7 Lessons from a Super Bowl Running Back for Marathoners

Photo: nysportsday.com

Date: February 8, 2026

Topic: Super Bowl LX, Running, Marathon Training

Read Time: 8 Minutes

The confetti has just settled at Levi’s Stadium. The Seattle Seahawks are officially the champions of Super Bowl LX, defeating the New England Patriots 29-13 in a game that was defined by grit, defense, and—crucially—an explosive ground game.

While the quarterback often gets the glory, today’s game belonged to the legs of Kenneth Walker III. With over 130 rushing yards and a series of electric plays (including that heartbreaking 70-yard touchdown that was called back), Walker didn’t just carry the ball; he carried the momentum of the entire team.

As marathoners, we often look at running backs—athletes built for short, violent bursts of power—and think we have nothing in common. We trot for 26.2 miles; they sprint into a wall of 300-pound linemen. But if you look closer at Walker’s performance tonight and his journey to this podium, there are profound lessons for endurance athletes. From the science of the taper to the psychology of resilience, here are seven takeaways from a Super Bowl champion that can help you crush your next marathon.

1. Power Equals Efficiency (The Glute Factor)

Did you see Walker bounce off tackles in the third quarter? That isn’t just brute force; it’s biomechanical efficiency driven by the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings). Marathoners often neglect heavy lifting, fearing it will make them “bulky” or slow. However, science suggests otherwise.

The Science

A systematic review published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that strength training specifically improves Running Economy (RE)—the amount of oxygen you use at a given speed. Runners who engaged in heavy resistance training improved their economy by 2–8%, which translates to minutes shaved off a marathon time (Balsalobre-Fernández et al., 2016). Stronger glutes stabilize your pelvis, preventing energy leaks with every step.

The Takeaway: Don’t just run. Squat and deadlift. When your glutes are strong, you don’t just run faster; you run cheaper in terms of energy cost.

2. Respect the Taper

The Seahawks didn’t practice at full intensity the week before the Super Bowl. They had a “bye week” effectively, followed by a week of lighter, sharper practice. They were tapering. Kenneth Walker III looked fresh and explosive today because his legs weren’t dead from yesterday’s grind.

The Science

Tapering is often the hardest part of marathon training because we feel “lazy.” However, a massive study of over 158,000 recreational runners showed that a disciplined 3-week taper is optimal. Runners who strictly reduced their volume (while maintaining intensity) in the final three weeks finished their marathons an average of 5 minutes and 32 seconds faster than those who didn’t (Smyth & Lawlor, 2021).

The Takeaway: Trust the rest. If a Super Bowl running back needs to taper to hit peak explosiveness, you need it to hit peak endurance.

3. Resilience is a Skill (The Blood Clot Story)

Tonight’s victory was a “full circle” moment for Walker. It wasn’t long ago, during his high school years, that he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs. Doctors told him he might never play football again. He didn’t just recover physically; he built a mental callous that allowed him to push through pain.

The Science

Psychological resilience—the ability to utilize personal qualities to withstand pressure—is a predictor of athletic success. Research indicates that elite athletes who frame setbacks as “challenges” rather than “threats” recover faster and perform better under pressure (Sarkar & Fletcher, 2014). In a marathon, you will hit a wall. It might be a cramp at mile 18 or a mental crisis at mile 22.

The Takeaway: When the race gets dark, remember your “blood clot” moments—the training runs you survived, the injuries you rehabbed. Use your history of survival as fuel.

4. Speed Work Isn’t Just for Sprinters

Walker is a master of the “burst.” While marathoners don’t need to juke a linebacker, we do need the physiological upgrades that come from high-intensity speed.

The Science

You might think steady jogging is the only way to train for a long race, but High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis (the creation of new power plants in your cells) just as effectively as long, slow running, but in less time (Gillen & Gibala, 2014). Short bursts of speed (like 400m or 800m repeats) improve your VO2 max, raising the “ceiling” of your aerobic capacity.

The Takeaway: Incorporate one day of speed work a week. It teaches your body to clear lactate efficiently, making your marathon pace feel surprisingly easy.

5. Detailed Preparation (Study Your Course)

In the post-game interviews, Walker mentioned how the game slowed down because he knew his assignments perfectly. He studied the Patriots’ defense so well he knew where the holes would open before the ball was snapped.

The Lesson: Marathoners often just train the distance but ignore the course.

  • Where are the hills?
  • Where are the water stations?
  • Which way is the wind blowing?

The Takeaway: Visualizing the specific course you are running reduces cognitive load on race day. If you know a hill is coming at mile 21, it won’t break your spirit when you see it.

6. Sleep is the Ultimate Performance Enhancer

The Super Bowl media week is chaos, but the Seahawks staff prioritized sleep hygiene for their players. You cannot recover from a 17-game season (or a 16-week marathon block) without elite-level sleep.

The Science

A 2021 expert consensus statement in the British Journal of Sports Medicine highlighted that sleep inadequacies (less than 7 hours) significantly increase the risk of injury and illness in athletes. Furthermore, sleep extension (banking sleep) before a major event has been shown to improve performance and cognitive reaction times (Walsh et al., 2021).

The Takeaway: In the week leading up to your marathon, prioritize sleep as if it were a training session. It is the only time your body actually repairs the damage you did during your long run.

7. Fuel Like a Ferrari, Not a Sedan

Walker’s engine requires high-octane fuel. While RBs need protein for muscle repair, they also need massive glycogen stores to sustain high-output bursts for 60 minutes.

The Science

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position stand on nutrition clarifies that for endurance performance, high carbohydrate availability is non-negotiable. While “low carb” diets have trended, the evidence remains clear: glycogen is the primary fuel for intense exercise. The recommendation for athletes training 1-3 hours a day is 6–10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight (Thomas et al., 2016).

The Takeaway: Don’t fear the carb load. Your body is a machine. If you want it to run for 4 hours, you have to fill the tank with the right grade of fuel.

Final Thoughts

Today, Kenneth Walker III held the Lombardi Trophy. He got there by combining raw talent with disciplined preparation, resilience, and science-backed recovery. You might not be dodging tackles next Sunday, but when you line up for your marathon, you are engaging in the same battle against your own limits. Train smart, lift heavy, sleep deep, and run strong.

Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl LX Champions!

References

  • Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Santos-Concejero, J., & Grivas, G. V. (2016). Effects of strength training on running economy in highly trained runners: a systematic review with meta-analysis of controlled trials. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(8), 2361–2368. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001316
  • Gillen, J. B., & Gibala, M. J. (2014). Is high-intensity interval training a time-efficient exercise strategy to improve health and fitness? Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(3), 409–412. https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2013-0187
  • Sarkar, M., & Fletcher, D. (2014). Psychological resilience in sport performers: a review of stressors and protective factors. Journal of Sports Sciences, 32(15), 1419–1434. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2014.901551
  • Smyth, B., & Lawlor, A. (2021). Longer disciplined tapers improve marathon performance for recreational runners. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3, 735220. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.735220
  • Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48(3), 543–568. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852
  • Walsh, N. P., Halson, S. L., Sargent, C., Roach, G. D., Nédélec, M., Gupta, L., Leeder, J., Fullagar, H. H., Coutts, A. J., Edwards, B. J., Pullinger, S. A., Robertson, C. M., Burniston, J. G., Lastella, M., Le Meur, Y., Hausswirth, C., Bender, A. M., Grandner, M. A., & Samuels, C. H. (2021). Sleep and the athlete: narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recommendations. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(7), 356–368. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102025