IRONMAN Kona 2026 Recap: How 4 Top 10 Pros Used LEVER to Train

October 11, 2026

The Work Behind the Work · Kona 2026 Race Recap

Four LEVER athletes lined up at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona on Saturday. All four finished in the top 10, and Laura ran the fastest marathon in the women's race.

What stands out isn't only the results. It's how they got there. None of them used LEVER only because they were hurt. They used it to add miles, recover faster, train harder sessions with less pounding, and keep running through the little niggles that come with a big build.

2nd Laura Philipp Women's race

4th Gregory Barnaby Men's race

6th Lisa Perterer Women's race

10th Grace Thek Kona debut

1The Big Takeaway: LEVER Isn't Just for Injuries

Look across all four athletes and the same four uses keep showing up:

Add miles Run more, absorb more Extra easy volume without every kilometer hitting your legs at full body weight.
Laura, Gregory, Lisa

Recover Swap a run, don't skip it Easy runs on LEVER after hard days and big races, so recovery doesn't mean losing momentum.
Gregory, Lisa, Grace

Train quality Faster sessions, less load Speed work, intervals and threshold runs with less impact on every stride.
Laura, Lisa, Grace

Manage niggles Keep running while it settles Unload instead of stopping when something flares up.
Lisa, Grace

Here's how each athlete put those into practice.

2The Run Splits: Where the Work Showed Up

The marathon is where an Ironman is won or lost, and where months of well-managed running pay off. Here's how each athlete ran on Saturday:

2:50:42 Laura Philipp 4:03/km · fastest women's marathon

2:44:43 Gregory Barnaby 3:54/km

3:08:30 Lisa Perterer 4:28/km

3:02:40 Grace Thek 4:20/km · Kona debut

Laura ran the fastest marathon in the women's race. Her 2:50:42 was about two minutes quicker than anyone else in the women's field, on her way to 2nd place.

Gregory ran 2:44:43 to finish 4th in the men's race, after a season of 80 to 110 km weeks built without injury.

Grace ran 3:02:40 in her first Kona, after managing a back injury for much of the year.

Those runs were built on consistent training blocks, and LEVER was part of how each of them stayed consistent.

3Side by Side: How Each Athlete Used LEVER

Laura Philipp 2nd Used it forExtra miles and speed workWeight offAbout 10 kgMarathon2:50:42, fastest of the women's race

Gregory Barnaby 4th Used it forExtra miles, recovery runs, strides, cadenceHow often1-2x per week in big buildsWeight offAbout 10 kg, down from 15-20 kgMarathon2:44:43

Lisa Perterer 6th Used it forExtra miles, recovery, long runs, speed work, nigglesWeight off8 kg for her speed repsMarathon3:08:30

Grace Thek 10th Used it forRecovery, intervals, threshold runs, managing a back injuryWeight off10-15% of body weightMarathon3:02:40

4Laura Philipp: The Fastest Marathon in the Women's Race

2ndLaura PhilippMarathon 2:50:42, fastest of the women's race

Laura came into Kona healthy and uses LEVER to add extra miles and for her speed work. On race day, she ran the fastest marathon in the women's field, 2:50:42, on her way to 2nd.

Fast running is where a lot of the impact in a training week comes from. Taking a little body weight off during those sessions lets you hit faster paces and train your legs to turn over quickly, while each landing carries less load. That makes it easier to recover and string together quality weeks.

5Gregory Barnaby: Big Miles, No Injuries

4thGregory BarnabyMen's race · Marathon 2:44:43

Gregory ran 80 to 110 km a week on the way to Kona, on top of swimming and riding. He isn't injured. He uses LEVER to absorb that volume.

The day after a workout Easy run on LEVER His legs recover while the miles still count.

The day before a workout Easy run + strides on LEVER He gets his legs turning over without extra pounding.

"I think it would benefit everyone because... when you're tired it's just a lot less risky, so it's a big injury prevention."GREGORY BARNABY

He also uses LEVER to work on his cadence. A self-described low-cadence runner, he runs tall on LEVER and practices quicker turnover, something that pays off late in a race when fatigue sets in.

Read Gregory's full story →

Train like the top 10

More miles. Faster recovery. Less pounding.

LEVER turns your treadmill into a body-weight support system, the same tool these athletes used on the road to Kona.

Shop LEVER

6Lisa Perterer: Extra Miles and Staying Healthy

6thLisa PertererWomen's race · Marathon 3:08:30

Lisa uses LEVER across almost every part of her running: recovery runs, long runs, speed work, extra mileage, and managing the little niggles that pop up before races. When a small problem came up recently, she leaned on it even more.

"I always feel great after that, so yeah, I just love it."LISA PERTERER

Her key LEVER session in the lead-up to IRONMAN Texas earlier this season:

10 x 30s at 2:45-2:50/km

1 min rest between reps

8 kg body weight off

That's very fast running for short reps, with a small amount of support. The pace trains speed and turnover, and the 8 kg reduction takes some of the sting out of every landing.

7Grace Thek: A Top 10 Debut Through a Back Injury

10thGrace ThekKona debut · Marathon 3:02:40

Grace has managed a back injury on and off since 2024, and it flared up again before IRONMAN Texas this year. She still had a consistent year of running and finished 10th in her first Kona.

"Even with some niggles that have popped up, I've been able to jump on the LEVER and been able to be quite consistent with my training."GRACE THEK

Recovery Back to running sooner Running again 4-5 days after an Ironman, instead of waiting a full week.

Speed Interval work Over-under style workouts.

Fitness Threshold runs Race pace or a little faster, with less load and a lower heart rate.

Load management An extra run each week Or just to offload tired legs.

Read Grace's full story →

8How Much Weight Do the Pros Take Off?

Less than most people expect. None of these athletes are floating. They take off just enough to change the load, and keep the run feeling like a run.

~10 kg Gregory & Laura body weight off

8 kg Lisa for her 30-second reps

10-15% Grace of her body weight

"A good amount of weight for me to take off without feeling like I'm not doing anything, but also feeling like I'm getting that little lift..."GRACE THEK

A good place to start: enough support that you feel the lift, not so much that the run stops feeling like work. As your legs adapt, you can dial it back, just like Gregory did.

9Steal Their Sessions

Real sessions from the athletes' Kona builds. Scale the paces to your own running.

ON LEVER Speed reps Lisa Perterer 10 x 30 seconds at 2:45-2:50/km1 minute rest between reps8 kg body weight off Fast turnover with a little less impact on every landing.

ON LEVER Pre-workout strides Gregory Barnaby Easy run the day before a key sessionStrides to get the legs turning overLower load, so you arrive fresh Prime your legs without adding pounding before the work that matters.

KEY SESSION Race-pace builder Grace Thek 6 x 10 minutes at race pace1 hour of race-pace running in total Her confidence session before Kona: race pace should feel comfortable.

KEY SESSION The "I'm fit" session Gregory Barnaby 15 km continuous2 km at race pace (his is about 3:40/km)500 m quicker (3:15-3:20/km), then repeat Hard days stay hard. LEVER handles the days around them.

10Which LEVER Use Fits You?

Building mileage? Add easy miles on LEVER Like Laura, Gregory and Lisa: extra volume without every kilometer at full body weight.

Just raced? Get back sooner Like Grace: running again 4-5 days after an Ironman, instead of waiting a full week.

Doing speed work? Go fast, land lighter Like Laura and Lisa: fast reps with a small amount of support.

Dealing with a niggle? Unload, don't stop Like Grace and Lisa: reduce the load while it settles instead of stopping completely.

Don't wait for an injury All four used LEVER while training normally. Load management works best before you need it.

Start small Begin around 10-15% off, enough to feel the lift, and dial it back as your legs adapt.

11Thank You, Kona

A week of Kona stories, four athletes, four top 10 finishes. Congratulations to Laura, Gregory, Lisa and Grace, and thank you for letting us share the work behind the work.

More miles. Faster recovery. Fewer setbacks.