Insights from TMM 2025, Broad jump's benefits, New 10000m record at 38th National Games and much more!
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
The Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025 set new milestones, with an 8.5% increase in marathon finishers compared to 2024 and a 19.5% surge in female participation, we have all the insights #GeeksonFeet.com
Broad jumps help runners by developing explosive power which improves sprinting, acceleration, and running efficiency, more at #WoW
Sawan Barwal clinched gold in the men's 10,000m at the 38th National Games 2025 in Uttarakhand, with a time of 28:49.93, this and more at #RunSHORTS
Happy Reading!
#GeeksPoll
60+ runners have run a sub-3 hour marathon at #TataMumbaiMarathon, and sub-3 is becoming more common in Indian marathons! What do you think is the primary reason driving this trend? (reply for other reasons) #geekspoll
Last week’s poll results on how frequently runners cross-train in a week is here.
#WoW - Broad Jumps
Broad jumps help runners by developing explosive power and leg strength, which improves sprinting, acceleration, and running efficiency. They enhance coordination and plyometric endurance, contributing to smoother strides and better energy use.
How to do it
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and arms at your sides. Keep your chest up and core engaged.
Lower your body into a quarter-squat position by bending your knees and hips, and swinging your arms back to generate momentum.
Explosively push through your heels, extending your legs and swinging your arms forward to propel yourself forward. Focus on jumping as far as possible in one fluid motion.
Land softly on both feet, bending your knees to absorb the impact. Ensure your feet are flat and slightly wider than shoulder-width to maintain balance.
Then repeat to movement
When to do it
As part of strength training 2 sets of 10 repeats
@Geeksonfeet - Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025 In Numbers
The Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025 set new milestones, with an 8.5% increase in marathon finishers compared to 2024 and a 19.5% surge in female participation. However, a slight dip in half-marathon finishers was observed, likely due to entry caps. A deeper dive into age categories highlights the dominant 40-44 age group, consistent with global marathon trends. Regarding race performance, 98% of full marathoners recorded positive splits, a trend unchanged from last year, despite warmer conditions in the latter half.
Read the full article here for more insights into TMM 2025 finisher data.
RUN STRONG. OWN 2025.
Are you struggling to create your running plan?! RunStrong Training Plans got you covered, we have prepared a video explaining how to create a training plan. So start the year strong with runstrong.geeksonfeet.com/training-plans!
#RunSHORTS
BIB Blunder Disqualifies Winners at Hong Kong Marathon
During the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, a misallocation of race bibs led to the disqualification of four mainland Chinese runners managed by the same agent. Two of the disqualified runners had secured first and second positions in the half-marathon, and the third runner got second position in 10K. An investigation revealed that the error stemmed from the manager’s incorrect distribution of bibs rather than any intentional swapping by the athletes. With around 74,000 participants across four race categories, this incident has raised concerns about current identity verification protocols. Read the full article here.
Barwal Sets Meet Record, Qualifies for Asian Championships at National Games 2025
Sawan Barwal clinched gold in the men's 10,000m at the 38th National Games 2025 in Uttarakhand, setting a new meet record with a time of 28:49.93. This performance not only surpasses his personal best from May 2024 but also comfortably meets the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 qualification mark of 29:33.26. The upcoming Championships will be held in Gumi, South Korea from May 27–31, 2025. Kiran Matre and Vinod Singh secured second and third place with times of 29:04.76 and 29:43.60, respectively, both also qualifying for the continental event. Read the full article here.
Nike launches Pegasus Premium globally
The Pegasus has been a bread and butter shoe for Nike for over four decades, but the line up has seen a downfall in recent years with increasing competition, not just with new brands joining the wagon, but the disruptive innovation they have come with. The Pegasus Premium, Nike’s new max cushion trainer, features the best of Nike’s technologies, precisely three in the midsole alone. First is Nike’s ZoomX foam, a firm compound that sits right underfoot to provide a responsive ride. It’s used in Nike’s top-tier racing shoes like the Vaporfly and Alphafly, as well as speed work shoes like the Zoom Fly 6. Underneath the ZoomX is a full-length Air Zoom unit embedded in the midsole and shaped to mimic the contours of the foot. This is the same technology used in the Alphafly, although the Pegasus Premium’s Air Zoom unit runs throughout the entire midsole versus the pods in the forefoot of the Alphafly. The shoe features a 10mm drop with a massive 45mm on the heel vs the 35mm on the forefoot and is expected to offer a softer ride. 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:
Search and find races using our Race Finder at geeksonfeet.com/races.
#TipOfTheWeek - Dynamic Correspondence
You spend many hours in the gym doing strength training. But you still feel like your legs have turned to lead - your stride seems to lose its natural power, and your form is off. This common problem may stem from a disconnect between your gym workouts and your actual running mechanics. The key to bridging that gap is dynamic correspondence.
Dynamic correspondence is about designing strength and movement training that closely mimics running. It means your training should replicate the movement patterns, force production, and neuromuscular coordination required on the road.
For example, if you're working on lower-body strength with generic squats, you might not be fully capturing the explosive power and coordination your legs need during a race.
To make your workouts more effective, try these adjustments:
Plyometric Drills: Incorporate single-leg hops, bounding, or drop jumps. These exercises simulate the quick ground contacts and explosive force production that define your stride.
Movement Mimicry: Add dynamic lunges and step-ups that mirror the forward propulsion and weight transfer inherent in running.
Core Stability: Strengthen your core with rotational and anti-rotational exercises to maintain an efficient running posture throughout your race.
Align your training with your running mechanics, and you'll translate strength work into improved performance on the road.
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Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, and Aravind Yarra