Worried about bonking on your London Marathon? Strava says you should train with friends

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Bonk – noun: a point during physical exercise, especially riding a bicycle or running, where you have no energy left and feel you cannot continue

TechRadar fitness writer Harry Bullmore running while trying 'Strava sniping'
(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)
  • Strava has revealed new data to inspire London marathon runners
  • It says that training with friends could have a massive impact on your performance
  • People who run solo are much more likely to slow down towards the end of their race

With marathon season in full swing and the London Marathon fast approaching, new data revealed by Strava has confirmed that training with friends and in a social setting could be the key to unlocking a new PB and smashing your race.

Strava, one of the best fitness apps around – and newly-adopted parent company of Runna – says that 60% of London Marathon 2024 runners uploaded their activity to the platform, giving the company unparalleled insights into performance.

Alongside the usual splits between demographics, gender, and more, Strava has shared revealing insights into how your training and performance can be impacted by social interaction – and with some time left before the race, it's not too late to make the change.

Don't go solo

Strava says its data reveals that London marathon runners who trained with others ahead of the event were "significantly less likely" to bonk during the race compared to solo runners. Bonking, otherwise known as hitting the wall, is technically defined as slowing down by more than 10% during the last 10k of your race.

According to Strava, 29% of those who tagged at least one other person in their training activity bonked, compared with a massive 45% of those who did not.

Social training aside, Strava also said that nearly two-thirds of London Marathon runners uploaded at least one non-running activity during training, highlighting the importance of variety and cross-training in the run-up to the event.

Worried about your time? Don't be. Strava says that fewer than 10% of runners finished in under three hours, with less than half completing the race in four hours. 79% clocked times under five hours, which seems like the best benchmark to aim for.

Planning your next few days? Strava says that most runners two weeks out from the race are likely tapering off their mileage, dropping back down to around 30km (18.6mi) a week, with most runners only running around 12km the week before the event.

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Stephen Warwick
Stephen Warwick
Fitness & Wearables writer

Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music. 

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