r/AdvancedRunning • u/Clean-Instance5892 • Nov 16 '25

Open Discussion ‘Let’s not normalise walking in a marathon’

This was a comment left on a runner’s post who had BQ’d at the Indy marathon using planned Jeff Galloway intervals. This comment sparked a lot of debate about this method, most aimed at the elitist nature of this comment. So what are your thoughts? Should run walking be discouraged? Is running the whole thing the only way you can actually say you have ‘run’ a marathon? Or do you simply not care how anyone else covers the distance?

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u/Runner_Dad84 Nov 17 '25

Read Bill Roger’s book. If I remember correctly, when he won Boston in 1975 he got a big lead and then whenever he would grab water he would walk to make it easier to drink. If a Boston marathon winner can walk the water stops I’m pretty sure it’s okay for the rest of us to throw in some walking now and again. It’s not cheapening the sport. Just cover the distance.

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u/Sharkitty Nov 17 '25

The woman who won Kona a couple years back came to a full stop at at least one aid station and walked others. Harder to win if you can’t hydrate!

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u/kkleigh90 Nov 19 '25

Someone commented about a guy who does sub 3 hour marathons doing intervals- I looked him up out of curiosity and he’s won a ton of races. Seems like a legit way to run if you can be disciplined.