It's October and another unforgettable BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is in the books. But as one challenge ceases, another begins. We have invited Katja Fischer and Philipp Pflieger, two excellent runners from the Marathon Team Berlin, as well as the faces of our RUN FOR JOY campaign, once more to join us for our last Stop For Joy in 2022. Together with them we have looked back to an incredible race, an unbelievable new world record set by Eliud Kipchoge and now it’s time to look forward to the next challenges, rest assured, because the joy won’t stop here!
For all runners, amateur or professional, it's about improving, breaking your own records, and getting faster. In this episode, a group of runners embark on the daring experiment to match Eliud Kipchoge's scorching pace over 1.5 kilometers.
On a flat BMW test track, the runners compete against the BMW i4, which sets off in the opposite direction at Kipchoge's pace. Runners and car turn around after 500m and head back to the starting point. Whoever crosses the BMW gate faster than the car, bettered Kipchoge’s pace - at least for one kilometer.
In a second challenge, the runners must run a longer distance at the very high average speed of Katja's marathon best time – 03:51 min. per kilometer or 15.6 km/h. This time the BMW i4 leads the field at this speed, the runners are to follow and can only cross the checkpoint at a maximum of 10 seconds later than the car to stay in the race.
For Philipp and Katja, it becomes clear that you should take on challenges like this to not only discover your limits, but to continue pushing them further.
But above all else, continuing to find the joy to run and doing it with passion.
#runforjoy
Want to take your speed to the next level?
We asked Philipp Pflieger for his tips on running fast:
1. hill sprints
Hill sprints are a great way to effectively strengthen the muscles needed for running. Incorporate the sprints into your normal running training at least once a week. A duration of 8 - 12 seconds per sprint at submaximal speed (approx. 90 - 95% of maximum speed) is recommended. It is also important that you pay attention to a clean running technique despite the high load in order to target the running-relevant muscle parts.
2. interval runs
Interval runs are the method for increasing the average running speed. The pace phases can be defined either by distance (e.g. 400, 800 or 1000 meters) or by time (e.g. 1, 2 or 5 minutes). Within the intervals, the pace should be between 95 - 105 % of the targeted running pace for the target distance (10 km, half marathon, etc.). This may vary depending on the length and number of intervals.
3. continuity
Consistency is key - The most important point to make progress is continuity. The best training plan will be of no use if it is not continuously enforced. Set realistic training times and stay on the ball regularly - then the successes will show faster than you think.
Find here some impressions of the challenge and our RUN FOR JOY runners on the BMW track.
