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Phily Bowden

@philybowden

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Running, life & the messy middle
2:25 Marathoner • Running Coach
@lululemon @precisionfandh @drinknomio
⬇️YouTube: The number every runner should know

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The NYC Marathon 2026

I don’t really know how to post this. Sharing anything here feels strange right now, and so does carrying on with work and normal life. I almost feel guilty doing it, but I ran New York for Ciara, so I want to tell you about it.

I finished 17th, in a time of 2:30:45. It wasn’t the New York I’d dreamed of, but I’m proud of how I fought, rallying for 14 miles of solo running and closing the gap on the field in front of me in the last 10km. It’s my first marathon since London 2025 after being injured last year, and it feels good to be back. It’s a big step forward.

I’ll never be able to separate running the New York City Marathon from running it knowing I’d just lost an incredible friend. You can try to put it all in a box, to stay in athlete mode and focus on process over emotion for 26.2 miles and I did my best, but I’m human, and it’s never that simple.

Parts of the race are a blur, and at first I felt numb and indifferent about the result. It’s hard to care about a few seconds here or a few positions there when running a marathon seems so irrelevant right now. But I know that’s not how Ciara would see it. She was a fighter in everything she put her mind to, her sport especially, but also in how she showed up for those lucky enough to have her as a friend. So I fought for her.

Thank you to the women in the pro field who were there to catch me yesterday. I’m so appreciative of you for being there for me in those moments.

Carrying on feels hard and strange when someone has gone, and grief is cruel, but Ciara would want us to find joy amongst it all, to make the absolute most of the time we have and to laugh more than we cry. I’m keeping her with me by doing that as much as I possibly can.

Yesterday held so many emotions that seemed to conflict with one another. Sadness, shock, happiness, pride, love, fear. Its strange that they can all exist at the same time, but that is the reality of living.

This one was for you, Ciara 🤍

📸 @katrinagaisford by @philybowden

Ciara Mageean, what a woman you were 🤍

At around 6:00 this morning, on the bus to the start of the NYC Marathon, I found out that Ciara had passed away. It still doesn’t feel real, and I’m not sure it will for a long time.

I’m going to try my best to write something here that sums up how special Ciara was, to me and to so many, but something tells me words won’t even come close.

She was the friend who was always there for me whatever I needed. The strongest, toughest competitor and athlete I’ve ever come across, and a fierce friend to anyone lucky enough to have some of her time, yet somehow she always found time for everyone.

Ciara lit up every room she walked into with her infectious smile and laugh. She could talk to anyone, and was completely selfless with her time. On training mornings at the track in Stockport, she’d stop to talk and joke around with the visually impaired and disabled track users and if I ran past they’d say “is that Ciara?” and be thoroughly disappointed when it was just me.

I’ll miss her advice, her laugh, the two of us being silly together. She was the first person I’d want to call when I was sad, or excited, or when I needed someone to tell me what to do. The world has lost an incredible soul, and without her there’s a big Ciara-shaped hole in my life and in the lives of so many others.

But I know exactly what Ciara would say. Keep on keeping on. Make the absolute most of every opportunity and every single day we’re gifted of this life. That’s how she lived, and that’s how I want to honour her.

I thought about her every step of the way around New York today. I gave it everything I had, and I hope I made you proud, Ciara.

Rest easy, my friend, I miss you already 🤍 by @philybowden

How I’m fuelling 26.2 miles around the streets of New York City tomorrow!!

Friday: 8g per kg of body weight carb load

Saturday: 10-12g per kg of body weight carb load, evening @precisionfandh 1500 electrolyte mix

Sunday: @drinknomio shot 3 hours out, bagel + banana + OJ and sipping on some more electrolytes with breakfast

30g carb gel ~30 mins before start

30g @precisionfandh carb drink mix in ~166ml fluid every 5km

and a post race feast of whatever my heart desires 🙂‍↕️

Now tell me yours and PLEASE say you’ve practised it 🫣

@precisionfandh & @drinknomio sponsored athlete by @philybowden

Two truths and a lie:

I ate 3 slices of NYC pizza right after this
This took only one take
I’m racing the NYC Marathon on Sunday by @philybowden

The eagle has landed in the big apple and we are RUNNING the last 7 miles of the NYC Marathon course today 🤩

Hit me with your post race NYC recs because we are here for a whole FIVE days post-race and I can’t wait to see what this city has to offer after running through the five boroughs on Sunday 🥹 by @philybowden

Rating the things I did in my NYC marathon block, trigger warning for toenail content! 🫣

If 90% of these sound really quite positive that’s because they should. This block has been SO steady and I’ve had SO much fun buying into the process, there really hasn’t been much to complain about.

GRATEFUL and ready to rip on Sunday 🥹 by @philybowden

ITS HAPPENING!!!! The New York City Marathon is THIS WEEK! 😱🤩🫣

I hit up a windy little track in Dublin on Friday for the penultimate workout before the big dance and unsurprisingly it didn’t feel GREAT… but that’s ok. There’s only one day we need to be feeling good for and that’s Sunday 1st November 😮‍💨

My cup is filled with all the good stuff after a belter of a wedding celebration last night, my legs are slowly coming back to me, and my hay is all still in the barn 🤠

6 days to go!!! by @philybowden

NYC Marathon peak week: 132 miles, here’s how it shaked out at 7000ft of altitude up here in Flagstaff:

Sunday: 24 miles - 15 miles easy, followed by 3 x 2 miles at 5:50 - 6:05 min/mi off 2 mins recovery (3:38 - 3:47 min/km), remainder easy to 24. Average LR pace 6:45 min/mi (4:12 min/km), average HR 152 bpm.

Monday AM: 12 miles easy, average 7:47 min/mi (4:50 min/km), average HR 128 bpm.

Monday PM: 5.75 miles easy, average 7:37 min/mi (4:44 min/km), including 4 x 100m strides at 4:42 - 5:10 min/mi (2:55 - 3:13 min/km) off 45 seconds recovery, average HR 131 bpm.

Tuesday AM: 3.22 mile warm up, 8 x 1 mile at threshold ~LT1 off 60 seconds recovery, 5:43 - 5:47 min/mi (3:33 - 3:36 min/km), average rep HR 161 bpm, 2 mile cool down.

Tuesday PM: 2.45 mile warm up, , 8 x 3 mins at threshold, closer to LT2 on the treadmill off 60 seconds recovery, 5:00 - 5:18 min/mi (3:06 - 3:18 min/km), average rep HR 162 bpm, 0.6 mile cool down.

Wednesday: 13 miles easy, average 7:32 min/mi (4:41 min/km), average HR 144 bpm.

Thursday AM: 3.18 mile warm up, 6.5 miles uphill tempo, 1896ft elevation gain, average 7:43 min/mi (4:48 min/km), average HR 160 bpm, 3 mile cool down.

Thursday PM: 5.05 miles easy, average 7:29 min/mi (4:39 min/km), average HR 127 bpm.

Friday AM: 10 miles easy, average 7:43 min/mi (4:48 min/km), average HR 125 bpm.

Friday PM: 5 miles easy, average 7:40 min/mi (4:46 min/km), average HR 128 bpm.

Saturday: 23 miles - 5 miles easy, 12 miles gradually progressing from 6:13 > 5:35 min/mi (3:52 > 3:28 min/km), 6 miles easy, average HR 149 bpm.

Grateful for all 11 of the @lululemon fits that got me through this one (and the 2 I wore to the 2 strength sessions in this week too 🤭) 🩵 by @philybowden

Phily Bowden | 20261016

“It’s really about being average a lot of the time. Slightly above average, slightly below average. I’d say 80% of the time during this block, I’ve been just slightly above average.”

There’s something remarkable about being willing to feel unremarkable. Showing up, putting in the work, and accepting that most days won’t feel extraordinary.

For Phily, that process holds something worth coming back to. by @philybowden

RACERS - we are officially less than 2 weeks out 🤩

Here’s my 2 cents on trusting the taper, accepting those nerves and buckling them in for the ride WITH YOU, and letting yourself let loose a little bit at the same time. Remember, it’s meant to be fun 🥹

If you know someone who’s racing New York this year, send this video their way 🫶🏼 by @philybowden

The countdown to the New York City Marathon is on: 2 weeks today!!!

This is the workout I did on Friday and it had the potential to either REALLY humble me, or add some much needed confidence to the back pocket as we wait out the rest of the taper. I’m so pleased I gave it some welly in those last few reps and came out the other side feeling proud of the work I’d done.

Next time you meet your doubts mid-workout or mid-race, remember that confidence follows action, be a little bit brave and see what happens 🥹

p.s. would not recommend trying this session it’s truly an evil creation sent to make you question everything

Workout fit: Flow Y Bra & Textured Mesh High-Rise Shorts @lululemon 🩵 by @philybowden