Strava has released new insights ahead of the 2025 London Marathon, highlighting training and pacing trends among runners who completed the 2024 edition of the event.
This year’s TCS London Marathon takes place on Sunday, April 27, 2025, when more than 56,000 runners are expected on the streets of the UK capital.
The London Marathon is one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and it is significantly oversubscribed each year. The 2025 edition saw a world record-breaking 840,318 people from the UK and across the globe apply in the public ballot for an event entry.
With more than 60% of 2024 London Marathon finishers uploading their activities to Strava’s platform, data from Strava captures how runners prepared and performed at last year’s event.
Among the key takeaways: those who trained with others were significantly less likely to slow down over the final 10km…
Social runners less likely to fade
According to Strava, 29% of runners who tagged at least one other person in their training ‘bonked’ (defined as slowing by 10% or more in the final 10km). This is compared to 45% of those who trained alone.
Millennials fastest across the board
Millennials clocked the fastest median finish time at 3:59:37 – the only generation to dip under the four-hour barrier. Gen X followed with 4:11:15, while Gen Z finished in 4:14:47. Boomers recorded a median time of 4:34:07.
Millennials were also most likely to run a sub-three-hour marathon, with 12% achieving the mark. Nearly half (51%) finished in under four hours.
By contrast:
- 6% of Gen Z runners finished in under three hours; 40% under four.
- 3% of Gen X finished in under three; 43% under four.
- 1% of Boomers broke three hours; 30% came in under four.
Strava noted that Gen Z runners were also more likely to achieve a negative split – running the second half of the race faster than the first.
Training habits and cross-training
Strava’s analysis showed that 62% of marathon finishers included at least one non-running activity in their training. Cycling and weight training were the most popular forms of cross-training.
Four months before race day, runners averaged a weekly total of 31km, with long runs around 10km. One month out, the average weekly volume climbed to 45km, with long runs typically reaching 32km.
Two weeks before the race, mileage dropped to around 30km, with most runners covering 12km during race week as they tapered towards race day.
Overall:
- 9% of 2024 participants recording via Strava finished in under three hours.
- 46% crossed the line within four hours.
- 79% completed the race in under five hours.
Running boom continues
Strava reports that over the past five years, participation in half marathons on its platform has grown by 28%, while marathons are up 14%.
Women’s participation has grown 18% since 2019, with the biggest increase seen in the Gen Z cohort.
In 2024, running became the fastest-growing social sport on Strava, with UK running club activity rising by 64%.
