary division at the WMM age-group world championships. Organizers have said there are not enough races that have non-binary categories with sufficient numbers to create meaningful competition, and, accordingly, the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings and Championships, are unable to offer a non-binary option for qualification. It has said it will keep the potential for a non-binary division under annual review.

The WMM series of races was organized in 2006 with Boston, New York, London, Berlin, and Chicago as the founding marathons in the circuit, and then the Tokyo Marathon was added in 2013. The WMM introduced the Six Star Medal in 2016 to honor the runners who complete all six marathons in the series. Through the completion of the New York City Marathon last fall, there have been a total of 8,143 six-star finishes from 104 different countries.

The U.S. has the most six-star finishers through 2022 with 1,544, followed by the UK (771), Italy (453), Germany (439), and China (400).

RELATED: Looking to Qualify for the Boston Marathon? Here’s What Strava Data Says About That Elusive BQ

World Marathon Major Candidate Cities

In addition to the , the other two cities in the running for the elusive seventh WMM race are the in South Africa and the in China. Danny Coyle, Chief Content Officer at the Abbott World Marathon Majors, said the earliest any of the candidate cities could pass the criteria and be selected as a World Marathon Major race is 2025.

Abbott WMM is working with strategic partner Infront Sports & Media鈥攁 subsidiary of Beijing-based Wanda Sports Group鈥攖o identify candidate marathons based on the same criteria.

鈥淭he candidacy process runs the full gamut from runner experience to things like course signage, aid stations, right the way聽through to [the] quality of elite fields in both the able-bodied and open elite divisions,鈥� Coyle said. 鈥淪ydney, Cape Town, and Chengdu all remain in the process, and all three could become Abbott World Marathon Majors. Our mission here is to create and support opportunities for all to discover the power of the marathon. Expanding into new continents and territories helps us serve that goal.鈥�

How to Qualify for the 2024 World Marathon Majors Age Group Championships

There are varying paths to qualify for the World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships. First, the term 鈥渁ge-group鈥� is key; an athlete has to be 40 or older to qualify for the championships. Second, runners also have to meet the automatic qualifying time in a qualifying race, or place high enough in the Age Group World Rankings. Age-group qualifying times range from 2:35 (men鈥檚) and 3:05 (women鈥檚) for the 40-44 age-group to 4:40 (men鈥檚) and 5:25 (women鈥檚) for the 80-and-older age-group.

There are currently only to qualify for the 2024 age-group championships鈥攊ncluding the California International Marathon on December 3, the only North American race.

An alternate entry option to the 2024 age-group championships is via the virtual , which has 200 invites up for grabs. Those taking part in the virtual challenge need to complete a 26.2-mile time trial with an approved device or app by the end of November 5, the date of this year鈥檚 New York City Marathon. (As of October 31, there are nearly 1,000 recorded finishes with the top 10 men between 2:33 and 2:46 and the top 10 women ranging from 2:51 to 3:09.) The 200 championship slots will be awarded in late December to the fastest finishers across all age groups based after verification of聽 individual results.

RELATED: Don’t Skimp on Marathon Recovery

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What happens when you squeeze over 53,000 runners and 2 million spectators onto a 26.2-mile course that threads through all five boroughs of America鈥檚 most beloved city? Well, you get the , the biggest and rowdiest party in running.

鈥淭he TCS New York City Marathon course traverses vibrant, diverse neighborhoods filled with millions of roaring fans,” said Suresh Muthuswami, Chairman of North America, TCS. “It鈥檚 where the world comes to celebrate running,鈥�

On Sunday, November 5, the sixth and final World Major Marathons race of the year will take place, and it鈥檚 bound to be fast, real fast. But in addition to the elite field hunting for that podium (and the $100,000 awarded to each winner), this week, race organizers announced several new tech upgrades to enhance the race-day spectating experience.

RELATED: 24 Hours with One of the World鈥檚 Best Marathoners

鈥淲e are thrilled to be launching new activations that will elevate the fan and spectator experience further鈥攚hether it be for those following the marathon for the first time or those who have been part of our running community for decades,鈥� said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners (NYRR).

Here鈥檚 what we know.

New Earpiece Radios for Spectators

OK, this is a first. For the first time in a major marathon, anyone at the finish area who is a Mastercard user will be able to snag an earpiece radio to pipe in the race鈥檚 live WABC-TV/ESPN2 broadcast. Imagine watching with anticipation in Central Park (along with tens of thousands of others) just as you鈥檙e listening to real-time play-by鈥損lay as the field pummels toward the finish.

App Upgrades for Better Race Tracking

This year, race organizers have upped the number of timing mats and added five cameras along the route, for a more intimate runner tracking experience on the app.

Where鈥檚 your loved one on course? How is your running buddy looking at mile 10? What鈥檚 your coworker鈥檚 20-mile split? A quick dash of the thumb and you鈥檒l be able to see exactly where they are, and perhaps even watch as they fly through several points along the course.

In addition, there will be a livestream of the professional race available in the app, built with 鈥渟econd screen鈥� compatibility, meaning you鈥檒l be able to seamlessly watch the race just as you toggle to track runners.

This year鈥檚 live commentary will be dished out by American legends Des Linden, Galen Rupp, and two-time NYC Marathon champion and three-time Paralympian Amanda McGrory. Another exciting bonus with this year鈥檚 app upgrade is that it now offers an integrated sustainability survey for app users to measure their environmental impact during race weekend and, in turn, make greener choices. What gets measured gets improved, right?

User-Generated, Crowd-Sourced Cheer

Other than a New York City Marathon app with second-screen capabilities and enhanced camera footage along the course you can stream in the palm of your hand, other activations this year include New Balance mobile feeds, where runners and their cheer teams can amplify their support from any phone to jumbotrons, interactive selfie stations with elite runners, a Citizens Stage that will host three days of speaker panels, and interactive maps at the expo where runners will be able to scan their bibs and a large map will light up their hometown. Last year, there were 131-plus countries represented, so expect the map to be a veritable fireworks display.

How to Watch the New York City Marathon?

on ESPN2 (and livestreamed on its app on ESPN.com) from 8 A.M. ET to 11:30 A.M ET. Pre-race coverage for the 2023 New York City Marathon will begin at 7 A.M. ET. You can also download the ESPN app or ABC 7 New York App to stream the event.

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6:00 A.M.

Four weeks out from competing in the 2023 New York City Marathon, one of the world鈥檚 most prestigious road races, an alarm clock gently buzzes, signaling the start of the day for 33-year-old Hellen Obiri.

Despite having rested for nearly nine hours, Obiri, a two-time world champion from Kenya, says the alarm is necessary, otherwise she can oversleep. This morning鈥檚 training session of 12 miles at an easy pace is the first of two workouts on her schedule for the day as she prepares for the New York City Marathon on November 5.

The race will be her third attempt in the distance since she graduated from a successful track career and transitioned into road racing in 2022. Obiri placed sixth at her marathon debut in New York last November, finishing in 2:25:49.

鈥淚 was not going there to win. I was there to participate and to learn,鈥� she says, adding that the experience taught her to be patient with the distance. This time around in New York, she wants to claim the title.

6:38 A.M.

Obiri drinks two glasses of water, but she hasn鈥檛 eaten anything by the time she steps outside of her two-bedroom apartment in the Gunbarrel neighborhood of Boulder, Colorado.

In September 2022, the three-time Olympian moved nearly 9,000 miles from her home in the Ngong Hills, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, to Colorado. She wanted to pursue her marathon ambitions under the guidance of coach and three-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein, who is the fourth-fastest U.S. marathoner in history. Ritzenhein retired from professional running in 2020 and now oversees the Boulder-based On Athletics Club (OAC), a group of elite professional distance runners supported by Swiss sportswear company On.

Obiri, who was previously sponsored by Nike for 12 years before she signed a deal with On in 2022, said that moving across the world wasn鈥檛 a difficult decision. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity. Since I came here, I鈥檝e been improving so well in road races.鈥�

In April, Obiri won the Boston Marathon. It was only her second effort in the distance, and the victory has continued to fuel her momentum for other major goals that include aiming for gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics and also running the six most competitive and prestigious marathons in the world, known as the World Marathon Majors.

Obiri says goodbye to her eight-year-old daughter Tania and gets into a car to drive six miles to Lefthand trailhead, where she runs on dirt five days a week. She will train on an empty stomach, which she prefers for runs that are less than 15 miles. Once, she ate two slices of bread 40 minutes before a 21-mile run and was bothered by side stitches throughout the workout. Now, she is exceptionally careful about her fueling habits.

6:56 A.M.

Three runners stretch next to their cars as Obiri clicks a watch on her right wrist and begins to shuffle her feet. Her warmup is purposely slow. In this part of Colorado, at 5,400 feet, the 48-degree air feels frostier and deserving of gloves, but Obiri runs without her hands covered. She is dressed in a thin olive-colored jacket, long black tights, and a black pair of unreleased On shoes.

Obiri鈥檚 feet clap against a long dirt road flanked by farmland that is dotted with horses and a few donkeys. Her breath is hardly audible as she escalates her rhythm to an average pace of six minutes and 14 seconds per mile. This run adds to her weekly program of 124 miles鈥攕ome days, she runs twice. The cadence this morning is hardly tough on her lungs as she runs with her mouth closed, eyes intently staring ahead at the cotton-candy pink sunrise.

鈥淏eautiful,鈥� Obiri says.

Her body navigates each turn as though on autopilot. Obiri runs alone on easy days like today, but for harder sessions, up to four pacers will join her.

鈥淭hey help me to get the rhythm of speed,鈥� Obiri says. For longer runs exceeding 15 miles, Ritzenhein will bike alongside Obiri to manage her hydration needs, handing her bottles of Maurten at three-mile increments.

RELATED: Who Wore Which Shoes at the 2023 Boston Marathon

8:21 A.M.

After an hour, Obiri wipes minimal sweat glistening on her forehead. Her breathing is steady, and her face appears as fresh as when she began the run. She does not stretch before getting into the car to return home.

The remainder of the morning is routine: a shower followed by a breakfast of bread, Weetabix cereal biscuits, a banana, and Kenyan chai鈥攁 mix of milk, black tea, and sugar. She likes to drink up to four cups of chai throughout the day, making the concoction with tea leaves gifted from fellow Kenyan athletes she sees at races.

Then, she will nap, sometimes just for 30 minutes, and other times upwards of two hours. 鈥淭he most important thing is sleeping,鈥� Obiri says. 鈥淲hen I go to my second run [of the day], I feel my body is fresh to do the workout. If I don鈥檛 sleep, I feel a lot of fatigue from the morning run.鈥�

1:00 P.M.

Obiri prepares lunch. Normally she eats at noon, but today her schedule is busier than usual. She cooks rice, broccoli, beets, carrots, and cabbage mixed with peanuts. Sometimes she makes chapati, a type of Indian flatbread commonly eaten in Kenya, or else she eats beans with rice.

The diet is typical among elite Kenyan athletes, and she hasn鈥檛 changed her eating habits since moving to the U.S. Obiri discovered a grocery store in Denver that offers African products, so she stocks up on ingredients like ground corn flour, which she uses to make ugali, a dense porridge and staple dish in many East African countries. She is still working through 20 pounds of flour she bought in June.

2:15 P.M.

Obiri receives an hour massage, part of her routine in the early afternoon, three times a week. Usually the session is at the hands of a local physiotherapist, but sometimes Austin-based physiotherapist Kiplimo Chemirmir will fly in for a few days. Chemirmir, a former elite runner from Kenya, practices what he refers to as 鈥淜enthaichi massage,鈥� an aggressive technique that involves stretching muscles in short intervals.

3:00 P.M.

Ritzenhein modifies Obiri鈥檚 training schedule, omitting her afternoon six-mile run so she can rest for the remainder of the day and reset for a speed workout tomorrow morning. Last fall, he took over training Obiri, who was previously coached by her agent Ricky Simms, who represented Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, an eight-time gold medalist and world record holder, and British long distance runner Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic gold medalist.

Ritzenhein has programmed Obiri鈥檚 progression into the marathon with more volume and strength training. The meticulous preparation is essential to avoid the aftermath of her marathon debut in New York City last fall, when she was escorted off the course in a wheelchair after lacking a calculated fueling and hydration strategy. Obiri had averaged running 5:33-minute miles on a hilly route that is considered to be one of the most difficult of all the world marathon major races.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a real racing race. You have to make the right moves; you have to understand the course,鈥� Ritzenhein says of the New York City Marathon. 鈥淲e鈥檝e changed some things in training to be a little more prepared. We鈥檝e been going to Magnolia Road, which is a very famous place from running lore鈥攈igh altitude, very hilly. We鈥檝e been doing some long runs up there. In general, she鈥檚 got many more 35 and 40K [21 and 24 miles] runs than she had before New York last year.鈥�

In New York, Obiri is aiming to keep pace alongside a decorated elite field that will include Olympic gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir, former women鈥檚 marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei, and defending New York Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi, all of whom are from Kenya. In fact, Kenyan women have historically dominated at the New York City Marathon, winning nine titles since 2010 and 14 total to date, the most of any country since women were permitted to race in 1972.

鈥淭hey are all friendly ladies,鈥� Obiri says. 鈥淏ut you know, in sports we are enemies. It鈥檚 like a war. Everybody wants to win.鈥�

3:10 P.M.

While Obiri is finishing her massage, her daughter returns from school. Though Obiri arrived in Colorado last fall, her husband Tom Nyaundi and their daughter didn鈥檛 officially move to the U.S. until this past March. The adjustment, Obiri says, was a hard moment for the family.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have a car. In the U.S. you can鈥檛 move [around] if you don鈥檛 have a car. We had a very good team that helped us a lot,鈥� Obiri says of the OAC, whom she refers to as her friends. 鈥淭he athletes made everything easier for us. They were dropping my daughter to school. Coach would pick me up in the morning, take me to massage, to the store. I was lucky they were very supportive.鈥� Now, Obiri says she and her family have fully adjusted to living in the U.S.

3:20 P.M.

Obiri returns home and makes a tomato and egg sandwich before taking another nap. Usually she naps for up to two hours after lunch. Today, her nap is later and will last for two and a half hours.

7:00 P.M.

Obiri doesn鈥檛 eat out or order takeaway. 鈥淲e are not used to American food,鈥� she says, smiling. 鈥淚 enjoy making food at home.鈥� Dinner is a rotation of Kenyan dishes like sukuma wiki鈥攕aut茅ed collard greens that accompany ugali鈥攐r pilau, a rice-based dish made with chicken, goat, or beef. This evening, she prepares ugali with sukuma wiki and fried eggs.

8:30 P.M.

Before bed, Obiri says she can鈥檛 resist a nightcap of Kenyan chai. She will pray before falling asleep. And when she wakes up at 6:00 A.M. the next day, she will prepare for a track session, the intervals of which add up to nearly 13 miles: a 5K warmup, followed by 1 set of 4×200 meters at 32 seconds (200 meter jog between each rep); 3 sets of 4×200 meters at 33 seconds聽 (200 meter jog between each rep); 5×1600 meters at 5:12 (200 meter jog between each rep) and finishing with a 5K cool down.

The workout is another one in the books that will bring her a step closer to the starting line of the race she envisions winning. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 so strong,鈥� Obiri says. She knows New York will be tough. But 鈥渨hen I go to a race I say, 鈥榶ou have to fight.鈥� And if you try and give your best, you will do something good.鈥�

RELATED: Evans Chebet, Hellen Obiri Win the 2023 Boston Marathon

The post 24 Hours with One of the World鈥檚 Best Marathoners appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In our monthly column in partnership with Strava, we take a deep dive into compelling data points that reveal the more human side of sport.聽

In 2023, a record-breaking 33,058 athletes applied for the 128th Boston Marathon. Of those, just 22,019 were accepted (pending final verification). Qualifying times are established for different age and gender categories. Still, with so many applicants, the unofficial cutoff times for acceptance were five minutes and 29 seconds faster than the official qualifying time many athletes push for.

Looking at data from several 2022 marathons, interesting trends emerge. We analyzed Strava data from the Berlin, Chicago, Marine Corps, New York City, CIM, and Valencia marathons. Here鈥檚 what the data tells us about qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

A Quick Note on Courses

Before we get too deep into the data, it鈥檚 worth discussing the fact that the above courses have different course dynamics and demographics, which influence median finishing times. Berlin, CIM, and Valencia are all fast courses that attract folks gunning for a BQ. (Hola Valencia! Peep that four feet of total gain, with a net descent of 106 feet.) CIM has a particularly high percentage of BQs since it combines a fast course with a smaller field鈥攎any run CIM specifically to qualify for Boston.

Last year was a record-breaking heat year at the NYC Marathon, which resulted in an anomalously low negative-split rate. More than 2,000 runners didn鈥檛 cross the finish line in 2022, with temperatures soaring to 75 degrees with聽 75 percent humidity, which radically affected finishing times. We鈥檒l still look at data from NYC, but 2022 was exceptional. Only 30 percent of runners at NYC who were aiming for a sub-three finish met that goal, and only half of runners looking to go sub-four did so.

Training for A BQ Versus Training For a Marathon

Across all the marathons we analyzed, athletes had similar training. Most started at a base of around 20 miles a week and a 10-mile long run. On average, they worked up to a 30-mile week and a 20-mile long run. While there鈥檚 a slight variation in average miles per week (mpw), the training time in the peak week is similar (and each race has a different mix of target paces for participants).

CIM had the highest average mileage baseline and peak week, suggesting that it attracts more experienced runners with a specific goal in mind. CIM runners started with a 30 mpw base and progressed to a 50-mile peak week and 21-mile long run. BQ runners at CIM started with a 43-mile peak week (the highest of any marathon analyzed). When we just look at athletes who hit the BQ standard to equalize the field, CIM runners have a higher baseline and peak week.

While many newer distance runners tend to focus on flashy long runs, the distance of the longest run was not strongly correlated with a BQ. Comparing BQ runners and all other athletes, the distance of the longest run was 20 to 22 miles across each marathon. But, the base mileage was higher for BQ runners, bearing in mind that base volume matters more than the distance of any long run. BQ runners at CIM averaged 65 miles during their peak week, while the rest of the field averaged 50 mpw. Similarly, Chicago BQers averaged 57 miles during peak week, compared to the rest of the field鈥檚 41 mpw peak week.

RELATED: Didn鈥檛 Qualify for the Boston Marathon? Fundraise for One of These Charities.

Interestingly, there was not a strong correlation between success on hillier courses and runners averaging more elevation gain in their training. Across all races, BQ runners did have more elevation in their training. For example, CIM and Berlin BQers had 15 percent more elevation gain in their training than runners who didn鈥檛 BQ (even when you control for average mileage). CIM runners hit the most vertical gain, averaging 100 feet of elevation gain per mile over the training cycle.

Speed and Experience

There鈥檚 no teacher like experience, and marathons are no different. Runners who finished one of the above races between 2:30 and 2:59 on average have completed six previous marathons. Runners who finished between 4:00 and 4:30 had completed, on average, four previous marathons. Experience helps with pacing, fueling, and other elements of the marathon that are sometimes only learned through trial and error.

Chilling Out

Keep easy days easy. There鈥檚 a strong positive correlation between keeping training runs intentionally slower than race pace and runners hitting their goal pace (defined as the pace runners averaged over the first eight miles of the marathon). Running slower than marathon effort helps build dense capillary beds, strengthen the heart, increase stroke volume (the amount of blood your heart can pump per beat), and increase the endurance capabilities of your muscle fibers by increasing the number of mitochondria in muscle cells. Running too fast causes the breakdown of bone and muscle tissue at a rate that can鈥檛 be outpaced in recovery; plus it makes the body less efficient at processing oxygen.

Runners that kept easy runs about 30 percent slower than goal pace had a 27 percent success rate, finishing at or close to their goal time. For runners who did easy runs only 10 percent slower than their goal pace (the approach of about a third of the runners analyzed), only 19 percent met their goal time, equating to a 31 percent reduction in success rate. Of runners who did 鈥渆asy鈥� days around marathon pace, only 14 percent hit their goal time.

Faster runners, who are more experienced, keep easy runs easier. Runners who finish in 2:30, on average, run their easy days 29 percent slower than goal pace. Compare this with runners who finish an hour later in 3:30, whereas the average runner ran their easy days just 11 percent slower than race pace, and only 20 percent hit their goal finish time.

Runners aiming for a 3:00 marathon (6:52 mile-pace) should shoot for easy days between 7:48 and 8:36. Runners looking to hit a 3:30 time (8:01 mile-pace) should strive for easy days between 9:02 and 9:56, and 4-hour marathoners (9:09 mile-pace) should shoot to keep easy days between 10:11- and 11:11-minute miles. As demonstrated by the data, to go fast, you have to learn to run slow.

Course Choice and Negative Split

Of all the courses, CIM and Valencia had the highest percentage qualifying for Boston, with 32 percent of the field BQing. Only six percent of NYC runners hit the Boston standard (heat!), and the Marine Corps Marathon, popular amongst beginner runners, had a similar qualifying rate. At Chicago and Berline, 18 percent of the runners qualified.

NYC and Marine Corps had the slowest median finish time, just over 4:30, averaged across all runners (NYC usually runs faster in cooler years). NYC is also the largest race, with over 47,000 competitors (compared to CIM鈥檚 10,000). Valencia had the quickest average finish time (3:28), with a relatively small field of 30,000 runners.

Even more than gain and loss, the strongest predictor of BQ success was a negative split, running the second half of the race faster than the first. Take, for instance, Kelvin Kiptum鈥檚 recent world record win in Chicago, in which Kiptum ran a 59:47 negative split to run just 35 seconds over the two-hour barrier.

Just three percent of NYC runners (the heat! The humidity!) negative split in the rising temps, again pointing to an outlier year in NYC. Eleven percent of runners negative split both Chicago and Marine Corps, but experience won out in the Chicago crowd, with its 18 percent BQ rate, eclipsing Marine Corps鈥� six percent (a race that traditionally has more beginner runners).

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Berlin and CIM both boosted a 16 percent negative split rate, though a higher percentage (32 percent) of CIM runners hit the BQ compared to Berlin鈥檚 18 percent. Valencia had the highest percentage of negative splits. Still, a significant portion of that can be attributed to the extremely flat course, with just enough downhill to boost speed but not enough to bash the quads too badly.

So, if you鈥檙e searching for an elusive BQ, here鈥檚 what the data show: slow your runs down, choose your course wisely, shoot for a negative split, and remember that practice makes perfect. It may take a couple of marathons to get it absolutely right, but that experience will be invaluable.

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