Rory Linkletter - Speed Development for the Marathon and Coaching Truett Hanes

Rory Linkletter (2:06 marathoner) discusses fueling specifics, everything he has learned throughout his career, and the importance of staying flexible based on conditions. We also covered speed development, including workouts at 2:15/km pace and faster, whether the Boston Marathon can be quicker than Valencia when the wind is favourable, the relationship between Conner Mantz and Ed Eyestone, coaching Truett Hanes, and much more.
Rory Linkletter
Instagram: instagram.com/rory_linkletter
Strava: strava.com/pros/9351341
Matt Fox
Coaching: sweatelitecoaching.com/coaching-2026
Shareholders Club / Private Podcast Feed: sweatelite.co/shareholders
Instagram: instagram.com/mattinglisfox
Strava: strava.com/athletes/6248359
Contact: matt@sweatelite.co
The conversation shifts to speed and power output as a limiter for marathon performance, citing examples like Kejelcha, Sawe, and U.S. runners. Rory explains why he sprints and strides twice weekly, often using track in-and-outs or hill strides, and why he values maintaining top-end speed.
He also describes building confidence to go out fast using fitness data, including sub-60 half marathons, and gives his views on Boston's comparability to flat courses and Ryan Hall's windy 2:04. Rory also answers rapid-fire questions on training partners, running with his dog, possible Valencia plans tied to 2028 qualifying, double-threshold readiness, and his new coaching role with YouTuber Truett Hanes.
Topics
00:00 Welcome Back Rory
01:25 Fueling Hype Skepticism
03:20 Carbs Size And Power
04:58 Heat And GI Tradeoffs
07:07 Fueling By Course Demand
10:05 Why Speed Matters
11:13 Power Economy Ceiling
16:37 Confidence Going Out Fast
18:30 Breaking 60 In Houston
20:48 Twice Weekly Sprint Routine
23:58 How Fast Are Strides
28:48 Hill Sprints For Longevity
32:10 Does Boston Count
35:42 Ryan Hall Tailwind Day
36:38 Ryan's Peak Performances
37:19 Execution Versus Talent
38:36 Conner Mantz Half Marathon Power
39:40 Workouts and Speed Endurance
42:16 Fearless Racer Mindset
43:38 Strava and Training Secrecy
45:00 BYU Culture and Injury Risk
48:45 Rapid Fire Favorites
50:17 Running With the Dog
52:03 Choosing a Fall Marathon
54:07 Mental Approach to Hard Sessions
56:38 Double Threshold Timing
58:52 Coaching Truett Hanes
01:02:52 Odds of Sub 2:16
01:06:09 Wrapping Up and Farewell