New Apple Watch data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study has revealed some interesting insights into the training habits of individuals who run marathons. The study, conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, involved over 1,500 participants and spanned from November 2019 to January 2024.

During this period, the participants collectively ran an estimated 2,623 marathons. The data also indicated that since the study’s launch, there have been over 197,700 participants who recorded at least one walking workout, and about 99,400 with at least one running workout. More than 50% of the participants who recorded either exercise achieved a distance of 5 kilometers or more at least once.

One intriguing question posed by the study was how long it would take the participants to reach the 26.2-mile marathon distance. The data revealed that half of the participants would walk and/or run 26.2 miles in 90 days or fewer, with an average speed of 334 days per marathon due to a long tail of participants who infrequently logged a run or walk.

Additionally, the study provided insights into training strategies for running a marathon. While it is common to have at least four months of training leading up to a marathon, the study looked at the three months leading up to it to limit possible overlap in the build-up of training for other events. The data showed a large variation in training strategies, but a few patterns emerged, such as the standard practice of gradually building up miles and ‘tapering’ in the last month.

Furthermore, the study did not delve into step count in this update, but provided a common approximation based on average stride length, which is roughly 2,000 steps per mile, resulting in about 52,400 steps for a marathon.

The Apple Heart and Movement Study’s findings offer valuable insights for individuals considering running a marathon, providing data-driven tips on training and shedding light on the training habits of marathon runners.