🥳🎉 New Year, new adventures! 🚀✨ Happy 2026!

Happy New Year! 🎉🥳

Welcome to the very first edition of Strides ‘n’ Miles in 2026, the biweekly newsletter brought to you by Traxamo! 🚀

By now, we hope you've locked in your running goals for the year—whether you're chasing shiny new PBs as a runner 🏆 or shaping the future of the sport as an industry leader 💪.

This issue is all about gearing up for an epic spring racing season! 🌸🏃‍♂️ Inside you'll find:

• A quick overview of the upcoming World Marathon Majors in spring: Tokyo (March 1) 🇯🇵, Boston (April 20) 🇺🇸, and London (April 26) 🇬🇧;

• Super exciting news about the world's first-ever Treadmill World Championship (RUN X™) launching in 2026— a global 5K showdown on connected Technogym treadmills, backed by World Athletics! 🏃‍♀️💨🌍

• Practical, cold-weather tips to keep your winter training strong and injury-free ❄️🔥;

• Handy travel advice + must-knows for anyone heading to the Tokyo Marathon adventure ✈️🍣.

We hope this edition fires you up and helps you crush those spring goals! 🔥 If it hits the spot, don't keep the good vibes to yourself—share it with your running crew, friends, and family! 📲❤️

Happy Running in 2026! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️✨ Keep those strides coming! 👟🌟

MEME CORNER 😆

WORLD (🗼🏀☔🦘🐻🏙️🗽) MARATHON MAJORS CORNER 

Tokyo Marathon (March 1, 2026) is 59 days away: The field expands to 38,500 full-marathon participants (up 1,000 from prior years), with general entry closed after a competitive window. Elite entry opened in late 2025/early 2026, and campaigns like the "Interview Relay" offer chances for 2027 spots. Sustainability partnerships and the "The Day We Unite" theme continue to highlight diversity and global appeal.

Boston Marathon (April 20, 2026) is 109 days away: The 130th edition sees a record 33,267 qualifier applications, with the fastest-ever cutoff times despite tightened standards (5 minutes faster for most age groups 18-59). Elite headliners include defending champions John Korir and Sharon Lokedi, plus American record holders Conner Mantz and Emily Sisson—marking the first time both U.S. record holders race Boston since 1978.

London Marathon (April 26, 2026) is 116 days away: A staggering 1.1 million+ ballot applications shattered the previous world record (840k+), underscoring massive demand amid the Six Star pursuit. The iconic route remains, with the expo at ExCeL London and strong fundraising/charity focus.

All the best everyone chasing their six star dreams and training for these upcoming races 🏃‍♂️.

🚀🏃‍♂️TECH CORNER

The World Treadmill Championship, officially known as RUN X™, is the inaugural global 5K treadmill competition launched by World Athletics and Technogym in 2026. This groundbreaking event democratizes elite running by allowing athletes of all levels to compete from connected Technogym treadmills in fitness centers worldwide, eliminating weather, travel, and location barriers.

Runners register starting Q2 2026, complete certified 5K runs with real-time global leaderboard rankings via the Technogym Digital Ecosystem. Top performers per country and age group advance to regional qualifiers, then the world final in late 2026 at an iconic venue, where the top 10 men and 10 women vie for the first-ever treadmill world titles, a $100,000 prize pool, and wild-card entries to events like the World Road Running Championships.

If you are a runner who likes to run indoor on treadmills, would you participate?

🏋️‍♂️ TRAINING & NUTRITION CORNER 🥑⚡

Training for a sprint race during winter months? Here are 3 tips to keep in mind:

• Layer smartly and gear up right 👕🧥 Dress for 10–15°C warmer than the start temperature to avoid overheating then chilling 🔥🥶. Use moisture-wicking base layers, insulating mid-layers, and windproof shells. Protect extremities with gloves/mittens 🧤, a buff or balaclava 😷, hat 🧢, and traction cleats for ice 🧊. Proper gear prevents skipped runs ✅.

• Warm up thoroughly and stay hydrated 💧🏃 Cold stiffens muscles, raising injury risk ⚠️—do 10–15 min dynamic warm-ups indoors before hard efforts 🏠. Cold, dry air increases fluid loss; drink consistently before, during, and after runs 🥤, matching warm-weather intake.

• Build resilience with flexibility and accountability 💪🧠 Reframe harsh conditions as mental strength builders for race day 🌟. Pair up for runs 👥, use treadmills or cross-training on dangerous days 🏃‍♂️🏋️, and schedule key workouts for milder weather ☀️. Focus on effort, not pace 📈.

🌎 TRAVEL CORNER 🏖️🚀

Traveling to Tokyo to run the 2026 Tokyo Marathon?, here are some practical travel tips:

• Arrive early — Land 5–7 days ahead to beat jet lag, do light shakeouts, and pick up your bib at the EXPO (Feb 26–28).

• Smart hotel choice — Book ASAP in Shinjuku (near start), Ginza/Tokyo Station (near finish), or Odaiba for easy access and recovery.

• Master transport — Get a Suica/Pasmo IC card for seamless trains; skip taxis during road closures.

• Fuel & logistics — Rely on konbini staples (onigiri, Pocari Sweat); plan early race-morning travel and post-race rest. If not used it them during training, remember, nothing new on the race day!

• Enjoy & recover — Soak up massive crowd energy, then refuel with ramen/onsen and explore in mild March weather.

Tokyo is runner paradise—embrace every moment! 🏃‍♂️🇯🇵 Stay tuned for some fun activities you can plan in the next edition.

🆕 WHAT’S NEW AT TRAXAMO

We have 2 new mini series coming up on What Runs a Run podcast - Nutrition n Coaching and Sustainability. Stay tuned!