How to Run a 5K PR, Boston Marathon Qualification, and the Next World Marathon Major

Marathon Handbook editors Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle discuss the latest developments in the World of Marathon Majors: Boston Marathon's new qualification standards and the Sydney Marathon's rise to reportedly become the next World Marathon Major, perhaps as early as next year. They also delve into Alex's recent 5K PR, exploring the training changes he made and the importance of coaching in achieving running goals.

00:00 - Opening Chat
01:35 - Boston Marathon Qualification Changes
14:00 - Sydney Marathon's Rise to Major Status
26:30 - Cape Town Marathon and Chengdu Marathon as WMM candidates
38:06 - Alex's 5K PR and Tips

Watch a full video version of this podcast on our YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/Nih6qNESz44

Show Notes:

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon just got harder:
https://marathonhandbook.com/2026-boston-marathon-qualifying-times/

Sydney on the verge of being named seventh WMM:
https://marathonhandbook.com/sydney-marathon-seventh-world-major-marathon-2025/

Alex's go-to fartlek for improving speed:

1min 10k effort/2min easy
45sec 5k effort/90sec easy
2x30sec 1500m effort/1min easy
4x15sec 800m effort/45sec easy

Our free marathon training plans:
https://marathonhandbook.com/trainingplans/marathon-training-plans/

Hosts: Katelyn Tocci, Michael Doyle

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro chat
• 1:35 Boston Marathon Qualification Changes
• 14:00 Sydney Marathon's Rise to Major Status
• 26:30 Cape Town Marathon and Chengdu Marathon as WMM candidates
• 36:06 Alex's 5K PR and Tips