In addition to his career as a successful Wisconsin business leader and accounting professional, Thomas Datwyler is an accomplished long-distance runner. He has qualified for and completed the Boston Marathon on three occasions, along with major marathons in New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo. During his time as a marathon runner, Thomas Datwyler has developed effective training strategies for optimizing physical readiness on race day, allowing him to consistently improve on his best times.
Marathons present a number of challenges for runners. While they are technically races, marathons often feature fields of tens of thousands of athletes, all of whom are taking on the monumental physical and mental task of running 26.2 miles. For the majority of participants, running a marathon is not about where they finish among other racers, but their ability to finish the race at all. For these people, marathons are less about competitive racing and more about self-improvement.
Marathon runners frequently use the term “personal best” or “personal record” to describe their fastest running time. Athletes attempt to beat this time with each outing, gradually improving their marathon time over years of running. But before a runner can set a goal and establish a personal best time, they should gain an overall understanding of marathon race times.
Course record times for marathons vary considerably by location. Different marathon routes can pose different challenges, with factors ranging from elevation to terrain (to say nothing of weather conditions on race day). Sabastian Sawe set the world record marathon time at the 2026 London Marathon, finishing in one hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds while maintaining a four-minute, 33-second pace. The next two fastest marathon times were also set at the 2026 London Marathon, suggesting favorable conditions.
Of course, inexperienced runners should not expect to finish a 26.2-mile run in anywhere near a world record time. If a reasonably athletic person puts in the proper training for a marathon, which can take between 16 and 20 weeks, they typically have a chance of finishing the race in between 4.5 and 5 hours. Runners should view any finish under five hours as a success, though any finish is worthy of celebration, especially for first-time marathon runners.
As individuals gain more long-distance running experience, they might target four hours as a reasonable goal, which equates to just over nine minutes per mile. Establishing and maintaining a comfortable pace is critical for runners who want to improve on their personal best marathon time. Runners should develop their own habits for pace over time, but less experienced athletes can adhere to the 10/10/10 method while training. Using this method, individuals break marathons down into three segments: the first 10 miles, the middle 10 miles, and the final 10 kilometers, when even the most accomplished athletes start to feel physically compromised. During the first 10 miles, runners should maintain a speed that is slightly below their ideal marathon pace. They should then try to maintain their precise marathon goal pace during the second 10 miles. This gives them the best chance to finish the race with the fastest pace possible.
Finally, learning the route of a specific marathon is important for runners who want to improve their finish times. The Boston Marathon, for example, is regarded as a challenging marathon defined by numerous hills, especially Heartbreak Hill, which demands specific precautions and training tactics compared to marathons with fewer elevation changes.
