Race report from Chennai Half Marathon, role of calcium in runners, single leg pogo hops, and much more from TMM...
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
Mani ran an impressive half marathon in 1:34:21 at Freshworks Chennai, know everything from his training to execution in his race report at #GeeksonFeet
Every stride causes tiny bone micro-tears; calcium helps repair these, improve bone density, and reduce fracture risk. A runner guide to calcium at #GeeksinFeet
Single-leg pogo hops are an excellent way to build strength, stability, and explosiveness, know how to do it #WoW
Check out all the action that will take place at TMM 2025 at #RunSTRONG
Happy Reading!
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As temperatures drop, what do you consider essential for your winter runs? Share your go-to essentials by replying to this tweet! #geekspoll
Last week’s poll results on New Year resolutions are here.
#WoW - Single Leg Pogo Hops
Single-leg pogo hops are an excellent way to build strength, stability, and explosiveness, and improve balance and proprioception.
How to do it?
Stand upright with your feet about hip-width apart.
Shift your weight onto one leg. Keep your knee slightly bent (a soft bend), and stand tall with a straight back.
Position your arms naturally at your sides.
Engage your core muscles to maintain balance and control during the exercise.
Begin by gently hopping up and down on the ball of your foot. The movement should be quick, springy, and focused on using your calves to push off.
Aim for small, controlled bounces rather than large jumps.
Your knees should stay slightly bent at all times keep your foot in a neutral position
The power of the hop should come from your ankles and calves, not your entire leg.
The landing should be soft and controlled,
Breathe naturally throughout the exercise.
Perform 10-15 hops per leg before switching to the other leg.
You can do multiple sets, depending on your fitness level and goals.
@Geeksonfeet- FreshWorks Chennai Marathon 2025 Race Report by Mani
Mani shares his race report of the half-marathon at Chennai Marathon on January 5, 2025. Aiming for a sub 1:40 finish, he smashed his goal with a time of 1:34:21. With over a year of focused training, Mani increased his weekly mileage up to 75K. He also worked on this strength and nutrition with expert guidance. Read more about his training, race day experience, and future goals at this well-organized event in his full race report here.
Runner's Guide to Calcium
As a runner, calcium is key for bone strength and muscle function. Every stride causes tiny bone micro-tears; calcium helps repair these, improving bone density and reducing fracture risk. It’s also vital for proper muscle contraction and relaxation, helping prevent cramps and fatigue. Read the full guide here
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!
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Srinu Bugatha and Thakor Nirmaben to defend their Indian Elite crowns at the 2025 Tata Mumbai Marathon
Srinu Bugatha and Thakor Nirmaben Bharatjee, the winners of the men's and the women's Indian Elite field of the 2024 Mumbai Marathon, will be defending their titles during the Mumbai Marathon 2025. The marathon set to take place on January 19 will be the 20th edition of the Mumbai Marathon.
Reigning Asian marathon champion Man Singh, Olympian Gopi T, a two-time winner, and three-time runner-up, and the experienced Kalidas Hirve, who finished fourth in the 2024 edition, are among the leading contenders in the men’s race. Gopi won the 2024 New Delhi Marathon in 2:14.40, piping second-placed Army mate Bugatha by one second.
Challenging Nirmaben, runner-up at the 2024 New Delhi Marathon and placed fourth at the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata 2024. For the top honors in the women’s race will be Sonika Parmar and Reenu, winner and runner-up respectively at the 2024 Coal India Ranchi Marathon. In the fray is also TMM regular Arati Patil, who finished second in the 2023 edition.
The top three finishers in the Indian Elite men’s and women’s categories will receive prize money of ₹5 lahks, ₹4 lahks, and ₹3 lahks, respectively, from the total prize fund of$390,238. An incentive reward of ₹ 2 lakh is up for grabs for setting a new Mumbai Marathon mark, which is currently held by Nitendra Singh Rawat in the Men’s 2016 edition (2:15:48) and Sudha Singh in the women’s 2019 edition (2:34:56). 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 - "Below-Max" Speedwork during Taper
During your taper, maintain intensity with "below-max" speedwork. This means performing speed sessions at a slightly slower pace than your max, which stimulates fitness without overstressing your body. Reduce the volume of high-intensity work, but keep some shorter, sharper efforts.
For example, if you usually do 6 x 1200m VO2max workouts, do 6 x 800m at the same pace during taper. Add variety by swapping out tempo runs for 1k cruise intervals, or fartlek sessions with short uphill bursts. Don't forget strides to help maintain leg turnover.
This approach promotes recovery, boosts confidence, and keeps you race-ready. Listen to your body, maintain proper form, and avoid overdoing it.
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Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, and Aravind Yarra