Something shifted this spring - and it wasn’t just the weather.
At the Boston Marathon, we saw fast times across the board. Some pointed to ideal conditions - and that’s always part of the story. But then came the London Marathon. No tailwind. No excuses. Just historic performances.
Sebastian Sawe ran 1:59:30.
Tigst Assefa ran 2:15:41, setting a women’s-only world record.
So what connects Boston and London? It’s not just talent. It’s not just shoes. It’s fueling.
The Carb Revolution Is No Longer a Theory
For years, endurance athletes were told to limit carbohydrate intake or “train low.”
That thinking has flipped - completely.
At the elite level, the focus now is maximizing carbohydrate availability in both training and racing. Here’s what we’re seeing:
This isn’t marginal gains anymore. This is a fundamental shift in how endurance performance is built.
Fueling Is Driving the Training
The real breakthrough isn’t just what’s happening on race day - it’s what’s happening in training. Higher carbohydrate intake allows athletes to:
Instead of digging a hole with every hard session, runners are actually supporting the work required to improve. That’s a big shift. Fitness is no longer limited by how much discomfort you can tolerate - it’s supported by how well you fuel.
Why This Changes Everything
This isn’t just about elites running faster times. It’s about why they’re running faster. When fueling improves, everything downstream improves:
We’re seeing it across the board - marathoners, triathletes, cyclists. Better fueling leads to better training. Better training leads to better performance.
What This Means for You
No, you don’t need to jump straight to 120-150g of carbs per hour. But the direction is clear:
The key is doing it correctly for your body and your training.
The Bottom Line
We’re entering a new era of endurance performance.
Records that once felt untouchable are starting to fall - not because athletes suddenly got more talented, but because they’re finally fueling in a way that supports their potential.
High carbohydrate fueling is leading that shift. And for the first time in a long time, performance gains are coming from something that also supports better training consistency and long-term development.
That’s a change worth paying attention to.
At Runcoach, success comes in many forms. PRs, podium finishes, comeback races, first marathons, and simply showing up after setbacks. This month, our community showed incredible grit, consistency, and joy across races big and small around the world. From Boston to Big Sur, London to Melbourne, here are some standout moments we’re celebrating from the past month.
Community Highlights
Skip Mathews claimed 1st in his age group at the Rumpshaker Half Marathon, an inspiring comeback just two years after open heart surgery. He also followed it up with another strong showing at the Red Shoe Run 5K, improving by 7 seconds and placing 2nd in his age group. 
Heli Sorra ran a beautifully executed race at the Philly Love Run Half Marathon, using it as a key stepping stone toward the New York City Marathon later this year.
Diana Bernier and daughter Kelsey completed an excellently paced half marathon in Philadelphia, giving us one of our favorite moments of the month: a mother-daughter racing duo.
Jeremy Paull took a full minute off his previous Run for the Kids 14K time as he builds toward the Great Ocean Road Marathon.
Jeff Brune had a huge month, first crushing his old age group course record at the Early Bird 10 Miler, then running a Boston PR of 3:00:18 at the Boston Marathon. So close to sub-3, Jeff, we know it’s coming.
Brandon Schott finished 18th overall and 1st in his age group at the Donut 10K.
Bill Reamer made a dominant return to the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, winning his new age group in an impressive comeback to fitness.
Attilio Arcari crushed the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler with a 2-minute PR.
Yon Chang broke the tape at the Mary Ruchalski Foundation 5K, earning another PR by 13 seconds.
Robert Grabel completed his 24th marathon at the Delaware Coastal Running Festival in 5:49. Marathon #25 is officially on deck.
Tara Barrett returned to racing in style, finishing 2nd at the Golden Driller Half Marathon in her first half marathon in two years.
Tim Vipond found his rhythm again with a negative split and 5th place age group finish at the Drake Relays Half Marathon.
Kate Gates completed her 22nd consecutive Boston Marathon, an absolutely remarkable streak from Hopkinton to 
Boylston.
Cody Eaves completed a fantastic 50-mile race after a strong winter endurance build.
Ido Simyoni masterfully paced Boston with a 2-minute negative split, finishing in 2:57:04.
Fabiana Manzo earned her hard-fought Boston Marathon finisher medal against an iconic city backdrop.
Greg Williams made his marathon debut at Boston and managed the rare feat of a negative split.
Caroline Seiter crushed a 13-minute PR at the Jersey City Marathon, running 3:27 after a focused training block.
Kim Munksgaard ran a new PR while earning her 4th Abbott World Marathon Major star at Boston.
Chris Miramontes battled through an ankle injury to finish Boston strong in 3:23:39. 
Coddy Johnson ran the UVA School of Medicine 5K with his kids cheering him on.
Kemi Shamonda placed 1st in her age group at the The Parkway Half Marathon!
Jorge Cortes conquered the London Marathon and is already eyeing Tokyo for his next major.
Kurt Steinhaus braved chilly conditions to complete the Wisconsin Half Marathon along Lake Michigan.
R.J. Shanafelt tackled the challenging Big Sur Marathon and enjoyed one of the most scenic courses in the world.
Joseph Lennon shaved 12 seconds off last year’s 5-mile time and finished 3rd in his age group at the Narberth Take a 
Breather 5M.
Abigail Athanasopoulos ran an outstanding 3:34 at Big Sur, finishing 5th in her age group while handling the hills exceptionally well.
Krista Davalos overcame taper challenges and leaned on a strong mindset to complete an excellent Big Sur Marathon.
Alma B broke 4 hours at the Big Sur 21 Miler, finishing in 3:56 and smiling all the way over Hurricane Point.
Kristi Chiles and her son completed their marathon together, complete with race-day cheers from the chariot.
Amiel Snyder earned a half marathon PR at the OKC Half by staying true to his goal: race hard and have fun. 
Coach Alex Monroe’s boys won at the Penn Relays with a state-record DMR time of 9:54.01.
Jennifer Scotto ran her fastest-ever Maui Half Marathon, finishing in 1:48:18 and placing 2nd in her age group.
Steve Stanfield beat his sub-2 goal at the Indy Mini, finishing in 1:57:16.
Ian Fitzpatrick negative split the PNC Alexandria Half Marathon and made it a family affair.
Nancy Kelley placed 2nd in her age group at the Flying Pig 10K and earned gold through the Ohio Senior Olympics qualifying series.
Stefanie Davidson beat her goal of sub-82 at the Broad Street Run, finishing in 81:41.
In an era where the integrity of marathon world records is scrutinized more than ever, Kenyan distance star Sebastian Sawe is rewriting the playbook—not just on the pavement, but in the laboratory. At The London Marathon Sawe obliterated the previous marathon world record running 1:59:30 . What was different? He took the unprecedented step of voluntarily requesting independent drug testing.
This move marks a significant shift in how elite athletes approach the shadow of doping that has loomed over the sport. By choosing transparency over the minimum requirements, Sawe built a foundation of trust before the starting gun even fired.
Sebastian Sawe, has seen the skepticism that follows meteoric rises in marathon times. With recent world records shattering previous benchmarks, the global athletics community has demanded more rigorous oversight. Sawe’s decision to opt-in for additional testing serves as a preemptive strike against doubt.
"Transparency is the only way forward for our sport," Sawe noted in recent discussions regarding his training protocol. "If we want our records to stand the test of time, they must first pass the test of absolute integrity."
Kenya has faced intense pressure from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and World Athletics due to a series of high-profile suspensions. Sawe’s proactive stance is being viewed as a beacon for other Kenyan athletes. His camp believes that by voluntarily entering into high-frequency testing pools, he can prove that world-record-shattering performances can be achieved through talent, training, and clean competition. Sawe was tested 25 times prior to his World Record!
The logistical commitment required for such a request is substantial. It involves coordinating with anti-doping agencies to ensure a biological passport that is beyond reproach. For Sawe, the goal was clear: when he crossed the finish line, the discussion was to be about his splits and his stamina, not his supplements.
Sawe's journey toward the marathon world record was not just a quest for speed—it was a mission to restore the purity of the long-distance run. By opting for testing, he ensured that breaking the world record was a milestone the entire world could celebrate without hesitation.
As a runner, chances are at some point or another you’ve experienced pain in your hamstrings, knees, or lower back that just won’t seem to let up no matter how much you stretch. 
Interestingly enough, this pain may actually be stemming from inactive glute muscles.
Luckily, performing a few simple activation exercises pre-run can stop this pain in its tracks, allowing you to run powerful, strong, and injury free.
“So why aren’t my glutes firing?” you may ask.
The most common reason is that most people sit for long periods of time. The glute muscles tend to stop firing due to a lack of oxygen and tightened hip flexors. This, in return, puts more strain on the lower back, hamstrings, and knees, that imbalanced and stiff feeling when you head out for a run.
Even if you don’t have pain you can benefit greatly from these exercises. Waking the body up before you run is a game changer.
Add these simple exercises to your warm up routine and get those glutes firing.
Here are 4 of my favorite exercises to warm up before your run.
Aiming for 1 round of 30-40 seconds can take you from feeling flat to feeling like you are firing on all cylinders.
StarsGPS watches have become a staple for runners and endurance athletes. They give us instant feedback on pace, distance, heart rate, and more—helping us train with structure and precision. I use mine daily and love the extra data.
The data is endless and here is how you can pair data with expert coaching feedback to make the most out of your training; Sleep score is one metric measured by a watch. Garmin categorises sleep as light, deep, and REM. It measures how much time you spent in each zone and then uses an algorithm to rate your rest. This can be useful if you have a big workout coming up. Perhaps it is worthwhile to push a day to when you are more rested. Checking in with your coach to discuss options can be a great pairing.
Likewise, resting heart rate can be a valuable tool measured by your smart watch. If your HR is 3-4 beats higher, you’re probably just a little fatigued and need an easier day. However, if it is 8-12 beats higher you may be coming down with an illness and a discussion with your caoch can help you to decide if you need a rest day to nip it in the bud before you are forced to take time off.
I’ve learned the hard way that effort is a skill. Tuning into your breathing, energy levels, and muscle fatigue helps you understand how hard you’re actually working—regardless of what your watch says. Over time, this builds intuition, allowing you to adjust in real time and train more sustainably.
Learning to listen to your body is so important and data can help to inform your decisions. As runners we can be our own worst enemies and push through when we should ease off.
The goal is to use your watch and intuition in harmony.
Let data guide your workouts and track your progress, but don’t let it override what your body is telling you. Some days, slowing down is the smartest move you can make—even if the numbers suggest otherwise.
The best athletes combine both: data and feel. We call it a smart watch for a reason.
Every March, runners everywhere lace up for St. Patrick’s Day races and start thinking about luck. Maybe it’s the hope for perfect weather, a fast course, or a great race day where everything clicks.
But if you talk to experienced runners, or look closely at your own best performances, you’ll notice something interesting: the runners who improve year after year usually aren’t the lucky ones.
They’re the consistent ones!
Talent Is Overrated
It’s easy to assume that the fastest runners are just naturally gifted. While talent can play a role, it’s rarely the deciding factor in long-term improvement.
Most runners who achieve personal bests didn’t get there because they had the perfect week of training. They got there because they stacked together months of steady effort.
In other words, they built fitness the reliable way.
Consistency Creates Progress
Running fitness develops over time. Each run builds on the last, gradually strengthening your aerobic system, muscles, and durability.
Miss a week here or there and it’s not a disaster, but progress comes much faster when training becomes routine rather than occasional. That’s why the most successful runners focus less on individual workouts and more on consistency across weeks and months.
A single hard workout won’t transform your running, but 30-40 solid runs over several months will.
Small Habits, Big Results
Consistency doesn’t mean every run needs to be long or fast. In fact, some of the most powerful improvements come from small habits that are easy to maintain. A few examples:
These habits may seem simple, but over time they compound. The difference between runners who improve and runners who plateau often comes down to who sticks with these basics.
The Value of a Coach
Another reason consistency can feel elusive is that many runners aren’t sure what they should be doing each day. Without structure, it’s easy to either push too hard or skip runs altogether.
That’s where following a coach makes a big difference.
A good coach takes the guesswork out of training and can balance easy runs, workouts, and recovery so that you’re building fitness without burning out. More importantly, a coach can provide a clear path forward, one run at a time.
There’s No Luck Required
The truth is that most running breakthroughs aren’t sudden or mysterious. They’re the result of steady effort that compounds over time.
If you keep showing up, keep building your routine, and keep following a smart plan, progress tends to take care of itself.
So this March, instead of relying on luck, focus on the habits that move the needle. Because in running, as in most things, consistency beats talent every time.
What is the secret to your success?
Having a great team! I was lucky enough to have not only my family and friends and athletic instructors and doctors behind me, but also my great coach. Thank you to Coach Cally for all of your help for me! You always made sure that I knew I could do it :)
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it?
Probably me! Although my chronic knee issues that required a lot of visits and scans too. My coach helped a lot by listening to me and helping to modify my training program whenever I needed it.
What is the most rewarding part of training?
Proving to myself that I am more than I thought that I could be.
What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust
What feedback would you offer on the Runcoach experience?
I loved it! I used it to train for the NYC Half and the 2024 NYC Marathon, and Coach Cally stayed with me the whole time. How lucky am I?
It feels counterintuitive to slow down when you want to get faster. Many runners link improvement to harder efforts, faster paces, or total exhaustion after workouts. When a training plan prescribes easy runs, you might wonder: Does this really help, or do I just waste time?
The short answer: yes, slow miles make you faster! But the "Why" matters.
The Purpose of Easy Running
Easy runs serve as the foundation of endurance training, not filler. When we run at a truly easy effort, our bodies adapt in ways impossible when every run feels hard. We teach our bodies efficiency, improve oxygen use in muscles, and build durability. These adaptations allow us to handle harder workouts later and sustain faster paces on race day! We may not feel the work, but important changes occur beneath the surface.
Why Hard All the Time Doesn't Work
A common mistake involves too much time in the middle ground. Not truly easy, but not a quality workout either. This "gray zone" effort feels productive but often leads to fatigue or injury. When every run feels moderately hard, your body never fully recovers. Without recovery, adaptation stops. We end up tired and frustrated that your pace stalls despite the effort. Slow down on easy days to unlock speed on hard days.
Easy Pace is Personal
Runners often resist a slower pace because it feels uncomfortably slow, especially when we focus on pace alone. But easy effort requires ignoring the watch number. Focus on how your body feels.
To ensure you stay in the right zone, target these metrics:
A true easy run allows for conversation. We finish with energy to spare, not a need to lie down. On days with stress, fatigue, or bad weather, the pace might drop more than expected. This signals that we respect our bodies’ needs, not a loss of fitness. As fitness improves, our easy pace speeds up naturally. Don't force it; let it happen.
Trust the Process
Trust remains the hardest part when progress seems invisible. Fitness builds gradually. The payoff often arrives weeks or months later. A pace that once felt difficult becomes manageable, or we finish a race stronger than ever before.
When we feel stuck, constantly fatigued, or frustrated by a lack of progress, a slower pace might provide the exact solution needed.
Moral of the Story
Slow runs are not a step backward. They represent a strategic choice for long-term improvement, consistency, and health. Give your body space to adapt, recover, and grow stronger to set yourself up for speed when it counts. If your training plan calls for an easy day, embrace it. Those slow miles likely do more for your performance than you realize. Sometimes, the fastest way forward is to slow down! :)
Need help calculating your HR zones?
If you aren't sure what your Max Heart Rate is, please reach out to your coach and we’ll help establish some targets.
What is the secret to your success?
Staying consistent and preparing early. Knowing I had plenty of time in training leading up to the race gave me confidence in having wiggle room for weeks off for vacation. And having a coach to help me along the way.
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it?
Managing including workouts into my life with work and travel. I simply told myself it had to be done, made accommodations where I needed to and made sure it was a priority. Those sacrifices were the key to staying consistent.
What is the most rewarding part of training?
Confidentiality finishing the races and collecting my beautiful medals! But also just knowing the fact that my body was able to carry me through those miles.
What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?
You can do hard things - it seems silly but with hard work and determination you can do anything. I would have never thought I would complete a Dopey Challenge and it was extremely satisfying knowing I did.
Anything else you would like to share?
Coach Alice was amazing to work with. She was so knowledgeable, supportive and helpful whenever I had questions. When life got busy it was great having someone else to figure out my mileage for me. Especially when navigating fueling and recovery for races she was critical to not only helping me make it through the races but also helping me bounce back quickly.
What feedback would you offer on the Runcoach experience?
I thoroughly enjoyed using Runcoach. The app is nice and working with a coach was super helpful!
