A 2:09:24 Finish and a Place in the Record Books. The McKirdy MicroOTQ Breakdown, with Thomas Nobbs

A 2:09:24 marathon. Solo. On a looped course. Off a treadmill-heavy build. Yup. He did that. In this episode of the Fast & Free Podcast, Brant and Elaina sit down with Thomas Nobbs less than 24 hours after running 2:09:24 at the McKirdy Micro OTQ, becoming the 4th fastest marathon ever run by a Canadian. What makes this performance even more wild is that this was in no way shape or form the plan. Thomas came in targeting something closer to 2:11…, and within a few miles, that plan was gone. We break down how the record-setting race actually unfolded in real timef from the early pacing decisions, to managing effort completely alone, to the moment it became clear this was going to be something special. We also dive into the build behind it: a largely treadmill-based winter, subtle but important changes in training, and how stacking marathon cycles led to a massive jump from 2:12 to 2:09 in just a few months. Beyond the performance, this is a conversation about what it actually takes to reach this level of training without sponsorship, balancing work and coaching, trusting the process over years, and understanding that breakthroughs like this aren’t random… they’re built. Happy Training! ⸻ Relevant Links Get coached by Brant Stachel: https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Get coached by Elaina Raponi: https://teamrunrun.com/coach/elaina-raponi-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Get coached by Thomas Nobbs: https://teamrunrun.com/coach/tom-nobbs-ottawa-running-coach/ ⸻ About the Fast & Free Podcast The Fast & Free Podcast with Brant Stachel explores the intersection of endurance training and mental performance. Each episode, Brant—an endurance coach, Registered Psychotherapist, and mental performance specialist—talks with athletes and coaches about training smarter, thinking clearly under pressure, and building sustainable performance over time. ⸻ Follow Fast & Free Coaching http://instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching http://youtube.com/FastandFreeCoaching https://www.tiktok.com/@brantstachel Website: http://runfastandfree.com Follow Elaina Raponi http://www.instagram.com/elainaraponi Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/59776119 Website: http://runfastandfree.com Follow Thomas Nobbs https://www.instagram.com/nobbs.not.knobs/ https://www.threads.com/coach.nobbs/ https://www.strava.com/athletes/28521910