Training Secrets Of The Most Successful Runners At The Boston Marathon
Becoming a better runner doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s a simple formula: run more, run fast (sometimes), and allow enough time to recover so that your body adapts to and absorbs the training stress.
Most of us have intuitively honed our training strategies over the years to find the blend of miles, runs per week, and other “extracurricular” activities like cross-training that helps us feel and perform our best (while staying injury-free).
But it’s always nice to have some objective information on what works (or what doesn’t) for other runners—perhaps we can borrow some training strategies and patterns in hopes of running faster.
“Big data” can help with this. Millions of runners complete marathons every year, and more and more, researchers are compiling data from major races to reveal training and racing patterns that lead to faster times. Recently, a group comprising researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and other institutions set out to study a large group of runners from the 2022 Boston Marathon to reveal how they trained in the year leading up to the race—and what had the most significant impact on performance.
There are some fun nuggets in this one that’ll help you train better (and smarter).
Researchers emailed all registered runners one month before the Boston Marathon and asked for detailed reports of their training. They gathered information on weekly mileage, number of runs per week, “quality” sessions (which they defined as intervals, tempo runs, fartleks, etc.), and cross-training. Athletes provided data for two distinct periods:
• 12–4 months before the race, a period the researchers referred to as the macrocycle—the runners’ habitual training.
• 4–0 months before the race, a period the researchers referred to as the mesocycle—race prep and taper.
In total, 917 runners (495 women, 422 men) provided complete data. This represented 4% of the total 2022 Boston Marathon field (5% of the female field and 3% of the male field). They had an average of nine years of marathon training experience and had each completed around 16 marathons. Their average Boston finishing time was 3:45 (3:53 for women and 3:35 for men), which placed most of these runners in the “tier 2/trained/developmental” category according to the World Athletics grading criteria.
The researchers then linked these training patterns to official chip-timed performances. They also calculated training frequency changes or TFCs—how much runners adjusted their weekly run sessions, workouts, or cross-training between the macrocycle (12–4 months pre-race) and mesocycle (0–4 months pre-race).
Here are some patterns that emerged:
Higher training exposure, especially in the 12–4 months before the race, was consistently linked to faster times. Weekly running duration, the number of quality (“hard”) sessions, and running distance/volume all predicted faster performances. Specifically:
• Running >10 hours per week predicted significantly better performance (versus 5–7.5 hours, 2.5–5 hours, and less than 2.5 hours/week of running).
• Every additional run per week was worth about 3–4 minutes off marathon time.
• Each extra quality session per week shaved off 16–17 minutes on average.
• Adding just 1 km per week was associated with about 30–40 seconds faster times.
What didn’t matter as much? The number and duration of cross-training sessions and the combined number of running and cross-training sessions per week—these didn’t predict performance when assessed during the macrocycle.
In the 4–0 months before the race, many of the same variables predicted better performance:
• Running >10 hours per week was associated with a faster finishing time compared to fewer training hours.
• Each additional running session per week was worth about 3 minutes off marathon time.
• Each extra quality session per week lowered marathon time by around 17 minutes.
• Every 1 km extra per week was worth about 13 minutes off marathon time.
Cross-training helped closer to race day. Athletes who incorporated cross-training in the final 4 months ran significantly better. Each extra session per week was associated with ~6 minutes faster finishing time.
Let’s point out the obvious here—more training means a faster finishing time. But here’s the twist: reducing running frequency in the final 4 months actually improved performance. Runners who decreased their total number of weekly runs from the macrocycle to the 4–0 months pre-race averaged ~3 minutes faster than those who maintained or increased the frequency of their sessions. In other words, holding onto a strong base from the previous year mattered, but slightly dialing back closer to race day paid off.
That’s important because—while a pre-race taper is consistently recommended—it indicates that reducing training volume even several months out from a race could lead to a faster time, independent of what’s done in the ~2 weeks before race day (a time point that wasn’t measured in this study).
Some limitations to keep in mind. This was a survey-based study, so the data depended on runners’ recall. However, many use training logs, so recall bias may be limited (we runners tend to be meticulous in documenting our training). Furthermore, the study couldn’t tease apart exactly what type of cross-training (e.g., cycling vs. strength training) was most beneficial. And while 917 runners are a large sample, they weren’t elites—the majority were averaging mid-3-hour marathon times. Still, that makes the insights directly relevant to most recreational marathoners.
What this means for runners
This study highlights the importance of periodization—maintaining long-term consistency followed by a strategic pullback. For decades, training theory has promoted building a base with steady mileage, layering in quality work, and then tapering before race day. This large-scale dataset from Boston Marathon runners confirms that principle in the real world.
It also highlights the importance of variety. Quality sessions, easy runs, and cross-training each contributed uniquely to performance.
If you’re building toward a marathon, this research backs up a few practical truths:
• Consistency matters most. The months before your race should be grounded in higher training exposure—more mileage, more workouts—so long as you can sustain it without injury.
• Don’t fear cutting back. A modest reduction in run frequency in the final training phase (while maintaining intensity) is linked to better performance. That’s just classic, smart tapering.
• Include variety. Workouts (tempos, intervals, fartleks) had a significant impact on race times, and cross-training added value—particularly in the final stretch, possibly because it replaced some of the running volume.
The takeaway is to build your fitness with volume and quality sessions months out, but give your body the space to adapt and peak by scaling back just a bit as race day approaches.
RELATED ARTICLE: Periodization: Our Expert Guide On How To Plan Your Training Season