We’ve Got Marginal Gains All Wrong

Could the best runners of the 1960s have beaten the sub 2-hr marathon if they had 2026 level sports science, gear, and training protocols?  That’s what Thomas is looking to answer today - and why our understanding of Marginal Gains is, at times, flawed.Chapters:00:00 Could old-school runners have broken 2 hours?01:31 Derek Clayton's old-school gear, diet & training02:32 Stacking modern marginal gains onto Derek05:42 Were old-school runners just tougher?06:36 Origin of "marginal gains": Team Sky07:30 The Team Sky doping controversy08:29 Debunking the marginal gains myth11:20 Ceiling effects and the Atomic Habits graph13:04 Marginal gains = avoiding bad outcomes too14:00 Back to Derek: what the real data says18:05 Why Derek would still trail today's best19:45 Verdict, and a message to Derek Clayton22:03 Two real takeaways for your own trainingJoin Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclubShop Marathon Handbook merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com