Ahmedabad Marathon Race Report, Squat Jumps, Valencia Marathon Performance and more
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
Learn how Squat Jumps can help you break through the performance ceiling in this week’s #WoW
Read a detailed account of Chirag’s personal best at the Adani Ahmedabad Marathon 2024, including insights on high-mileage training, and pacing strategies @Geeksonfeet.
Sabastian Sawe’s blazing debut at Valencia Marathon, Preview of the star-studded lineup for Tata Steel 25K and more in #RunningShorts
Happy Reading!
#GeeksPoll
That finish line feeling – nothing quite like it! What’s your overwhelming emotion as you cross the line? #geekspoll
Last week’s poll results on what makes runners register a race are here.
#WoW - Squat Jumps
Many runners depend on turning their legs quickly (higher cadence) to run faster. While this works, runners’ quickly hit the performance ceiling. Generating power into the stride will help runners with performance beyond what cadence increase can do. Squat jumps are one of the most approachable plyometric drills that any runner can incorporate. It doesn’t need any equipment. Squat jumps help by mastering the triple extension (ankle, knee, and hip) which is the primary way to generate power.
How to do it?
Stand with both legs shoulder-width apart
Engage your core and glutes
Now squat down first
Keep the arms compact and then jump up
Be mindful of keeping your core and glutes engaged, use the arms only for balance and land softly
If you want to increase the difficulty level, keep the hands on the hips in order to force more power from the triple extension of the ankles, knees, and hips.
When to do it?
It can be done as part of your strength training routine. Do it 10-15 times in a set, and repeat for 4-5 times. Between each set give about 10-20s recovery.
@Geeksonfeet- Race Report: Adani Ahmedabad Marathon 2024
With a goal of finishing in 3:10, Chirag planned his training around high-mileage, and his personal best at Adani Ahmedabad Marathon.
Key highlights from Chirag’s race report:
High-mileage plans inspired by Advanced Marathoning, focusing on endurance over speed work.
A cuboid bone injury disrupted training four weeks out, but a quick rehab and an aggressive taper helped him recover.
Controlled pacing based on perceived effort, splitting the race into manageable mental segments, and meticulous fueling every 30 minutes.
Dive into his full race report for detailed insights.
Training Plans
We are happy to announce the first public release of our training plans. This release includes personalized plans based on your current capability. Whether you're training for your first 5K or aiming for a marathon PR, we have a plan for you. We also have an exciting roadmap, and your feedback will help us make it a great product. Please give it a try today.
#RunSHORTS
Sabastian Sawe and Megertu Alemu crowned Valencia Marathon 2024 champions
World half-marathon champion Sabastian Sawe blasted to the front over the final seven kilometres, cruising to victory in the 2024 Valencia Marathon on Sunday (1 December) with a world lead. Making his marathon debut, the 28-year-old Kenyan looked comfortable over the distance, crossing the finish in a blistering 2:02:05, the fifth fastest marathon record time to date. He finished 33 seconds ahead of the next best finisher Deresa Geleta of Ethiopia, with compatriot Daniel Mateiko rounding out the podium in 2:04:24. The men's race saw the favourites of course record-holder Sisay Lemma and three-time Olympic gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele. In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu delivered a dominant performance to win in a time of 2:16:49. Read more here
Tata Steel World 25K: Defending Champions Ebenyo and Kebede set to return at Mega Event
The ninth edition of the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, the world's first World Athletics Gold Label 25K race, is set to take place on Sunday, December 15, 2024. The race carries a massive prize pool of US $142,214 (INR 1,2 crore) will see prize money equally split between men and women. The top three winners each stand to win $15000, $10000, and $7000, respectively. Daniel Ebenyo (Kenya) and Sutume Kebede (Ethiopia), defending champions and current event record holders, will lead the star-studded lineup. Ebenyo set the men's record at 1:11:13 last year, while Kebede clocked 1:18:47 to dominate the women's race. Ebenyo aims to surpass his personal best and challenge the unofficial world record of 1:11:08, set by Eliud Kipchoge during a marathon split. Kenya’s Benson Kipruto and Haymanot Alew of Ethiopia will make the men’s field attractive. Earlier this year, Kipruto won the Tokyo Marathon with a season-leading time of 2:02:16. While doing so, he was officially timed 1:11:39 at 25K. He went on to win the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics this summer. The women’s line-up for 2024 also includes Desi Jisa from Bahrain, who won the 2022 edition here. Another past champion in Kolkata (2017), Degitu Azimeraw, will be a runner to watchout for, returning to the sport after becoming a mother. The amateur category of the race is also picking up, with more than 20,000 runners expected to line up across categories. Read more here
Letsile Tebogo and Sifan Hassan named World Athletes of the Year 2024
Letsile Tebogo and Sifan Hassan claimed the big prizes at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on Sunday (1 December). Tebogo became Botswana's first Olympic champion at Paris 2024, breaking his own African record with a time of 19.46. The 21-year-old was named Male World Athlete of the Year as well as Male Track Athlete of the Year. Dutchwoman Hassan collected the Female World Athlete of the Year award after winning her first global marathon title in the French capital less than 18 months after claiming the 2023 London Marathon on debut. Her Paris triumph made her the first athlete since Emil Zatopek to win medals in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon at the same Games. Sweden's Mondo Duplantis, who broke his own world record in winning pole vault gold, was named male field athlete of the year, with Ukrainian high jump gold medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh taking the female award. Read more here
Race Calendar
We have revamped our race calendar with everything you need to know about the race, route, experience, and much more. We have added information about major races and we need the help of the community to make it further robust. Thus we invite runners to share their experiences related to race routes and other information that will benefit runners.
Next 6 Months:
WNC Navy Half Marathon - December 8, 2024
Walkaroo Coimbatore Marathon - December 15, 2024
Tata Steel Kolkata 25K - December 15, 2024
FreshWorks Chennai Marathon - January 5, 2025
Search and find races using our Race Finder at geeksonfeet.com/races.
#TipOfTheWeek - Run Your Way to Better Memory
Here’s a brain boost for your next run: aerobic exercise like running ramps up levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a powerful protein that fuels learning and memory.
To maximize the benefits, try a 30–45 minute moderate run. Research suggests BDNF spikes after exercise, so schedule that study session or skill practice right after your workout. It’s the perfect time to lock in what you’ve learned.
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Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, and Aravind Yarra