It is no coincidence that “one of the best marathon runners has ever seen” recently became the first person to break the two-hour barrier of 42.195 kilometers (26.2 miles).
Sabastian Sawe consumed 230 grams of carbohydrates in the one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds it took him to complete the London Marathon in April.
That he was followed home just 11 seconds later by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha further underscored that “the floodgates are open” for an era of elite marathon speed, according to the nutritionist behind Sawe’s world record.
Josh Rowe, head of sports technology for Maurten, the brand that developed Sawe’s fueling program for its London premium, estimates that consuming a fixed amount of carbohydrates can boost performance by 6-8 percent, whether you’re chasing a big win or aiming for 3:45:00 in next year’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon (SCH).
“Nutrition gets lost in the middle of the conversation about shoe technology, but shoes can increase your operating economy by 4 percent,” Rowe said.
In the 12 months leading up to Sawe’s race, Rowe and his colleagues spent 32 days, over six visits, at the athlete’s camp in his native Kenya.
