Race reports from Chandigarh and Delhi marathons... its raining PBs and BQs, unveiling of Vaporfly 4 and much more...
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
As we get to the season finale for marathon races, here are 3 race reports one from Chandigarh fast and 2 from Delhi. We have Sanchit, Pavan, and Aditi’s PBs and BQs floating, at this week’s #GeeksOnFeet
C-Skips are a useful drill for runners to improve knee drive, hip flexor activation, and cadence, know in this week’s #WoW
Scientists Say Faith Kipyegon Could Break the Four-Minute Mile, unveiling of Vaporfly 4 and much more at #RunSHORTS
Happy Reading!
#GeeksPoll
Signing up for a marathon requires a demanding training regimen in both time and effort. Yet, the finish-line rush is hard to resist.
How long do you wait before signing up for your next race?
#geekspoll
The results of last week's poll on why runners are getting faster are here.
#WoW - C-Skips
C-Skips are a useful drill for runners to improve knee drive, hip flexor activation, cadence, and core strengthening
How to do it?
Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart. Maintain an athletic posture with your chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged.
Keep the arms at about a 90-degree angle, with elbows bent.
Push off one of your legs and drive your opposite knee up towards your chest. The key is to lift your knee high, aiming for about 90 degrees at the hip, and use your hip flexor to control the movement.
As you drive your knee up, your foot should come underneath you in a circular motion, preparing to land lightly on the ground. The foot should not land too far in front of your body
As your foot makes contact with the ground, use it to push off, propelling you into the next skip. The motion should be quick and fluid, and keep movement smooth and rhythmic.
Tips
Keep your torso upright and avoid leaning forward.
Ensure a quick and light landing to help with fluid movement.
Perform the exercise at a controlled pace to maximize form and effectiveness.
C skips should be performed with high knees and proper mechanics, and are typically done as part of a dynamic warm-up to enhance running form.
@Geeksonfeet - Race Report:
Chandigarh Fast Marathon 2025 by Sanchit
At the Chandigarh Fast Marathon 2025, Sanchit finished in 3:06:50. Though he fell short of his target, he still set a personal best by shaving 20 minutes off his previous time. Sanchit’s race plan was to hit a 4:00 min/km pace for 37 km before pushing hard, though a misfired gel strategy led to setbacks. Read further details on his training, and race experience here.
Race Report: New Delhi Marathon 2025 by Aditi
At the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon 2025, Aditi hit her goal by finishing at 3:29:05 under her sub-3:30 target, yet another BQ. Over a 20-week training cycle, she built up her mileage with long runs, tempo sessions, and strength work. On race day, she stuck to her plan of even splits, maintaining a steady 4:58 min/km pace. Read more details of her podium-winning performance; her training, racing, and race experience here.
Race Report: New Delhi Marathon 2025 by Pavan
At the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon 2025, Pavan clocked a personal best of 3:04:26, crushing his sub-3:05 goal, as well as qualifying for Boston. Despite setbacks from a bout of influenza, he adapted his training with focused long runs and targeted strength training. Read more details about his pace strategy, race day nutrition, and race experiences here.
RUN STRONG - Customized 10K Plan
Wait, 27 April? Ohh yeah. The legends won't be alone lacing up for the big race on the last Sunday of April. The streets of Bengaluru will join them, on the course of TCS World 10K Bengaluru. You wanna ace the race? Join the GeeksOnFeet community and RunStrong. For more details click here
#RunSHORTS
Nike Unveils New Vaporfly 4 and Streakfly 2
Nike introduced the Vaporfly 4 and Streakfly 2, the latest entries in its Nike Racing lineup. Like the previous models, the new models combine ZoomX foam with a carbon fiber Flyplate.
The Vaporfly 4 is touted as the lightest version in its series and can be used across a range of distances from 5K races to marathons. It is roughly 10% lighter than the Vaporfly 3 and 20 grams lighter than the original Vaporfly. The Streakfly 2 is designed specifically for shorter races and fast-paced training sessions.
The Vaporfly 4 and Streakfly 2 will be available globally at nike.com and select retailers starting in March. Read more here.
Scientists Say Faith Kipyegon Could Break the Four-Minute Mile
A new study published in Royal Society Open Science suggests that Faith Kipyegon, the current women’s mile world record holder at 4:07.64, could break the four-minute barrier. Researchers propose that with a carefully executed pacing strategy—using pacers both in front and behind during the first half and fresh pacers later—wind resistance could be reduced enough to shave the necessary seconds off her time, potentially bringing her mile to an estimated 3:59.37.
The study draws inspiration from the INEOS 1:59 project, which famously helped Eliud Kipchoge break the two-hour marathon barrier through strategic pacing and technological innovation.
Kipyegon, responding from Kenya, described the study as “interesting,” acknowledging that her record performance could catalyze reimagining what is possible in middle-distance running. If she is successful, a sub-four-minute mile by a woman would mark a historic breakthrough in athletic performance. Read more here.
New Delhi Marathon 2025: Man Singh and Bhagirathi Bisht Wins
Asian champion Man Singh won the men’s race at the 10th edition of the New Delhi Marathon on Sunday, clocking 2:15:24. He edged out Pardeep Chaudhary (2:15:29) and Akshay Saini (2:15:34) in a closely contested finish. In the women’s event, Bhagirathi Bisht emerged victorious with a time of 2:48:59, followed by Thakor Bharatjee (2:49:16) and 2024 champion Ashwini Jadhav (2:50:48).
Recognized as India’s national marathon by the Athletics Federation of India and certified by World Athletics, the race started and finished at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, traversing key landmarks across the capital. Around 20,000 participants competed in various categories, including full and half marathons, as well as 10K and 5K races.
The event continues to build on its reputation as India’s fast marathon, with many sub -3 hour performances in the open category.
Read more here.
Gulveer Singh breaks 5000m short track Asian record
Indian middle distance runner Gulveer created history by becoming the first-ever Asian athlete to run the 5000m short track race in under 13 minutes on 21st February. He clocked 12:59.77 at the Boston University Terrier DMR Challenge 2025 and finished fourth behind 2024 Paris Olympics 1500m Champion Cole Hokcer (12:57.82), Cooper Teare (12:57.97) and Australia’s Jack Rayner (12:59.43). The 26-year-old Indian athlete broke the Asian record in the process previously held by the 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Kieran Tuntivate of Thailand, who marked 13:08.41 at the same venue in 2022. He also surpassed the World Athletics Championships entry standard for the event. The qualifying mark for the 5000m outdoor race the World Championships 2025 is 13:01.00 and athletes who breach the entry standard in the indoor events can also qualify for the event which is set to take place in Tokyo in September. Gulveer’s time in Boston was also better than his national record for the 5000m outdoor race which stands at 13:11.82. He also holds the national record in the 10000m outdoor race.
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 - LT Hills
Long hill workouts are particularly useful to improve your lactate threshold. If your route features several long hills, try these tips to use hills to your advantage:
Target LT Intensity on Long Runs: Run hard uphill on each hill. For example, on a 10-kilometer route featuring four hills approximately half km long, pushing your pace can help you accumulate roughly 15 minutes at your lactate threshold.
Uphill Repetitions: Consider doing repeated hill sprints, run hard up the hill at LT intensity, then jog back down to recover.
Race Simulation: To mimic race conditions, extend your effort by maintaining a strong pace for 30 seconds to a minute as you crest and descend the hill. This not only builds uphill power but also sharpens your downhill running technique.
You can find your Lactate Threshold pace to train on RunStrong.
(This tip is adapted from Faster Road Racing by Pete Pfitzinger & Philip Latter)
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Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, and Aravind Yarra