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Patrick Hayes

Patrick Hayes

St Albans, United Kingdom

Founder/editor of Sub-3, seven-time sub-3 marathoner, England Masters athlete and St Albans Strider. Chasing sub-2:40 and building a home for serious runners who train with purpose.

Marathon runner in a SUB-3 vest faces a split path: one leads to a finish line showing 2:55:00, the other to a toilet, highlighting a race-day dilemma.

What if I need to go to the toilet during a sub-3 marathon attempt?

It’s not the most glamorous aspect of marathon running, but it’s one nearly every runner has worried about at some point: what if I need the toilet mid-race?

Illustration of a triumphant runner in a crowd wearing a Sub‑3 medal, highlighting the elite 0.005% of people worldwide who complete a marathon in under 3 hours.

How rare is sub‑3? A back‑of‑the‑envelope estimate

Very few people will ever run a marathon in their lifetime. Even fewer will break three hours. Despite the hype around super-shoes, sub-3 remains one of the hardest and most respected benchmarks in amateur sport. Here’s a clear-eyed look at just how rare it really is. Global Marathon And

Before-and-after photos of a runner’s transformation from overweight half marathon finisher to lean sub-3 marathoner crossing the line at Brighton Marathon.

How I went from being obese to running sub-3 in 12 months

A year after hitting my heaviest weight, I ran a sub-3 marathon. This is the journey, the lessons, and the mindset that made it possible.

Three pairs of Nike ZoomX Alphafly running shoes in bright neon colours stacked on a wooden table outdoors — popular carbon-plated racing shoes among sub-3 marathon runners

Do Alphaflys help you run a sub-3 marathon?

Sub-3 stays with you for life. And in my view, these shoes can help make it happen.