Two Marathon Blowups to 2:36

A Dallas–Fort Worth runner turned two marathon blowups into a 2:36:11 breakthrough at Houston. This DFW Running Talk runner interview reveals what changed in his marathon training—and why it took more than fitness.Kevin Barr returned to running in 2023 after nearly seven years away. His first marathon ended in a painful 3:10. He tried again, bonked again and finished in 3:02.Kevin eventually broke three hours with a 2:57, joined Completely Sloth and began training with some of the fastest runners in DFW. At the Houston Marathon, he caught the women’s Olympic Trials qualifying pace group, negative-split the race and finished in 2:36:11.Kevin explains how he:• Increased his mileage and consistency• Learned from two marathon blowups• Changed his pacing to finally break three hours• Used faster training partners to reach another level• Balances nine to ten hours of training with work and four children• Plans to chase a 2:29 marathon nextKnow a runner we should interview? Send your suggestion at https://dfwrunningtalk.com.