How heavy for sub 2:40? Are you talking 200 lbs in which case it's probably zero, or are you talking 180 lbs or 160 lbs?

For the sake of this thread, lets say over 160. I didn't throw out a number because I don't know if it is common for those at say 160 to run sub 2:45. If this is the case and it is common, lets raise the weight by 5 or 10 pounds.

I am guessing that pretty well every top pro Ironman triathlete who is around 6 feet 165 lbs is a 2:30-2:35 marathoner (should translate to a 2:45 to 3 hours IM split). There will be close to no age groupers who are >160 lbs running sub 2:40. I'd be shocked if there are any

I'd like to know if that person(s) exist. 150-160 is a bit on the heavy side for fast marathons.

Craig Mottram comes to mind at 6' 2" @163 lbs. His only marathon (age 35) was this past London and was 2:28:39. So there's one but this is an elite. Ryan Hall was tall as well at 5' 10 3/4 but his racing weight was 137.

I think if there is a sub/non elite above 160, that would be very impressive.

A 2:45 marathon is a 6:18 pace. Running that pace for a 5k at that weight is good and not uncommon. Running eight 5ks in a row at that pace plus a bit more is a bit on the freak side.

I ran 2:41 at Chicago marathon at 6'1" and 167lbs

I bet Sami Inkinen could do it.

Well, Sami probably has pro level Vdot, so just count him in the equivalent camp. Sami just happens to make more money doing other things to bother being a pro triathlete (and too old).

That's fast. Consider yourself in a very small group of runners.

Can I ask how old you were when you ran that time? Did you run in college?

Also 1998 TJ Fry ran 2:41 in Austin. Since he's on this board, maybe he can tell us his weight at that time. I'm going to assume he was a pro at that time, but still fast.

One of my buddies, who goes by Konaexpress on ST, has run multiple 2:50-2:55 marathons at 190-195 lbs. He's also done Kona 7x and qualified for it around 20x. He now weighs 164ish. I am certain if he was 165 lbs during time times when he ran 2:50ish at 190ish lbs, he could have gone sub 2:40.

Also I believe Monty ran 2:32 marathon and I am certain he was over 160lbs. He was racing pro triathlon at the time. Maybe he will come on here if he sees this thread and share. Normann Stadler ran around 2:36 at Frankfurt Marathon too

It's doable. I have weighed 178 lbs (5'11") for 7 Bostonians under 2:45 in my 40's+.

Hill running and high quality swim sessions with one long Sunday run per week works well for me.

Albert

I've done many marathons under 2:45 while over 160 pounds (6 feet tall). My best was a 2:37 at around 165 when I was 42

But those were standalone marathons not IM marathons.

OK, now we have one age grouper coming on here sub 2:40 at over 160 lbs. Well done Joe ( by the way, as you know there is a world of diff between sub 2:40 and sub 2:45)!

I've been about 180lbs for the last 10 years and have run under 2:30 three times (fastest was 2:27 last year). However, I'm nearly 6'5, and would probably class myself more a runner than a triathlete (although I did qualify for Kona in 2013).

My good friend/old roommate was about 195-200lbs and ran a 2:42 at Boston. He then ran a 3:06 in the Kona marathon.

I would have been sub 2:45 2 years ago based roughly on running a 1:21 70.3 run split...but I gained 15lbs and went 3:08 @ 179lbs. Does that count?

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No, a 1:21 is great and all...but that's still half of a marathon.

Jason Hartman was listed at 203lbs when he was the first American in Boston, 2013. 2:11PR. He's always seemed like an exception to the rules of endurance sport athlete profiles though.

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Someone must have written that listing as a joke - he's quoted as saying race weight was around 160, which is pretty big for a top level runner, but running 2:11 at 203lbs would be impressive! Apparently he's 6'3 so 160 sounds about right for an elite marathon runner.

Maybe some of you running officiando may know ... but what about women. I would assume that a sub 2:45 male is about the same as a sub 3 female? Who on the non-elite female side of the house has run a sub 3 on the heavy side? I'll let you all define what a heavy female runner is.

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My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."

A good friend of mine is right around 165 at 5'10" and has gone sub 2:40 multiple times including a 2:35 at Boston a few years ago. He looks so strange around the really super thin runners.

I've been able to do it several times. 6'2" (165-168 lbs). 2:37 x 3, couple more 2:40's. Still quite lean, just bigger. A lot of my weight is in my legs from all the years of cycling as well. At least when I compare leg size...

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Arete Endurance

Rich Burke went 2:3x numerous times at Boston, and some crazy-fast AG IM run splits at Kona, TX, and LP.
(2:56 run at Kona, for instance, on his way to a 9:25 finish)

He probably wasn't over 160, but I'd wager he was probably 15x lbs when he did all that, as he's very similar in size and build as me.

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float , hammer , and jog

I'm 6'3" and 172 and ran a 2:45 marathon. Ran 3:13 at IMMT.

Run every day with a longish run every week. 45-55 miles/week during triathlon season and 55-70 miles/week when focusing on marathon.

I don't do much speed work honestly when training for triathlon. Marathon training I add in race pace workouts and a tempo/track session every couple of weeks. I do much less speed work than most (I think).