
← Nudge24 aug · 24 min
The mental tricks used to break the 2-hour marathon
On April 26th, 2026, Sebastian Sawe did what many thought was impossible.
Running the marathon in under two hours.
Today on Nudge, I explain the psychological tricks Sawe may have used to break the record.
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Today’s sources:
Blanchfield, A. W., Hardy, J., & Marcora, S. M. (2014). Non-conscious visual cues related to affect and action alter perception of effort and endurance performance. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, Article 967.