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On the morning of August 27, Allison Baca was greeted by a foreboding gloom at the trailhead beneath 13,229-foot Mount Audubon, in Colorado. She decided to give her objective a shot anyway, planning to turn around if the weather went from gloom to doom. 

With her partner Tony, she had blocked off this date on the calendar weeks in advance as her chance to spend all morning in the mountains, chasing history on the iconic Pawnee-Buchanan Loop above Boulder. Those free mornings were extra special. Free time has been much harder to find on the calendar since she became a mom last year.

On March 26, 2021, she gave birth to her first child, Mateo. The 17 months since then have been a journey, full of ups and downs that only a parent can truly understand (as a soon-to-be first-time dad, I have watched enough preparing-for-baby videos to understand that I won't understand the chaos until I live it). 

Something about that journey made Allison even more unstoppable on the trails. So she went into the mountains with confidence . . . and also some time constraints. 

Pawnee-Buchanan is a 27-mile route with 7,000 feet of climbing over technical mountain terrain. Ever since Anton Krupicka first reset what was possible in 2010 by running 4:50, Boulder trail runners have taken their cracks at the route, with plenty of cracked ankles and broken spirits to show for it. The women's record stood at 5:34, set by stellar athlete Emily Caldwell. Challenging that time would require speed and technical proficiency. But most of all, it would require strength. Luckily, over the previous 17 months, Allison had honed a new skill that she'd be taking with her: Mom Strength.

Over the 27 miles, she fought through vicious wind gusts in remote wilderness, with enough ups and downs to ruin any quad muscle. Her final time? An astounding 5 hours and 5 minutes. Allison beat her goals and made history. "It was exciting to finish the loop and realize that I was able to run faster than I had ever imagined starting the day!" she said.

When asked about how pregnancy and motherhood changed her as an athlete leading up to the performance, she paused. In that pause, I sensed a weight that someone can only feel when they have lived through the shit, for better and for worse, and are trying to summarize something messy into something neat.

"Motherhood has given me more of an identity outside of running," Allison said. "Sports used to be my identity, and they still are a part of my identity, but they are not everything. If a run doesn't go well, I used to dwell on it. Now there isn't time to dwell-I need to bring my best mom-self through the front door after good or bad runs. My life feels more well-rounded, and it can be exhausting. But I think it helps my running."

The journey was full of that uncertain chaos, and very few parenting journeys are as tidy as they can seem from the outside. For Allison, it all led to a mind-blowing FKT performance, and I think there's a strong argument that it's one of the best "FKTs of the Year" in the whole world. We can't be sure what propelled her to such a historic performance-it's some combination of talent, toughness, training, and intangibles. 

But based on a study that was just released, I think we can draw one certain conclusion about at least one of those intangibles. For some athletes, Mom Strength can be a superpower even when it comes with some mom exhaustion. 

Study Overview

The study was published online ahead of print in August 2022 in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Journal, reviewing training and performance trajectories of 42 elite runners during and after pregnancy. The author list was a who's who of top researchers: Francine Darroch, Amy Schneeberg, Ryan Brodie, Zachary Ferraro, Dylan Wykes, Sarita Hira, Audrey Giles, Kristi Adamo, and Trent Stellingwerff. The superstar team tackled a big, thorny topic that is usually full of whispers and innuendo, rather than data. 

Leaving the world of anecdotes and wishful thinking behind, what does pregnancy actually do to athletes?

Let's get straight to the fascinating finding: athletes "who intended to return to high-level competition did so at a statistically similar level of performance in the 1 to 3-year period post-pregnancy." But there's something even more exciting. A whopping 46% of these elite athletes improved performances post-pregnancy. 

A baby does not mean an athlete has to press stop and rewind. Those little poop machines sometimes just require a brief slow-down, followed by fast-forwarding to the best part of the show. It's complicated, though, and everyone is different. 

In interpreting the study, I'll try to highlight just how different it shows that every journey can be, even if those complications might not make the headlines.

Study Context

The study was such a massive leap into the unknown because it was the first of its kind. As the authors said, "we are unaware of any previous study with significant participant numbers that has systematically and statistically investigated directly published quantitative performance outcomes before and after pregnancy." 

A 2019 study in BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine had completed a pregnancy questionnaire and interview with 34 elite athletes and compared that to a control group, finding no differences in pregnancy outcomes or returns to full activity. That study didn't look at long-term training or performance levels, so the 2022 study is really talking about venturing into a new research frontier.

To explore that frontier, the research team set some constraints. They would be gathering data on an athlete's first pregnancy only. In addition, the participants would be elite athletes, with times equivalent to a 2:46 marathon or faster in events 1,500 meters and up. The participants received a 139-question survey on training during and after pregnancy, completed with data from their training logs. 35 of the 42 athletes had performance times from the 1 to 3 years before birth on the World Athletics website, and those times were compared with postpartum results.

What a cool study design! By focusing on elite athletes, the researchers set up a tough hurdle to jump. Participants had already been striving to optimize their performances, so how does pregnancy affect optimization? It seems suboptimal to have a body's processes taken over by an ever-growing parasite for 10 months, right? Wrong, of course. The study results demonstrated the complexities of long-term performance, since many of the athletes actually got faster than before.

Study Findings

First, 57% of athletes reported conceiving during a period of decreased training load, with 24% intentionally decreasing training around conception. That may show that some athletes think that elite training is less conducive to conception, or that athletes focus on family planning during a break from competition.

Second, during pregnancy, athletes decreased training load from pre-pregnancy levels. They ran significantly fewer sessions, dropping from 9 per week to 5 per week, and the proportion of intensity decreased. Running volume decreased to 64-73% of pre-pregnancy in the first trimester, 49-54% in the second trimester, and 29-36% in third trimester, with more cross training toward the end of pregnancy than the beginning. Running paces slowed significantly, up to 23% in the third trimester. But athletes still averaged significantly more training than recommended by international exercise guidelines for pregnant people.

Third, after pregnancy, participants averaged 6 weeks off running and 3 weeks off cross training. They returned to 80% of pre-pregnancy loads at 14 weeks postpartum. The error bars on those numbers were large, showing substantial inter-individual variability. 

After pregnancy, athletes raced less, dropping from 7.2 races per year to 2.8 races per year in the year after pregnancy, increasing to 4.4 races per year in the 3 to 5 years postpartum. But what's so exciting is what they did with those races.

Performance Findings

60% of the participants planned to return to pre-pregnancy levels or greater. This cohort saw no change in performance levels. Most exciting of all, "Nearly half of the athletes (46%) had better IAAF performance scores in the 1- to-2 years post-pregnancy than during the two years before birth." 

While those numbers are exciting and hopeful, they are a bit more complex than they might seem at first glance. What about the 54% of athletes who didn't improve in the 2 years after pregnancy, despite intending to? What about the stories that aren't leading off running articles like this one? That's where the discussion gets a bit more complicated.

Pregnancy and Performance

In the discussions around pregnancy and training, I think we often seek simple narratives. I'm looking squarely in the mirror when I say that. 

To start this article, I framed pregnancy as a potential superpower, which it clearly is not for everyone. While there are examples of athletes coming back stronger than ever, like Allison, there are many stories of athletes that really struggle to train during and after pregnancy. Some of those athletes never reach the same levels again, and those stories need to be told too.

As the authors say, "the limited data do not appear to support pregnancy as ergogenic for any physiological variables." Thus, the process of pregnancy alone is unlikely to be a performance enhancer. But as the study found, it can coincide with improvements in performance in many athletes, even elite athletes that were already pushing their training limits. 

Headline: WOW, that is so exciting and hopeful!

Subheading: HOWEVER, it's often so scary and uncertain.

The hopeful data need to be understood in conjunction with the negative outcomes, too. I have been fortunate to coach many athletes through and beyond pregnancy, including Allison. I was excited to tell Allison's story because she is, well, a badass, and it can be motivating to have these uplifting models of Mom Strength. This study showed that intention to return at higher levels than before pregnancy was a key element in actually returning and exceeding to those levels, so I want to support a system of all-caps BELIEF that lets an athlete know it's possible.

But it won't happen for everyone. If 46% of athletes had better performance scores in the 2 years post-pregnancy than 2 years pre-birth, that means 54% did not. Those 54% may go much faster at Year-3 or Year-5 or Year-10, and I imagine each of those data points on both sides of the improvement curve involve stories of joy and sadness that are rarely told publicly. 

This study showed that intention to return at higher levels than before pregnancy was a key element in actually returning and exceeding to those levels, so I want to support a system of all-caps BELIEF that lets an athlete know it's possible.

The authors highlight the complexity and those stories. "Our results may reflect a shift in the broader athletics culture and wider acceptance that individuals continue to compete at an elite level, and some possibly at a higher level than they did pre-pregnancy." 

An athlete like Megan doesn't neatly fit into this study. Yes, she's elite. But she hasn't been able to train through pregnancy. Yes, she hasn't gotten injured. But it's tough to get injured when reading at the creek, outside of papercuts. And yes, she intends to come back stronger and faster than ever. But it's not a choice.

If anyone can do it, though, it's Megan. This study adds a few cups to the hope bucket, for her and other athletes going through the pregnancy process. That is so exciting! And it still doesn't change the fact that many of the stories around pregnancy won't be as neat and simple as the caption of this article implies.

I know one thing for sure: Megan is the strongest person I have ever met. Whether she runs faster in the future or not, well, that's out of her control, though I think she and other athletes can be full of realistic, pragmatic hope. 

Either way, I am popping some popcorn for the show ahead. Megan is so damn strong. Now just imagine what she can accomplish in life with Mom Strength.

"Taken together, these findings indicate that childbirth can be a positive part of an elite athlete's career; the forced break may have both mental and physical benefits. Additionally, our own previous research has shown that a focus on motherhood and shifting priorities may alleviate some of the stress placed on performance outcomes particularly when athletes have strong social support and childcare."

Included in those few sentences are likely thousands of stories that the researchers know about, but aren't fit to print in an academic journal. Allison's journey has been scary and non-linear at times, and her specific stories are not mine to tell. The same goes for most journeys during and beyond pregnancy.

Some athletes get faster. Some get slower. Some love the evolving process of balancing motherhood and athletics. Some cry themselves to sleep from the weight of it all. Some bodies and brains thrive, others live through tough times that only a few loved ones might ever know about. Most mix all of those feelings and fears together at one time or another.

The Uncertainty

All of those stories are equally valid. I wrote this article now because my wife/co-coach Megan is 30 weeks pregnant with our first child. She's one of the best athletes in the world, with 5 national championships and dozens of course records that boggle the mind. But a couple months before conception, she felt chest pain that turned out to be a heart condition. She has barely exercised during pregnancy, her 20-mile runs replaced by daily trips to the creek where we read books and nature bathe. It has been a simultaneously beautiful and scary process so far, and I imagine that's not going to stop anytime soon.

Georgia Hunter Bell produced another statement performance in Zürich, storming to a superb third-place finish in the women’s 800m at the Diamond League meeting while underlining once again her remarkable versatility across the middle-distance events.

The British star stopped the clock at 1:55.03, a season’s best and the second-fastest 800m of her career, finishing behind Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol in a race that ranks among the fastest women’s 800m contests seen in more than four decades.

For Hunter Bell, however, the result represented more than simply another podium finish. It was a performance that demonstrated just how dangerous she has become over two laps, despite her continued status as one of the world’s leading 1500m specialists.

Reflecting on the race, Hunter Bell admitted that her competitive instincts over 800m still demand more, but she was equally proud of the performance and excited by the quality of the race.

Her season’s best of 1:55.03 moved her closer to her personal best of 1:54.90 and confirmed that her 800m speed remains a formidable weapon. She also welcomed the opportunity to compete alongside Werro and Broeders-Bol in a race that showcased the extraordinary depth and quality currently emerging in the women’s 800m.

Yet what makes Hunter Bell particularly fascinating is her ability to excel at both 800m and 1500m — two events requiring very different combinations of speed, endurance and tactical intelligence.

Over 800m, she is a Commonwealth champion and a World Championship silver medallist, with a personal best of 1:54.90. In the 1500m, her credentials are equally impressive. She owns a personal best of 3:52.61, has produced a season’s best of 3:55.63 and has captured both European and World Indoor titles.

That combination places Hunter Bell among the most versatile middle-distance athletes of her generation.

Her Zürich performance was therefore another reminder that she cannot be defined by a single event. She possesses the raw speed required to challenge the best over 800m, while her strength, endurance and championship experience make her equally formidable over 1500m.

With Brussels next on her schedule, Hunter Bell will be looking to carry the confidence from Zürich into the next stage of her season.

Her 800m alter ego may still believe there is more to unlock, but her 1500m instincts can certainly take satisfaction from what she produced in Zürich.

Speed over two laps. Strength over four. And a championship résumé that continues to grow.

Georgia Hunter Bell is proving that versatility is not merely an advantage — it can be a defining weapon at the highest level of middle-distance running.

Femke Broeders-Bol has spent much of her career dominating the 400m hurdles, but in 2026 the Dutch star has opened an entirely new chapter — and her transformation into a world-class 800m runner is becoming one of the most fascinating stories in athletics.

What initially looked like an intriguing experiment has rapidly developed into something far more serious.

Broeders-Bol is now running times that place her firmly among the elite of the women’s 800m.

Her breakthrough has been remarkable in both its speed and scale. After making the transition to the two-lap event, she quickly demonstrated that the qualities that made her one of the world’s best 400m hurdlers could be transferred to the longer distance.

Her 2026 progression tells the story.

She clocked 1:55.60 in Paris on June 28, followed by 1:57.13 in Ostrava, before producing 1:55.54 at the European Championships in Birmingham. That performance equalled Ellen van Langen’s long-standing Dutch record of 1:55.54, a mark that had stood since the 1992 Olympic Games.

Just days later, Broeders-Bol went even faster.

At the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21, she ran 1:55.41, lowering the Dutch record outright and finishing second behind Switzerland’s Audrey Werro.

Then came Zürich.

On August 27, Broeders-Bol produced another extraordinary performance, stopping the clock at 1:54.71 to break her own national record by 0.70 seconds in less than a week. She finished second to Werro, who ran a spectacular 1:53.70 — the third-fastest time ever recorded in the women’s 800m.

For Broeders-Bol, however, the biggest headline was her own transformation.

Her 400m hurdles background has provided an exceptional foundation for the 800m. Years of racing over barriers have developed her speed, strength, rhythm, speed endurance and ability to maintain efficient mechanics when fatigue sets in. Those qualities are particularly valuable over two laps, where the ability to combine raw pace with endurance can separate the very best from the rest.

The challenge has been converting that 400m speed into sustained 800m pace.

And she is doing exactly that.

A 1:54.71 performance is no longer the result of an athlete simply testing herself in another event. It is the mark of a genuine 800m contender.

What makes the development even more intriguing is that Broeders-Bol herself has appeared surprised by just how quickly she has adapted to the distance.

In Zürich, she showed once again that her ceiling over 800m may be considerably higher than anyone initially expected.

At just 26, the Dutch star now finds herself at the beginning of a potentially extraordinary second chapter in her career. Her established reputation as a 400m hurdles powerhouse has already been transformed by a new national record over 800m — and she is continuing to improve at a breathtaking rate. World Athletics lists her 1:54.71 as her current personal best and ranks her among the leading women over the distance.

The question now is no longer whether Broeders-Bol can run the 800m.

It is how fast she can ultimately go.

If this remarkable progression continues, the road towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics could become one of the most intriguing storylines in women’s middle-distance running.

Femke Broeders-Bol has already proven that she can conquer the hurdles.

Now, she is showing that two laps of the track may belong to her too.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — August 30, 2026

Sydney is preparing for a spectacular morning of marathon racing as reigning world champions Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania headline a world-class elite field at the TCS Sydney Marathon on Sunday, August 30.

The race is set to provide another defining moment for Australian distance running, with more than 40,000 participants expected to take on the streets of Sydney and a remarkable collection of elite athletes competing for victory on one of the world's newest Abbott World Marathon Majors.

Jepchirchir and Simbu will bring an added layer of prestige to the occasion as the reigning women's and men's world marathon champions. Their presence ensures that the spotlight will be firmly fixed on Sydney as some of the world's finest distance runners battle for one of the most coveted titles on the international marathon calendar.

There will also be records in the crosshairs. The men's course record stands at 2:06:06, while the women's benchmark is 2:18:22, meaning the quality of the field has created genuine anticipation that both marks could come under threat.

In the men's race, Simbu arrives with considerable confidence and an ambitious target. The Tanzanian produced one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, holding off Germany's Amanal Petros to claim the world title. With a personal best of 2:02:47, Simbu has the speed, championship experience and belief to challenge the very best, and he has made no secret of his desire to attack Sydney's course record.

However, standing in his way is an elite group led by Ethiopia's Sisay Lemma, whose outstanding 2:01:48 personal best makes him the fastest entrant in the field. A former London and Boston Marathon champion, Lemma brings a wealth of experience at the highest level and will be one of the principal threats to Simbu's ambitions.

Kenya will also have a strong presence, with Timothy Kiplagat and Vincent Ngetich adding further firepower to an already formidable men's lineup.

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline, however, belongs to Ethiopian track star Hagos Gebrhiwet, who is set to make his highly anticipated marathon debut. A former Olympic 5,000m medallist and one of the world's fastest track distance runners, Gebrhiwet has already shown extraordinary endurance over shorter distances, including a 57:41 half-marathon personal best. His transition to the marathon will be closely watched, with fans eager to discover whether his world-class track speed can be converted into success over 42.195 kilometres.

The depth of the men's field is remarkable. No fewer than 25 athletes have broken 2:10, while 19 have already recorded times faster than Sydney's existing course record, setting the stage for a race that could develop into a battle of extraordinary pace and tactics.

The women's contest promises just as much drama, with Jepchirchir leading the way. The Kenyan superstar arrives in Sydney as the reigning world champion and Olympic champion, carrying a 2:14:43 personal best, the fastest among the women entered.

Yet victory will not come easily. Jepchirchir faces a powerful Kenyan challenge from Irine Cheptai, who owns a 2:17:51 personal best and has already established herself as a major force on the international marathon circuit.

Tanzania's Magdalena Shauri, the country's national record holder with a personal best of 2:18:03, will provide another serious threat, while the experienced Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya adds further championship pedigree to an already impressive women's field.

Ethiopian stars Shure Demise and Haven Hailu, alongside Uganda's Stella Chesang, will also be looking to make their mark as the race unfolds through Sydney's iconic streets.

The setting could hardly be more spectacular. Starting in North Sydney, the marathon takes runners across the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge before heading towards the unforgettable finish at the Sydney Opera House. With the city providing a breathtaking backdrop, the race has all the ingredients for another historic chapter in its rapid rise on the global marathon scene.

For the elite athletes, however, the beauty of Sydney will quickly become secondary once the gun goes off.

The champions will be chasing victory. The record hunters will be chasing history. And for Gebrhiwet, an entirely new chapter of his career will begin.

Two reigning world champions. Multiple sub-2:05 contenders. A world-class women's field. A highly anticipated marathon debut. And course records that could be under serious threat.

Everything is in place for an unforgettable Sunday in Sydney.

Will Alphonce Simbu turn his ambition into a new course record?

 Can Sisay Lemma's 2:01:48 experience carry him to victory?

Will Hagos Gebrhiwet announce himself as a future marathon superstar?

 And can Peres Jepchirchir add the Sydney Marathon crown to her already extraordinary list of achievements?

Sydney is ready.

The champions have arrived. The records are waiting. The stage is set for a spectacular showdown.

Masai Russell delivered a performance for the ages at the Zurich Diamond League, storming to a stunning 12.09 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles to break Tobi Amusan’s world record.

Running in completely still conditions with a legal 0.0 m/s wind, the American Olympic champion became the first woman in history to break the 12.10-second barrier.

Russell improved upon Amusan’s previous world record of 12.12, set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. The mark is subject to the usual ratification process.

After repeatedly demonstrating her dominance throughout the season, Russell arrived in Zurich as the woman to beat. She attacked the race with extraordinary speed and precision, maintaining her rhythm over the hurdles before pulling away in the closing stages.

When the clock flashed 12.09, the significance of the performance was immediately clear. A barrier that had never been broken was gone.

Even more remarkably, the woman whose record she broke was racing beside her. Amusan, the Nigerian star who had held the world record for four years, finished second in 12.23.

The Netherlands’ Nadine Visser completed the podium in 12.34.

The performance adds another extraordinary chapter to Russell’s career. After establishing herself among the world’s elite and producing a season of remarkable consistency, she has reached the summit of the event as its fastest athlete in history.

Russell’s 12.09 was more than a victory. It rewrote the record books and provided the ultimate confirmation of her dominance.

Zurich had already witnessed a world record from Alison dos Santos in the men’s 400m hurdles. Less than 40 minutes later, Russell ensured the evening would become one of the most memorable in Diamond League history.

Masai Russell is now the world-record holder—and the first woman to run under 12.10 seconds for the 100m hurdles.

 

Two Canadian distance running stalwarts will make their marathon debuts at the 2026 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 18. Both make their homes in the London area of southwestern Ontario.

The event is a World Athletics Elite Label race and also serves as the official Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championships.

Connor Black and Jeremy Coughler are former training partners and Canadian championship medalists over 10,000m and cross country. They have followed different paths since the retirement of their coach, Dave Mills, although they occasionally meet for long runs while preparing for Toronto.

Coughler still follows a program designed by Mills—a special exception made by his former coach—while Black has worked with two-time Canadian Olympic marathoner Reid Coolsaet for the past two years. Their approaches to the Toronto race could hardly be more different.

Black, who lives in London—known as “The Forest City”—sees his marathon debut as an important step toward a possible challenge for Canada’s 2028 Olympic team.

“I am 30 years old and I am not making money in the sport, but I still have goals,” Black declares. “My final goal would be to try and make an Olympic team, and I don’t think it’s feasible as an unsponsored track runner targeting the 5K or 10K.

“The marathon is a more even playing field. I can get into any marathon I want, within reason. There are 80 spots in the Olympics. So, if I am going to give it one last shot, it has to be in the marathon.”

At the 2025 Project 13.1 Half Marathon in Congers, New York, Black ran a personal best of 1:03:34 in his first race at the distance. Until then, he had competed primarily over 5,000m and 10,000m. In 2022, he won the Canadian Cross Country Championships.

Black is a secondary school teacher but remains classified as “Long Term Occasional,” meaning he moves from school to school wherever there is an opening.

“Last year I was at Strathroy District Collegiate Institute, which, funnily enough, was where Dave taught for 10 or 15 years,” Black says. “I taught phys ed and math. I can also teach English as a Second Language and biology. I am kind of a Swiss Army knife.”

As he increases his training load for Toronto, completing most of the work by himself, he admits he has reservations about returning to work.

“I am quite nervous to resume teaching,” he reveals. “Recently, my mileage has gone up. When you are starting your build, you are tired. It has been nice having the summer off and being able to focus on training.

“I used to believe you could train like a professional and have a full-time job. I think it’s possible, but if you want to run 200 kilometres a week for the marathon, it is definitely easier and probably better for your performance if you don’t have to work full time.”

Meanwhile, Coughler and his wife, Emma, are chiropractors and partners in Re-Charge Health and Wellness in London’s east end. They are also the parents of a young son, Otto, which means managing their time carefully.

“My wife and I split the work schedule,” Coughler, 30, explains during a day off. “I work Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so I try to do workouts on my days at home—Mondays and Wednesdays.

“If I have something first thing at 7 or 8 a.m., I do a run and then a shakeout between patients or after work. It’s not too bad.”

Running remains important to Coughler, but it is now one of several priorities. He estimates he is running up to 110 kilometres a week, similar to the volume he maintained when finishing third at both the 2023 and 2024 Canadian 10K Championships in Ottawa. He also won the Canada Running Series’ Beneva Spring Run-Off 8K four consecutive years between 2022 and 2025.

Although that mileage is well below what many elite marathoners run, Coughler set a half-marathon personal best of 1:04:33 earlier this year at the Project 13.1 Half Marathon in New York State. The performance earned him eighth place in a strong field. He admits his attitude toward running has changed.

“It’s a shift mentally because I have so much other stuff going on,” he explains. “I am trying to view running as something I do because I love it rather than because it’s my whole life.

“When I was at Indiana University, running was everything. When you run well, it’s great, but when you are not running well, it starts eating you alive.”

With the support and encouragement of Mills, they have mapped out a plan they hope will see Coughler finish his debut in the 2:14 to 2:16 range. He also intends to run more marathons in the future.

“It’s nice knowing there will be a bunch of other Canadian guys who can run around the same time, and that will make it deeper,” he says. “At the front, there are always good Kenyans and Ethiopians running fast. Even if there are a bunch of guys running between 2:12 and 2:20, it would be great.”

The race’s proximity to his home in Thamesford—15 minutes from his practice and about a two-hour drive from Toronto—means Emma, Otto and his parents can accompany him on race weekend. It is one reason he chose the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon for his debut.

Coughler is also familiar with the first half of the course, having finished third in the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon a year ago. Runners in both events follow the same route until the 20-kilometre mark.

Between now and race day, there are many kilometres to be covered. Subject to their schedules and traffic conditions, the two London-area runners will reunite for some workouts.

If all goes well, they will arrive at the starting line ready to join the long list of Canadians who have successfully made the move to the classic marathon distance.