American marathoner Vinny Mauri just ran a 2:06:45 at the 2026 Chicago Marathon, finishing 10th overall after spending approximately 70% of his training mileage on a treadmill. Yes, a treadmill and not even his own. He logs big miles at Planet Fitness. Has he said if he pays for a membership? At minimum Planet Fitness should sponsor him…LOL I digress.
I love this story because runners have spent years arguing about whether treadmill running counts as legitimate marathon training. Look on Threads and you’ll see a dozen posts on that. Meanwhile, Mauri has been running fast workouts on gym treadmills in Ohio and is now one of the fastest American marathoners.
His Chicago Marathon performance on October 11, 2026, was entertaining because he went after the American record and, for a while, looked like he might get it. This is a relatively unknown guy.
Who Is Vinny Mauri?
Vincent “Vinny” Mauri is a 25-year-old American distance runner from Ohio who competed collegiately at Arizona State and Notre Dame. After college, he began coaching himself and eventually started putting together some impressive marathon workouts.
In April 2026, Mauri won the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, in 2:05:54. It was the fastest marathon debut by an American, and people started to pay attention to the guy running marathon-length workouts at Planet Fitness. He later signed with ASICS, but his training remained fairly unconventional compared with what many people associate with professional marathon running.
Instead of relocating to a major training group or spending months at altitude, Mauri continued training near home, including a significant amount of mileage indoors.
Vinny Mauri’s 2026 Chicago Marathon Results
Mauri finished the 2026 Chicago Marathon in 2:06:45, placing 10th overall and third among Americans. He passed halfway in 1:02:15 and reached 30K in 1:28:15, putting him on approximately 2:04 marathon pace. For reference, Conner Mantz’s American marathon record is 2:04:43.
Unfortunately, his hamstring began cramping late in the marathon. He stopped several times to stretch, eventually losing ground to Clayton Young and Charles Hicks. Young finished in 2:05:23, Hicks ran 2:05:35, and Mauri crossed the finish line in 2:06:45. For someone who had already run 2:05:54 earlier in the year, it wasn’t a personal best, but running 2:06 after multiple stops is crazy work.
Why Does Vinny Mauri Train on a Treadmill?
The why must be important, right? According to interviews before the Chicago Marathon, Mauri completed approximately 70% of his training mileage on treadmills. There are several reasons he prefers running indoors, including avoiding bad weather, having easy access to hydration and nutrition, and controlling his pace.
Mauri has acknowledged that he sometimes runs faster than intended when training outside. The treadmill allows him to set a pace and stay there without constantly accelerating.
I can relate to this because I’ve spent a substantial amount of time training on the treadmill, especially when the desert weather makes outdoor workouts difficult. I’ve had periods when almost all my faster workouts happened indoors because running into heavy wind wasn’t helping me hit the paces I wanted. During January 2025, I ran 380 miles, including a 20-mile treadmill workout averaging 7:34 pace. Obviously, that’s nowhere near Mauri’s training pace, but the reasons for choosing a treadmill are similar.
How Much Does Vinny Mauri Run on the Treadmill?
In June 2026, he completed 26.39 miles on a treadmill in approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes. A week later, he ran 29.16 miles at an average pace of approximately 5:09 per mile. During his Chicago Marathon buildup, he also completed a 45-mile training day across two sessions.
His Planet Fitness treadmills reportedly top out at 12.4 mph, approximately 4:50 per mile, which is actually slower than his 2:05:54 marathon pace. Imagine being fast enough that your local gym treadmill cannot keep up with your marathon pace. LOL. But to be fair, my Peloton Tread+ also maxes out there. Most runners do not need anything remotely resembling these workouts, and I wouldn’t recommend copying his training simply because he ran a fast marathon.
Can You Train for a Marathon on a Treadmill?
Yes, you can train for a marathon on a treadmill. I’ve written before about using the treadmill when outdoor running isn’t ideal, and my opinion hasn’t changed.You can complete long runs, marathon-pace workouts, intervals, and recovery runs indoors. The treadmill also allows you to control incline and pace without worrying about traffic or weather. That doesn’t mean treadmill running is identical to racing outdoors. Road races involve changes in terrain, turns, weather, and different demands on your muscles.
Interestingly, Mauri acknowledged after Chicago that spending so much time on the treadmill might have contributed to his late-race hamstring difficulties, although that hasn’t been established as the cause.
For runners who live somewhere with extreme weather, have limited daylight, or need to fit workouts around work and family, having access to a treadmill can make consistent training much easier.
What Can Runners Learn From Vinny Mauri?
I think one of the funniest parts of Mauri’s story is that runners will spend hundreds of dollars on specialized equipment and argue endlessly about the perfect training environment, while one of America’s fastest marathoners has been doing enormous workouts at Planet Fitness. You don’t need the most expensive high tech stuff. Of course, Mauri is exceptionally talented, and his training volume is far beyond what most runners should attempt. His marathon performances cannot be attributed solely to treadmill running.
As someone who regularly chooses the treadmill over running in 110-degree desert heat or ridiculous wind, I appreciate seeing a professional marathoner having success with indoor training.
I’m also curious how many people who previously insisted treadmill running doesn’t count are reconsidering that opinion after watching Mauri run 2:06 in Chicago. Probably none, because social media is full of people who just like to argue.
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Would you train for a marathon primarily on a treadmill?
What’s the longest run you’ve ever completed indoors?