The Harry Styles Effect

You know that marathon running has reached a level of cool when even pop singer, Harry Styles, is hooked.  

It is not unusual to see some celebrities during a marathon, especially, if it is one of the World Majors.  Last Sunday, at the Berlin Marathon, one particular celebrity stood out — Styles, who ran with a jaw-dropping time of two hours and 59 minutes, a semi-elite pace considering that the average male finishing time is 4:21:03.

This was recently acknowledged by Runners World as the fastest marathon time of any celebrity, ever. 

Breaking the three-hour barrier is indeed a major accomplishment even for avid runners. What made the feat even more incredible is last Sunday’s Berlin race was hot and humid with temperatures reportedly reaching 27 degrees Celsius. 

Moreover, based on records, this was only his second marathon. His first was last March 2025, when ran the Tokyo Marathon with a time of 3:24:07.  

These are way above average times for a newbie marathoner. His Berlin time meant an average of four minutes and 15 seconds per kilometer over the course of 42.19 kilometers. His splits were consistent throughout.

The controlled pacing indicated a high amount of discipline and meticulous execution.    

Understandably runners all over  wanted to know what kind of training he did so we did some sleuthing.    

It appears that while preparing for concert tours, Styles would train under Thibo David, Executive Peak Performance Founder and former special forces soldier.  

David disclosed in an interview with The Independent that even during the Covid lockdowns he and Styles would often go on long Zone 2 (easy pace) runs around London. This built an excellent aerobic base that primed Styles for long distance running. He also went on regular swim sessions.

Then there were the regular two-hour gym sessions that combined strength training, high intensity circuits, core and speed work.  

David added that Styles was also very mindful of recovery. He reportedly did a lot of assisted stretching, massage and ice baths which the singer reportedly loved doing.

There were also days that the coach and Styles would focus on mobility or do some boxing. In other words, they would mix things up a lot, which is the essence of cross-training.

Cross-training not only prevents burnout, it allows a runner to build strength and mobility, all of which are needed to become an efficient runner.

In preparation for Berlin, his weekly mileage reportedly ran up to 47 miles. He also did a long run of 22 miles.

Given his fame and the nature of his work, it was easy indeed to imagine Styles as having the usual rockstar hedonistic lifestyle. It is amazing that he has been doing the opposite.