RUN WITH ALEX · RESEARCH

Better coaching starts with better questions.

Applied research into running performance, training consistency, and the decisions that help amateur runners improve.

PUBLISHED RESEARCH

Featured publication · Zenodo

Consistency as the Primary Driver of Performance in Amateur Half-Marathon Runners: An Applied Coaching Analysis

Author: Aleksandar (Alex) Matić
Published on: Zenodo
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19333703

An applied analysis of training logs and race results from 18 adult runners aged 24 to 51 who completed at least 16 weeks of half-marathon preparation between 2021 and 2024. The study examines the relationship between interruptions in training and half-marathon performance.

Read the full paper on Zenodo

Key findings

10 of 12 runners

Runners who experienced no interruptions or only one or two interruptions of seven days or longer achieved a personal best.

0 of 6 runners

Runners whose preparation included repeated or longer interruptions achieved a personal best.

The runners were grouped according to interruptions of seven days or longer during their preparation. These findings describe the outcomes within this sample and should not be interpreted as proof that training consistency alone causes personal-best performances.

What the study examined

Training consistency

The frequency of interruptions lasting seven days or longer during a half-marathon preparation period.

Training volume

Differences in average weekly mileage across the groups.

Race performance

Changes in half-marathon finishing times and the proportion of runners achieving personal bests.

Limitations and interpretation

This was a descriptive analysis of 18 adult runners coached through half-marathon preparation. It was not a controlled prospective study, and the sample is small. The findings indicate an association between training interruptions and performance outcomes in this group; larger prospective studies are needed to establish how broadly the relationship applies.

Research matters when it improves coaching decisions.

The practical question is not simply how much an athlete can handle in an ideal week, but what they can sustain across an entire training block.

At Run With Alex, training is individualized around each athlete's goals, training history, available time, and performance data. Plans are adjusted as training progresses, with an emphasis on consistency, appropriate progression, and realistic training loads.

Explore coaching with Alex

"Every runner in this study who completed 16 weeks without long interruptions ran faster on race day."

Alex Matić