— CHAPTER 01 · JANUARY · ETHIOPIA
The journey begins in Ethiopia
In January, we flew to Ethiopia to meet Yomif. We had just twelve weeks until his first marathon, a challenge that on paper seemed almost impossible.
We found him with a minor injury at the back of his knee. There were days when he could run, but then he had to take a break for two or three [days].
Without hesitation, the very next week we asked him to fly to Spain so he could be examined by David Capapé, our trusted doctor. Five days later, he was already training without pain.
From that moment on, everything came down to one word: London.
— CHAPTER 02 · FEBRUARY – APRIL · ELEVEN WEEKS
Building a database
Eliminating deficits
Increasing training volume
The eleven weeks that followed were the most demanding of our professional careers.
We started by understanding how his body works: where we could get immediate improvements, and where we needed to slow down. Then we moved on to examining and monitoring his body 24 hours a day.
- Subjective feelings and objective data.
- Blood tests every three weeks.
- Daily, adjusted nutritional control.
- Daily communication with the athlete.
- Training loads adjusted and coordinated with his coach, Gemedo.
- Full monitoring: body temperature, breaths per minute, heart rate, oxygen saturation, variability.
The biggest challenge was energy. Athletes who succeed on the track are pure "petrol", while a marathon requires something different: efficiency, metabolic resilience, and the ability to sustain effort for 42 kilometres. This is what we focused on.
We gradually increased training volume to improve metabolic flexibility and mitochondrial density. We adjusted caloric deficits. We patiently strived for balance in his nutrition during training.
— CHAPTER 03 · LONDON
We arrived in London aware of something uncomfortable. We were probably the least efficient competitor at this distance, because Yomif came from track, and track rewards power. The marathon rewards economy. If we were to contend in the final hour, we couldn't run harder than the others. We had to run smarter.
— RACE DAY STRATEGY
We had a long strategic debrief with Yomif, during which we developed a race plan based on some very clear decisions:
01 - STRATEGY
Let others lead the race. Let someone else pay for early breaks. He holds his position, waits, and finishes.
02 - Assumption up to the 35th kilometer
Eat, save energy, be patient. Spend as little as possible.
03 - Human Factor
Listen to your body, don't force it. If something isn't right, don't push it.
"Run smart. Responsibility rests with others — your chance is to seize it."
One-sentence plan: reach kilometer 35 with "legs"
— CHAPTER 04 · THE EVENING BEFORE
All he had to do was run
In the last 48 hours in London, we had one goal: for Yomif to drop everything else.
We scheduled his hours. We left a heavy meal divided into portions and ready in his room. Training hours. Strategy. Supplementation. Rest. Pre-race rituals.
FEEDING SCHEDULE · 24-HOUR PLAN BEFORE
This was the full plan, 24 hours before the starting signal.
Meals
THE DAY BEFORE
8:00 AM — Breakfast — Toasted white bread (180g) with honey (40g) and banana
9:30 AM — Activation — Same time as race start · unusual post-banana recovery
12:00 PM — Lunch — Boiled rice (550g), roasted potatoes (180g), and roasted skinless chicken (90g)
4:00 PM — Snack — White bread (180g) with honey (40g)
8:00 PM — Dinner — Boiled white rice (550g), roasted potatoes (140g), and banana
Top-up
THE DAY BEFORE
11:30 — Unusual Nitrous
18:30 — Unusual Nitrous
"All he had to do was run."
— CHAPTER 05 · THE RACE · 42.195 KM
We have developed a very precise nutrition plan. Yomif weighs 59.5 kg. This allows him to store approximately 580 g of glycogen (100 g liver + 480 g muscle). We have planned a consumption of 287 grams between the pre-race phase and during the race.
580 g - Glycogen reserve
100g liver + 480g muscle. The reservoir with which it started the race.
59.5 kg - Body weight
The foundation upon which we based our entire nutritional strategy.
287 g - Planned consumption
Before the start + during the race. We reached the limit exactly at the end of the race.
NUTRITION SCHEDULE · RACE DAY PLAN
Every bottle he was to take during the run was prepared by our team. Measured precisely with a syringe, down to the milliliter. Reset Gel, Unusual Fuel, caffeine gel: at a sub-2 pace, the difference between 62 ml and 60 ml isn't a detail — it's energy. At this level, two grams can mean a kilometer.
The margin of error was minimal, and our goal was clear: reach the 35th kilometer with tanks as full as possible to play out the final part of the race.
RACE DAY · BEFORE THE START · T-3h to T-0
06:15 — Prototype · 750 ml in small sips
T-0 — Unusual Gel 45CHO 100 CAF
T-0 — 4 sips of water
IN RACE · T-3 · POSITION 9
KM 10 — Reset Gel + 20 ml
KM 15 — 63 ml Unusual Fuel
KM 20 — Gel 45 CAF + 40 ml
KM 25 — 62 ml Unusual Fuel
KM 30 — Reset Gel + 20 ml
KM 35 — 58 ml Unusual Fuel
We had only eleven weeks to prepare everything, and many measurements were taken at altitude in Ethiopia. This required estimating the real values at sea level. We didn't have much margin for error. In parallel, the entire strategic plan – wind, position, group dynamics – had to be executed flawlessly.
We knew that among the favourites, we were probably the least efficient runner over this distance. We had to minimise energy cost wherever possible, while simultaneously maintaining optimal energy supply.
There was no room for error.
— CHAPTER 06 · 19 G
The plan went almost perfectly.
The only problem came at the end of the race: Yomif was unable to grab two bottles. One fell at the 25km mark. He didn't notice the second one at the aid station at 35km. A total of 19 grams of carbohydrates.
Yomif "hit the wall" at 41km. Just over 1.2 kilometers remained to the finish line.
What would have happened if he had managed to take them? We'll never know.
KM 25 - Slipping
The first bottle is gone. The margin is starting to open.
Km 35 - Doesn't see her
The second bottle is gone. The numbers are no longer adding up.
KM 41 - 1,195 meters left
Yomif comes up empty.
"I'm sorry, Alfonso. Two bottles got away from me, and I lost the race."
— Yomif, a few seconds after crossing the finish line. Not yet knowing he had run under 2 hours.
— CHAPTER 07 · WHAT NEXT
"This is just the beginning."
We are forever grateful to Yomif Kejelcha. For his professionalism, trust and absolute commitment. In eleven weeks, it was impossible to do more, control more details, or get more out of the time we had.
In eleven weeks, we went sub-two hours in the marathon, working as a team and doing what we do best: challenging the status quo.
What we saw in London is not the ceiling. It's the first measurement. We know what's missing, we know where the millimeters and milliseconds are hidden, and we know where to get them.
