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Harry Styles' shocking marathon time left fans speechless—then he beat it 6 months later

Did I mention the pop star has perfect form?

Credit: Jerry Sun

Harry Styles running in the Berlin Marathon.

Harry Styles has impressed us yet again—but this time, it wasn't with an acoustic cover of "Ultralight Beam" or on the red carpet with his audacious fashion choices. The three-time Grammy winner proved that when it comes to athletic achievement, he's not another celebrity dabbling in fitness for Instagram likes. He's the real deal.

His marathon-running prowess is nothing short of phenomenal.

In early 2025, fans and athletes were stunned by Styles' performance at the Tokyo marathon, where he finished with a time of 3 hours and 24 minutes. Even more impressive, he demonstrated impeccable even split-timing: one of the most coveted and analyzed aspects of distance running, in which the runner maintains consistent pacing throughout the entire race.

Now, six months later, Styles has beaten his own marathon time by nearly 25 minutes.

In September 2025, the "Watermelon Sugar" singer ran in the Berlin Marathon and clocked an absolutely mind-blowing time of 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 13 seconds. And it's not just his millions of fans who are impressed: athletes and seasoned marathon runners are also quick to praise Styles' expertise.

"Running a marathon in under three hours is considered an incredible accomplishment in the running community. Statistically, fewer than 5% of all finishers worldwide can run [sub-three-hour] marathons," explains Dr. Joey Masri, in an exclusive interview with Upworthy.

Dr. Masri earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 2016 and holds Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credentials (CSCS). He's also the owner of Vice City Sports Medicine in Miami, Florida, where he develops personalized treatment plans that help patients achieve performance goals.

harry, harry styles, berlin, marathon, running Harry Styles achieved his historic run time through hard work and intentional training.Photo credit: Canva

"It may seem that Harry Styles just ran faster, and while that's true, the reality is more complex," he adds. "To reduce run time dramatically in such a relatively short period, careful planning and intentional training are required."

The numbers don't lie: This is elite-level performance

Let's put Harry's achievement into perspective. Sub-three-hour marathons are the holy grail for recreational runners, a benchmark that separates serious athletes from the pack.

To achieve this, Dr. Masri says that Styles would have had to maintain a pace of six minutes and 50 seconds per mile for the entire marathon, which is "incredibly fast" for many recreational runners.

"This feat requires strong mental discipline, cardiovascular endurance, and running economy. The slightest form of inefficiency can cost precious minutes and compound over the course of a 26.2-mile run," Dr. Masri reveals. "Additionally, pacing can matter a great deal, as starting out too fast means burning out sooner, while starting too slow unnecessarily wastes time."

Valuable stats to know:

  • Styles finished in 2,245th place out of more than 48,000 participants at the Berlin Marathon, placing him in the top 5% of finishers.
  • On average, marathoners cross the finish line in 4 hours and 34 minutes, which translates to an average of 10 minutes per mile. The average male marathon runner finishes in 4 hours and 51 minutes.
  • Styles finished the Berlin Marathon with an average pace of 6 minutes and 50 seconds per mile, and 8.77 miles per hour. This was a vast improvement from his previous finish at the Tokyo Marathon, where he ran 57 seconds slower per mile.

However, what makes his performance even more remarkable is the consistency. During his Tokyo Marathon debut, Styles ran the first half in 1 hour 42 minutes and 3 seconds, then completed the second half in 1 hour 42 minutes and 4 seconds—achieving nearly perfect even splits. This level of pacing precision is something that takes even experienced marathoners years to master. In Berlin, he maintained this incredible consistency, running the first half in 1:29:08 and the second half in 1:30:06.

For running coach and personal trainer Amanda Grimm (who is a part of the WeRun Network, an online portal that connects runners in the U.K. with running coaching), the conditions Harry ran in also add to his remarkable success.

"It's worth noting that the Styles' sub-3 marathon was achieved in quite tough conditions," she tells Upworthy. "It was a warm and humid day in Berlin, making his achievement all the more impressive… [and] Harry ran with remarkably even splits, demonstrating a discipline and maturity as a runner that has served him well."

The training regimen that built a marathon machine

So, how does a global superstar find time to train for marathon excellence while maintaining a full-fledged career that spans music, film, and sold-out worldwide tours? By training with the right people and approaching workouts with the same dogged intensity he brings to his art.

Styles trained under the guidance of Thibo David, a former British special forces member and professional fighter who specializes in peak performance training. David, who worked with Styles from 2018 to 2021, preparing him for his Love On Tour shows, designed a comprehensive program that would make even elite athletes sweat.

harry, harry styles, berlin, marathon, running Harry's strength training included kettlebells.Photo credit: Canva

"When I first started training Harry, I wasn't thinking 'marathon finisher,' but peak performance was always the goal,' David told Running Magazine. "Whether training for a world tour, a film role, or a marathon, the same principles apply: structure, smart recovery, and long-term resilience."

The training wasn't solely focused on logging miles. David incorporated boxing-inspired workouts, kettlebell swings, jumping lunges, and sprint intervals—all designed to build the kind of power and endurance needed for marathon success. One marathon-specific workout included a 10- to 20-minute warm-up jog, followed by a fast one-mile run (Harry's personal best: 5 minutes and 13 seconds). This was followed by an eight-minute challenge consisting of 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100 air squats, completed with hill sprints and a cool-down.

Phew. Aren't you tired just reading that?

The science behind such dramatic improvement

Trainers and exercise physiologists are captivated by Styles' 25-minute improvement in such a short timeframe.

"Harry Styles' jump from three hours and 24 minutes to under three hours is remarkable because that kind of improvement gets harder the faster you are," says Dr. Masri. "Once you're in the mid-3s, every extra minute shaved off takes real discipline, smart training, and resilience. This feat simply does not happen by accident or luck."

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He believes that, to achieve such a dramatic improvement in less than half a year, Styles' training schedule would have likely included:

  • Progressively building up his weekly mileage
  • Strategically implementing speed work to get comfortable at faster paces
  • Not skipping longer runs to build physical stamina and mental fortitude
  • Strength training
  • Mobility work
  • Proper recovery (via nutrition and sleep)

Dr. Masri adds, "expert coaching likely played a role as well, as marathon training is complex and requires a series of building, peaking, and tapering phases, which need to be meticulously planned to prevent overtraining and ensure the best possible position to succeed come race day."

What this means for aspiring runners

Styles' journey offers practical inspiration for anyone with marathon dreams. His success stemmed from innovative training, consistency, and a supportive environment.

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Key takeaways for marathon runners:

  • Build your aerobic base first. A large portion of Styles' training was at a comfortable, conversational pace.
  • Consistency beats intensity. Regular training trumps occasional heroic efforts.
  • Get professional guidance. Working with an experienced coach accelerated his process.
  • Invest in proper gear. Quality running shoes can enhance efficiency and reduce the risk of injury.
  • Make it enjoyable. Finding ways to make training enjoyable improves long-term adherence.

Hats off to Harry

Styles' marathon success is validation that with the right approach, dedication, and support, dramatic athletic improvements are possible for nearly everyone. And his journey from pop stardom to sub-three-hour marathoner proves that excellence in one field can translate to greatness in another when approached with the same tenacity and level of commitment.

The timing couldn't be better, too. Marathon participation has been growing steadily, and having a beloved global icon like Harry Styles could spark an even further interest in the sport among millions of young people who never considered distance running.

Achieving a sub-three-hour marathon finishing time doesn't happen just by luck. "Doing it in just six months, while juggling the demands of touring and public life, makes it even more impressive. It shows he wasn't just dabbling in running; he committed fully and embraced it," shares Dr. Masri. "As a strength coach, this result shows me that he brings real intention, genuine commitment, and a strong work ethic, and his results speak for themselves."

So, whether it's running your first marathon, learning a new skill, or making a significant life change, the next time you're wondering if you have what it takes to chase a seemingly far-off goal, remember Harry Styles lacing up those shoes and putting in the miles. One step at a time, again and again, until he crossed the Berlin Marathon finish line in under three hours.

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This virtual woman is very sick. Talking to her could make doctors more empathetic.

Giving a patient bad news can be uncomfortable, but med student Katie Goldrath had no choice.

Nobody likes to deliver bad news, but this was important. The patient, a young woman named Robin, had come in because she kept getting nosebleeds — and Goldrath had just learned the reason behind it was leukemia.

Goldrath knew Robin needed to get into treatment as soon as possible. She also knew if their conversation went poorly, Robin might get angry or even storm out, delaying her treatment ... and possibly endangering her life.

Luckily, if things spiraled out of control, Goldrath could always hit the redo button. That's because Robin wasn't a real person. Robin was part of a computer program called MPathic-VR, designed to help young doctors learn to communicate with their patients.

Robin. Image courtesy of Dr. Fred Kron/Medical Cyberworlds, Inc.

Goldrath's experience talking to Robin was part of a study to test out the program's potential.

A doctor’s words can change a person's life, but knowing what to say, and how to say it, isn't easy. It's a serious skill that has to be learned and mastered. Better communication can make patients feel better, both emotionally and physically. Poor communication, on the other hand, can lead to malpractice suits, patients not listening to their doctors, and sicker people.

Medical students like Goldrath usually go through special training to learn these skills. Common methods include multimedia trainings or holding mock conversations with students or actors standing in for the patient. But these can have downsides. The mock conversations can be expensive and hit or miss depending on how good the "patient’s" acting skills are. The "patient" might also not be able to give very detailed feedback.

A program like Robin's simulation might solve some of these common communication problems.

Motion capture was used to help produce Robin's range of facial expressions. Image courtesy of Dr. Fred Kron/Medical Cyberworlds, Inc.

Though talking to a computer might seem weird at first, Robin is designed to react as much like a real human as possible. She has her own expressions, mannerisms, and emotions. The software can also recognize what the student is saying and use a camera to track the student's body language. Even small eye movements don't go unnoticed.

"It was actually pretty incredible to see what it could pick up on," Goldrath said of her conversations with Robin. Did Goldrath lean in and look Robin in the eye, a welcoming, compassionate gesture, or did she act aloof and look away? The computer could record her body language and posture and provide feedback for the next time around.

The program also comes with two other scenarios for doctors to practice with: one that focuses on navigating family drama and another that involves talking one-on-one with a nurse who’s upset she’s been left out of previous conversations.

Doctors care about their patients. This tool can help them ensure their patients know that.

In the end, the study found that, compared to standard multimedia training, MPathic-VR students improved more and felt more positive about the experience. Their results were released in the April issue of Patient Education and Counseling.

While MPathic-VR isn't in any schools yet, Dr. Fred Kron, founder of the company who made the program, says they're starting to look at rolling out the software and want to continue Robin's story.

Everyone wants to be able to express empathy, but it can be hard, especially when delivering upsetting information in a high-stress and fast-paced environment. There's no perfect recipe for how to give bad news, but these kinds of tools might help people who find themselves doing so frequently to find their footing or even just hone that skill with compassion.

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Lawmakers spotted a secret weapon in the fight against domestic abuse: hairstylists.

Joan Each Rowan has no idea how many people her salons have helped throughout the years.

The evidence, however, quietly speaks for itself.

You can see it in the disappearing "how to get help" brochures off the counter. You'll spot it on tab flyers that hang on a wall or bulletin board — the ones where you tear off a strip with a number to call.

"Those need to be replaced — and often," says Rowan, who owns the two Everything's Relative salons on Chicago's south side.

Photo via Everything's Relative Salon, used with permission.

For the past 20 years, Rowan has been pushing for her salon to be a place where people get help with more than just their hair. With assistance from advocates committed to ending domestic violence, she's been teaching her stylists what to do (and what not to do) if they suspect or know a client is being abused at home. She also places resources, like the brochures, in discreet areas of her businesses, such as the bathroom, for clients to take with them if they need help.

Now, the stylists at Everything's Relative Salons have become unlikely warriors in the fight against domestic abuse. Soon, every other stylist in Illinois will be too.

Illinois just became the first state to require that all licensed beauty professionals take an hour-long course on how to spot domestic abuse.

Starting on Jan. 1, 2017, new cosmetologists will have to take the course in order to obtain their license, as the Chicago Tribune reported. The training will also be folded into continuing education requirements stylists must complete every two years to renew their credentials.

Although Rowan wasn't the first or only salon professional to implement her own training without a law telling her to do so, Everything's Relative has been at the forefront of the issue for decades, having realized the important connection between the seriousness of domestic abuse and the simplicity of getting a haircut.

Domestic abuse is an issue that no doubt affects many clients who walk through the doors at Everything's Relative — about 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men in the U.S. experience violence at the hands of a partner at some point in their lifetime, according to nonprofit Chicago Says No More. 

The thinking behind the new law — which was brought before legislators by Chicago Says No More — is both obvious and clever.

"[Clients] tell you a lot," says Rowan, who's worked in the industry for 42 years. "People talk to their hairdressers."

When clients talk, proponents of the law say, it only makes sense that cosmetologists should be prepared to listen and respond accordingly, if a red flag should arise.

The law — an amendment to the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act of 1985 — was put in motion by Illinois Rep. Fran Hurley and State Senator Bill Cunningham, who said his wife's experience as a stylist years ago inspired him to act.

“She told me stories about her clients providing details about terrible incidents,” he explained to the New York Times. “She offered a sympathetic ear. She was young at the time and did not know how to get them help.”

The law aims to leave no stylist feeling like Cunningham's wife had — helpless and with few resources to provide a client in need.

The training will help stylists feel empowered about speaking up — without crossing a line, according to Rowan.

First and foremost, stylists are not required to report incidents of violence and won't be held liable in any case involving a client — an important aspect of the law meant to protect beauty professionals.

The training will, however, teach them how to spot signs of abuse and suggest resources clients can access (such as nearby safe havens or numbers to call) while making sure to carry a judgement-free and caring demeanor.

A Paul Mitchell cosmetology school in McLean, Virginia. Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.

The course also outlines what stylists shouldn't do — like follow-up with their client on the suspected abuse the next time they visit the salon or try to counsel clients on their specific situations.

"We are not psychologists. We're not the cops," Rowan says. "But the sensitivity training will give the cosmetologists the confidence to be able to say, 'There's information in the bathroom over there if you need a hand,' or, 'You really don't need to put up with that.'"

"It's very, very important," Rowan says of the new law. "And I don't think it should stop with cosmetologists."

Similarly to how many workers are educated on sexual harassment or how to handle instances of discrimination in the workplace, it wouldn't be such a bad idea for other positions requiring a state license to get domestic abuse training too, she notes.

While Rowan can't guarantee everyone in the cosmetology industry will be on board with the new law — some have argued, for example, that the law puts unnecessary pressure on stylists to be crime-stoppers — she has no reason to think it won't be widely accepted: "I have not talked to a salon owner who has thought it was a bad idea."

"This is going to be great for everyone," Rowan says. "We live in a violent city. But violence begins at home."

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This retired NFL player put up an amazing gym that trains people with disabilities.

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Retired U.S. Marine Brian Aft was in a dark place after losing both his legs to an IED in Afghanistan.

After going through countless surgeries, Aft turned to heroin when he realized the pain wasn’t going away. In time, he became severely addicted.

One day, as he was heading through a parking lot, a dude the size of an NFL linebacker started running toward him. "You’re gonna get robbed," Brian remembered thinking to himself.

Turns out the dude was an NFL linebacker — David Vobora. He had noticed Aft's injury — and apparent addiction — and all he wanted to do was ask what happened.

Little did Aft know that the question would change the course of his life forever.

Vobora always understood the importance of fighting back.

Picked dead last in the 2008 NFL draft, Vobora has the distinction of being that year’s Mr. Irrelevant. But he clawed tooth and nail and eventually became the first rookie Mr. Irrelevant to start a game in over a decade.

Then in 2011, a devastating shoulder injury derailed his NFL career. Vobora played through the pain until the end of the season. But he developed a serious pain-pill addiction along the way and decided to check himself into rehab.

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After going through an intense detox, Vobora started training again. But his drive to play professional football diminished. That’s when he decided to retire. It scared him; football was all he'd ever known.

With the odds stacked against him once again, Mr. Irrelevant found a way to make it work. He moved to Dallas with his family and decided to help other elite athletes at his very own training facility — the Performance Vault.

Vobora’s path took a new turn the day he met retired Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills.

Mills is one of five living veteran quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He, like Aft, was injured by an IED while on patrol.

From the moment Vobora saw him, he was drawn to him. "When was the last time you worked out?" Vobora remembers asking.

"I’m sorry. I don’t want to make you feel like an idiot, but I don’t have arms and legs," replied Mills.

That didn’t matter to Vobora. He didn’t see Mills as an Army vet who'd lost his limbs in battle. He simply saw him as a person who had a body. And as Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman once said, "If you have a body, you are an athlete."

Vobora and Mills got to work. And then they worked some more.

It didn’t matter that Vobora had zero experience training someone with Mills’ condition. All Vobora wanted to do was help Mills see what he was capable of.

In time, Mills began to thrive.

That’s when Vobora realized that no gym he knew of was providing the kind of work that they were doing. What about the other people — whether vet or civilian — who had their own physical disabilities?

"They’ve sort of been sidelined," Vobora says. "They fall into the rehabilitation process, but eventually insurance ran out, cash ran out, and where do they go, right? Where do they go to be apart of a collective group that has this community and this ability to push each other?"

Inspired to make a bigger difference, Vobora started the Adaptive Training Foundation.

It’s a nonprofit designed to empower people with disabilities and restore their confidence through athletic movement. By customizing their plan to what each person can do, they’re able to establish a solid training foundation that has the potential to redefine their physical limits.

This is how men and women like Aft were able to change their lives for the better.

The morning after meeting/getting scared by Vobora, Aft came into the gym and started working out.

He came every day for the next three months.

And he trained alongside other incredible athletes.

All of them were pushing themselves to the absolute limit.

No doubt they did things they never would have done at a normal therapy session.

More than just muscle, the foundation is building a stronger sense of purpose into each and every person it trains.

"They make you stronger," explained Aft. "They instill some insane confidence and self-worth back into you. Not just that, they’re giving you something to do, a place to be, a little sense of community with everybody."

At the end of the day, what sets Vobora apart as a trainer and mentor is his ability to make everyone feel equal, regardless of disability.

Because of the program, these athletes are able to shatter barriers they thought were set in stone. But you know what? They powered right through, lifted that dang stone, and hurled it as far away as humanly possible.

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