About Sub-3

For sub-3 runners - and those determined to join them

Sub-3 has long been the benchmark for the amateur elite - a line in the sand that only a small, dedicated few will ever cross. Fewer than 0.02% of people run a marathon each year - and, of those, only around 2.6% finish in under three hours. This site exists for that tiny but determined community — and for those chasing it with real intent.

There are plenty of excellent running sites out there. Most cater to the growing wave of people taking up running for fitness – and rightly so. But in doing so, the more obsessive end of the field often gets overlooked. For example, when parkrun removed the stats that once highlighted fast performances, it reflected a broader shift in focus away from performance metrics toward participation.

Sub-3 is a mindset. It’s not about being born fast. It’s about showing up, day after day and doing the work. Talent helps, sure — but tenacity is what gets you through the long blocks, the early starts, the endless tempo runs. It’s for runners who think about training when they’re not training. Who compare shoes, splits, and supplements not to show off, but to learn. Who show up to club nights with questions, not ego. Who scroll Strava not for kudos, but to clock what someone else ran that hill rep in last Thursday.

It’s for people who want to get better — and know that better takes work. Because there’s no faking it in the marathon. Sub-3 isn’t about being gifted — it’s about being committed. And if you’re willing to learn, graft, and plug into the experience of others, this accolade is genuinely achievable.

We don’t just want you to read - we want you to contribute. Share your story. What have you learned? What mistakes did you make on the road to sub-3, and what would you tell others trying to follow that path? Whether it’s a weight loss journey, a new strength routine, or how parenthood changed your training - we’d love to hear it.

Email: editor@sub3-marathon.com

About the Founder / Editor — Patrick Hayes

I’m 45, with 20+ years of marathons behind me - seven consecutive sub-3s and England Masters 5K selection in 2025. My current goal is to break 2:40.

I only became truly competitive in 2021, after dropping from 114kg to under 80kg, a transformation that unlocked PBs I’d never thought possible. I’m a proud St Albans Strider, having started with the Thurrock Nomads in Essex.

Running runs in the family: I ran the 2024 London Marathon the same year my mum completed her 10th. I love pacing my seven-year-old son Leo at parkrun and diving into my 200+ running books, starting with The New Competitive Runners’ Handbook - heavily used by my sub-3 marathon-running father.

Professionally, I’ve spent nearly 30 years in journalism, data and digital media, building platforms and growing audiences. Sub-3 brings those threads together: a passion project for a community I know and care about.

I'm on Strava here.

Email: editor@sub3-marathon.com

An independent project

Sub-3 exists to support the sub-3 community in all its forms. We’re not affiliated with any of the many Facebook groups, Instagram accounts, Strava clubs, coaching services or other platforms with an interest in sub-3 — but we share the same passion for this benchmark and the runners striving toward it.

Nothing gets recommended here unless we genuinely believe it helps runners chasing sub-3. Occasionally, product links may be affiliate links, meaning the site earns a small commission if you choose to buy — at no extra cost to you — but we’ll never link to anything we wouldn’t recommend ourselves.

This project started in the margins — between work, family life and training miles. It’s not about profit, but we hope it can generate enough income to justify the time and resources needed to keep it going. If the site grows, so will the ambition, but the ethos won’t change. If you’ve found something here useful, inspiring or just reassuring, you can support it by sharing your story or buying us a coffee.

Buy us a coffee (or two).