Submit Your Sub-3 Story

Sub-3 exists to celebrate runners who’ve broken the three-hour barrier – or who are chasing it with total commitment.

We welcome first-person stories from runners around the world who’ve achieved sub-3, come close, or are on the journey towards it. We hope these can inspire and inform the next generation of sub-3 runners.

What to Send

• Your story – around 600–800 words works well. Tell us how you trained, what changed, and what the experience meant to you.
• Photos – at least one landscape orientation race photo and one profile shot.
• Key details – your name, age, location, marathon time(s), and the race where you ran sub-3.
• Short biog – one or two sentences for your byline (e.g. Runner from Dubai, UAE, and proud member of Jumeirah Johns Running Club).

Tone and Style

We favour clear, honest writing. Avoid jargon and overstatement. The best Sub-3 stories combine humility, precision and reflection – not hype. Sub-3's readers will largely be looking to improve their marathon times - so all advice you could give would be welcome. This could be how to tackle a particular course, or something that really worked for you in training.

If English isn’t your first language, don’t worry: we’ll lightly edit for clarity while keeping your voice authentic.

How to Submit

Email editor@sub3-marathon.com with your story and photos attached.
Please include “Sub-3 submission” in the subject line.

We review all submissions personally and reply within 2-3 days.

What Happens Next

If your piece is selected, we’ll lightly edit it in line with our house style and send you a final version for approval before publication.

Authors are credited with their name, location, photo and short bio, and the articles are promoted via Sub-3's social media channels.