“It was fun to poke the bear and then eventually the bear bit me,” Logan Goodspeed said with a chuckle.
Husband runs marathon with no training and 24 hour notice
Maisie Todd documented her husband’s marathon-running journey, after she signed him up and notified him only 24 hours before!
Logan Goodspeed had never run a marathon. He’s not even a runner or someone who regularly works out. But last weekend, the 32-year-old participated in his first marathon with just 24 hours’ notice.
On Sunday, June 1, Goodspeed participated in the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon thanks to his wife, Maisie Todd, who secretly signed him up back in April. And the entire journey, from Goodspeed learning the news to crossing the finish line, was documented on TikTok, garnering nearly 40 million collective views as of June 5.
“I thought it would be funny just to say, ‘Oh, I signed my husband up for a marathon with no notice.’ That’s kind of it. And then so many people wanted updates. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off on Sunday trying to find him, follow him around, film it, edit it and upload,” Todd told USA TODAY.
In the end, Goodspeed completed the marathon, half running and half walking, in five hours and 58 minutes, finishing 5,081 out of 5,935 participants, per the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon website. And though he was a bit sore the day after the race, Goodspeed told USA TODAY on June 3 that he was surprised at just how good he felt.
Despite how Goodspeed felt after the race, health experts and running coaches strongly advise against participating in a marathon with zero preparations, as short- and long-term injuries can be serious, or even fatal.
Here is Goodspeed’s story and journey to the finishing line.
How it started
So why did Todd sign up her lounging husband for a marathon without any clues?
“Logan just kept saying that he could wake up and … complete a marathon,” Todd said. “Everyone was like, ‘Come on, Logan, there’s no way that you’re going to wake up and complete a marathon with 24 hours’ notice,’ but he kept bringing it up and kept saying he could do it.”
Goodspeed isn’t a fitness guru who “never runs, never swims, (never) bikes.” Todd described him as “more of a lounge by the pool and read type of guy.”
So when Goodspeed was adamant he could take on the challenge, Todd decided to call him out on it.
“It was fun to poke the bear and then eventually the bear bit me,” Goodspeed said with a chuckle.
In a TikTok video with 9.4 million views, the first of the series, Todd wakes Goodspeed up, with a bright camera flash, to let him know he has 24 hours to prepare for the race.
“Okay, can’t wait,” Goodspeed says groggily in the video.
As for preparations, there wasn’t enough time for the recommended plan to gradually build up mileage over several weeks and months. Rather, Goodspeed needed race snacks and, more importantly, running shoes.
After a trip to a nearby second-hand store, Goodspeed ended up with a pair of Adidas Climacool Bounce sneakers, which Adidas markets as “casual running or light workouts.”
“For more intense training or long-distance running, you might want to consider a shoe with a more responsive midsole,” the Adidas website states about its Bounce line.
Though the shoes may not have been designed for marathon running, Goodspeed said they were comfortable and did the job.
Finishing with time to spare
The goal, Goodspeed said, was to complete a full marathon, which is 26.2 miles, in seven hours or less. The key was to complete the marathon, not necessarily run the entire race.
At five hours and 58 minutes, Goodspeed said he ran about half the marathon: 13.1 miles.
Is it safe to run a marathon with no prep?
In addition to the countless comments on TikTok asking for updates, there were also plenty that advised Goodspeed from participating in the race with zero training. Several warned about the risk of rhabdomyolysis, an injury that occurs when muscles break down and release the protein myoglobin in the blood, per the Cleveland Clinic. Rhabdomyolysis can be fatal.
Goodspeed said he avoided these comments ahead of the race and knew if he started to experience pain, he would tap out. Fortunately, he didn’t, aside from typical soreness.
Nonetheless, health experts and running coaches don’t recommend tackling a marathon with no training.
In 2023, running coach Helen Gaunt told Runner’s World that the body is not built to go from zero to 26.2 miles without training. The length of the marathon alone can put stress on various organs, including the heart and lungs. Gaunt advised that beginners start with a 16-week training program to gradually increase mileage.
More marathons in the future?
Despite the overall success of his first marathon, Goodspeed said he doesn’t have plans to sign up, or be signed up, for any more marathons anytime soon.
If he were to run a marathon again, Goodspeed said he’d enjoy doing so with a group of friends that could make the race more fun, rather than participating solo.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
