Gregor Gretz is CTO and Head of Software Development at Datico®. Alongside his work, he is pursuing a sporting goal: to run all seven World Marathon Majors – the series of major international marathons in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Sydney. Here we summarise the stages so far.
Frankfurt, October 2024: laying the foundation
At the MAINOVA Frankfurt Marathon, Gregor ran his third marathon in a finishing time of 3:01:02 hours, achieving the qualifying time for several Majors, including Boston and Chicago.
He brought the structured, methodical approach that distinguishes him at work consistently to his preparation: from precise planning to the ongoing analysis and adjustment of his training plan.
Berlin, September 2025: sub-3 at 27 degrees
On 21 September 2025, Gregor ran the Berlin Marathon in 2:59:23 hours, finishing under the three-hour mark for the second time – in temperatures of up to 27 degrees.
What stood out was less a single fast section than the evenness across the entire race. Gregor ran a steady pace from start to finish, with no drop-off in the final kilometres. Especially in the marathon, where many races are only decided in the last ten kilometres, this shows that preparation, pacing and load management fit together. From a data perspective, the result is a clear profile: consistent performance, clear structure and a cleanly executed plan.
A side note: for long stretches Gregor ran at the same pace as Harry Styles, who also finished the Berlin Marathon in under three hours.
Chicago, October 2025: almost four minutes faster
Just three weeks later, on 12 October 2025, came the Chicago Marathon. With 2:55:27 hours, Gregor was almost four minutes faster than in Berlin – and under three hours again.
Between the two races lay a phase that in endurance sport is normally used for recovery. The fact that performance still improved points to a precise balance of load and recovery. This race, too, was characterised by a consistent pace and controlled pacing all the way to the finish.
Boston, April 2026: personal best
At the 2026 Boston Marathon, Gregor ran 2:52:42 hours – a new personal best. The course is considered demanding, above all because of the climbs around Heartbreak Hill. He had achieved the qualifying time for Boston at the Prague Marathon.
Behind this development lies a training process refined over a long period:
- clean training periodisation
- the continuous analysis of performance data
- the targeted adjustment of load and recovery
Looking back, Gregor describes above all the atmosphere: the long tradition of the race, starting in the first wave and the support of the spectators along the course, especially in the “Scream Tunnel” at Wellesley College.
Luxembourg, May 2026: under three hours, under control
At the Luxembourg Marathon, Gregor ran 2:57:13 hours – his fifth marathon in a row under three hours. He finished 30th of around 3,000 participants in his age group and 3rd among all German participants.
After several marathons in quick succession, he deliberately eased off the pace in the second half of the course. “I noticed that there are already a lot of hard kilometres in my legs this year. So this time it was important to run in a controlled way and also be able to enjoy the marathon. That makes me all the happier with the time under three hours and the placing. It shows me that structured, data-based training pays off in the long term.”
What we take away from this
Five marathons in a row under three hours don’t happen by chance. They are the result of long-term training management, measured load, consistent recovery and the analysis of physiological performance data. The same principles apply at Datico®: transparency, a systematic approach and the meaningful linking of data.
We congratulate Gregor on these races and look forward to the next stops on the World Marathon Majors.
