2022 London Marathon – What to expect from Strava
The 2022 London Marathon hits the streets of the capital this weekend and there should, as always, be an excellent turnout providing the train strikes don’t interfere with people’s plans too much.
Strava has analysed stats from last year to offer some insights on what to expect this year. There were around 80,000 runners last year if you add together those doing the real and virtual events. More than half of those logged the ride on Strava…an impressive stat.
It seems that using Strava makes you faster 😉 The average time by a Strava user was 4:19:54 compared to the overall average of 4:22:50, which probably means that the average time for a non-Strava user was about 4:25:30. Strava makes you almost 5 minutes faster. So if you haven’t got a Strava account yet you know what to do. Forget the Nike AirFlys and just sign up for Strava. Simple. Perhaps. Maybe. (It’s not.)
8% of Strava users registered a sub-3-hour finish time whereas another 7% of men came in just short of 3 hours, below 3 hours 5 minutes. More than one in ten women logged Strava times of under 3 hours 35 minutes.
Turning to the route itself, watch out for mile four and don’t go too hard on mile 5. Mile four is the slowest with an average time of 11:39 whereas Mile 5 boasts an average time of 09:01. Someone needs a Stryd to pace the efforts more evenly.
What is the best Marathon Watch?
It’s almost certainly too late to get one now but the best tech to use for a marathon is INaccurate tech. Studies from a few years back showed that if your watch was wrong and underestimated your speed by ‘a bit’ you actually would run faster.
In which case the Apple Watch Ultra is a good one to go for. Maybe it’s a tad heavy even though it’s made of titanium and you might want a good old-fashioned plastic watch like the Coros Pace 2 or Garmin Forerunner 255, both excellent lightweight choices. The other great option is a Polar Pacer Pro.
Last Updated on 28 May 2026 by the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
