32‑minute marathon jump

A Running Channel video posted April 15 follows Mark Dredge through the final big workout before the London Marathon and says he cut 32 minutes from his marathon best. (youtube.com) Dredge wrote a week earlier that his marathon personal best was 2 hours 55 minutes and that he was targeting 2:49 to 2:52 at London while training as part of PUMA Project3. He said that build included 80.5 miles, or 130 kilometers, in one week, plus 60 minutes of strength work, 30 minutes of cross-training, 120 minutes of mobility, and 800 grams of carbohydrates consumed during runs. (therunningchannel.com) The video centers on a 35-kilometer progressive long run and three rules Dredge says changed his training: “effort over ego,” intentional structure, and fueling well enough to finish strong. The chapter list also shows marathon-pace blocks, injury avoidance, and balancing training with full-time work as the practical focus. (youtube.com) In plain terms, marathon training is built around teaching the body to hold one steady speed for 26.2 miles without fading late. Dredge’s example is simple: his written plan used 5 by 2 kilometers at goal marathon pace of 4:00 per kilometer, or 6:25 per mile, on a treadmill set to mimic the London course. (therunningchannel.com) That pacing math is the difference between a solid day and a personal best. A 2:55 marathon averages about 6 minutes 40 seconds per mile, while a 2:23 marathon averages about 5 minutes 27 seconds per mile, a drop of roughly 18 percent. (runna.com) The video also places Dredge inside PUMA’s Project3 program, which gives sub-elite runners coaching help, product access, and cash bonuses for large personal-best improvements. PUMA said in its 2025 launch materials that runners who beat their marathon bests by at least three minutes could earn $3,000. (puma-catchup.com) PUMA expanded the program for 2026. Official guidelines say the company planned to select about 50 men and 50 women for the 2026 Boston Marathon and another 50 men and 50 women for the 2026 London Marathon. (puma-project3.com) Dredge’s own training log shows the less glamorous part of the jump: longer easy runs of 75 to 90 minutes, a weekly two-hour trail run, and a 30-minute uphill treadmill walk at 15 percent grade to add aerobic work with less impact. He wrote that the higher volume made his easy pace “naturally getting quicker.” (therunningchannel.com) The closing point in the video is not that every runner should copy a 35-kilometer session. It is that specific pace practice, deliberate fueling, and enough low-intensity volume to absorb the hard work are the pieces Dredge says turned a 32-minute leap from a headline into a training plan. (youtube.com)