How to improve your marathon time by 10 minutes?
At KULG, our vision is to empower every runner to become their best - to achieve sustainable, long-term progress through smart, consistent training. Becoming a better, faster, and more efficient runner is not just about speed but also about staying healthy and avoiding injuries along the way.
At the recent Tallinn Marathon, two of our runners, Tarvo and Marek, each improved their marathon personal bests by up to 10 minutes - an impressive leap at an already high performance level.
Their stories are different, their challenges unique. But both share key training principles that helped them reach new heights and lessons that any runner can apply when chasing their own goals.
Tarvo: PB by 10 minutes to 2h 59 min
“My biggest leap came when I increased my running volume from 1,300 to 2,400 km in the 8 months leading up to the race. KULG has made it easier to keep track of my training volume, monitor changes, and see my overall progress in running.”
Tarvo, 47
For a long time, Tarvo’s dream was to run a marathon under 3 hours. In September 2025, at the age of 47, he made that dream a reality with a personal record of 2:59:00! Just last year, Tarvo’s best was 3:09:16. That means in one year, he managed to cut over 10 minutes off his marathon time.
So what led to Tarvo’s breakthrough?
The key was volume. He nearly doubled his training load compared to the previous year. As KULG results indicate, during the final 14 weeks before race week, Tarvo was able to increase his aerobic fitness considerably.
But how could he handle such a substantial volume increase?
Tracking his key indicators in KULG, he learned how to balance volume and intensity in a sustainable way. He followed the plan, trusted his body, and executed spot on.
That same mindset carried into race day. At one point, Tarvo realized staying with the pace group was draining him. Instead of forcing it, he trusted his instincts, ran his own race, and finished strong - right under his 3-hour goal.
Marek: PB by 7 minutes to 2h 32 min
“Monitoring the volume of my high-intensity training let me handle significantly higher training loads than before. In KULG, this is very easy to track. Thanks to KULG app, my coach has a real-time 24/7 overview of my training. This helped me prepare much better for my marathon.”
Marek, 38
Another KULG runner, Marek, shaved about 7 and a half minutes off his marathon personal best at the same event, finishing in 2:32:17. Even more impressive, this achievement earned the 38-year-old runner a bronze medal at the 2025 Estonian Championships 🥉
How did Marek change his training?
The key difference in Marek’s marathon preparation was a substantial increase in monthly running volume and high-intensity sessions during the 7 months leading up to the race-specific phase. This created a strong foundation for his marathon preparation.
Interestingly, the total volume of his race-specific block was not so much higher than the previous year. What changed was the addition of more marathon-specific higher intensity workouts. To raise his average marathon pace by around 10 seconds per km, he also ran his tempo workouts faster than the year before.
What drove such a big leap at an already high level?
Marek credits his earlier volume increase for allowing him to complete more high-quality, high-intensity sessions during the race-specific phase, which improved his maximum speed. This is reflected in a more than 1-minute improvement in his 10 km time this year. By building speed at shorter distances, he was able to raise his marathon pace as well.
What can we learn from Tarvo’s and Marek’s experience?
We are truly happy for both Tarvo’s and Marek’s achievements 🎉 While their speed and times might feel out of reach for most amateur runners, the key training principles behind their success are ones anyone can apply.
Volume matters
When it comes to marathon performance, total running volume makes a big difference. Simply put, how much you run has a huge impact on your finish time.
Tarvo nearly doubled his total running distance in the eight months leading up to the race compared to the previous year. Marek, who was already training at a high level, focused on building more volume during his base phase. That allowed him to start his marathon-specific training block from a stronger foundation and it showed on race day.
Keep intensity in check
Running a sub-3-hour marathon requires a fair share of tempo work - running at or near marathon pace. Both Tarvo and Marek increased the amount of high-intensity running in the months before the race, especially around marathon pace. This time, they used KULG to monitor and balance their weekly intensity, keeping it close to 20% of their total running volume. That approach helped them push their limits while avoiding injuries, which is crucial for long-term progress.
Powered by KULG
Join hundreds of runners and coaches already using KULG - start free and sign up here.
Maris is a marathon runner with 16+ years of experience from over 25 marathons, holding an age group Estonian marathon record. She is a certified running coach and the founder of kulg.io. You can also find her in Instagram with @projectrunbaby.
