At the start of this year, I set out to achieve a lifelong goal: to run a marathon in under 3 hours. My dad had accomplished his marathon back in the day with a time of 3:15, fueled by standard army training rather than specialized marathon prep. He was one of the fastest in his group, and I’ve always admired that. My aim was to beat his time, maybe even share a laugh about it. But then, life had other plans.
This year turned out to be far more intense—both in work and relationships—than I’d anticipated. I had my training plan ready, with long runs mapped out, but the stress made it hard to stick to it. I remember a day at the gym in Australia, lifting weights only to stop after a few minutes, my body simply exhausted. Late work nights due to time zone differences added another layer of challenge, leaving me feeling drained.
Still, I had a goal to keep me going: I signed up for the Munich Half Marathon on October 12, 2024, hoping it would motivate me to stay active. It did. Training was sporadic, but I found camaraderie and fun along the way, joining parkruns in Australia, Melbourne, and Singapore as both a runner and volunteer. Those events brought together the kindest people, making the experience all the richer.
I kept up with training wherever I traveled—Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore—whether it was park runs (sometimes in less-than-ideal air quality) or treadmill sessions. It required planning: I carried my gym gear everywhere and kept it visible as a reminder. Running brought a calm focus and gave me that needed space for creativity and reflection. Highly recommended if it resonates with you.
On race day, I clocked a time of 1:37:54 for the half marathon, a time I’m quite proud of given my modest training load this year, averaging only 20-30 km per month. For context, studies on sub-3-hour marathon runners from the London Marathon show they typically run 60-70 km weekly! It’s a big difference and an inspiring benchmark for me.
The energy of the crowd was contagious, and I might have pushed myself a bit too hard, but the experience was exhilarating. No injuries, but I felt the strain in the following days, a reminder to pace myself better next time. My daily habit of walking about 9,000 steps, paired with a lean build and a fairly healthy lifestyle, certainly helped me reach that time, but I know that marathon prep will need a more structured approach.
Next year, I’m making training a top priority. I want to cross that marathon finish line with a sense of accomplishment, honoring what my body is capable of. And, ultimately, I’ll look forward to calling my dad and telling him it’s his turn to get a faster marathon time! 🙂