Marginal Gains | What 1% Better Actually Looks Like
What if getting better at running wasn’t about doing more — but doing a little bit better, more often? Explore the power of marginal gains, and how small, consistent habits lead to lasting results on and off the road.
In elite sport, the phrase "marginal gains" gets thrown around a lot. It sounds impressive — but also abstract. A little too slick. A little too corporate. But when you strip it down, the idea is beautifully simple:
If you improve by just 1% in enough areas, those small wins add up to big change.
And here’s the truth — you don’t need to be an Olympian to apply that mindset.
What Does 1% Look Like for Runners?
It’s not always shiny or exciting. Most of the time, 1% better is invisible to everyone else.
- Getting to bed 30 minutes earlier
- Swapping screen time for stretching
- Fuelling before you feel depleted
- Taking the recovery run seriously — not just logging the miles
- Prepping your kit the night before so the 6am run happens without resistance
- Mixing your prerun the night before so it's ready and waiting for you
These aren’t breakthroughs. They’re small, quiet wins. But that’s the point.
The Compound Effect
1% better today doesn’t feel like much.
1% better every day? That’s transformation.
That’s the extra gear at kilometre 8.
The clearer focus mid-session.
The feeling of being proud of how you showed up — not just how fast you went.
When you treat each habit like a vote for the runner you want to become, it shifts the goal from big moments to small decisions.
Why Prerun Was Built This Way
Prerun was never about reinventing performance. It was about simplifying your nutrition, removing the friction — giving you a 1% edge before you even lace up.
One scoop. One run. No guesswork.
When you take the thinking out of fuelling and recovery, you free up energy to train better, feel stronger, and stay consistent — especially on the days you might’ve skipped it.
A Quick Challenge
Think about this week.
What’s one thing you could make 1% better — and keep it going?
It could be your bedtime. Your warm-up. Your focus during easy runs.
Start there. Build from it. Stack the small wins.
The breakthrough doesn’t come from one massive change.
It comes from building a life that respects the small ones.
Prerun exists for that kind of runner. Not perfect — just committed. Let’s build it, 1% at a time.
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