Brian Rock

Brian Rock is a union organizer and advocate with a background in education, politics, and technology. He’s also an avid runner, writer, and data nerd. You can find running trends and data analysis on his Medium page, Running With Rock.

Latest Stories

Racing

What's a 'Good' Mile Time? Here's What the Data Says

Presidential Fitness Test flashbacks, anyone? Here’s how mile times have evolved and how your fastest mile compares to the latest results.

June 24, 2026

Racing

The 2026 Boston Marathon Was a 15,800-BQ Unicorn

From historically fast finishing times to 12.7% of runners clocking a negative split, our running data expert dives into the year the whole field caught fire.

April 24, 2026

Training

You May Have Just PR’d for Your Age. Here’s How to Find Out

From world-record tables to your personal percentage, here's exactly how age grading works, and how to use it without overthinking it.

April 7, 2026

Racing

Is Your Boston Qualifying Time Fast Enough? Here's What the Latest Data Says

We’ve looked at the numbers so far this year. Here are some predictions to help you figure out a safe buffer to get you to Boston in 2027.

February 13, 20261

News

Just How Good Is Jane Hedengren? We Crunched the Numbers.

Headlines don’t do the rising BYU star justice. We examined the data to find out how she ranks against the current competition and record holders of the past.

January 19, 20261

Racing

What’s a Good Marathon Time?

A running data expert analyzed half a million marathon results from 2024 to offer an objective, statistical perspective on what actually makes a fast marathon time.

March 23, 2026

Racing

Boston Marathon's 4:34 Cutoff: Who Got In, Who Didn't, and Why it Matters

A close look at the demand, distribution of qualifiers, and the Boston Athletic Association's choices to help runners understand this year's cutoff.

January 29, 2026

Racing

What’s a ‘Good’ Half Marathon Time? Here’s What the Latest Data Says.

We analyzed 1 million half marathon results from across the U.S. to help you see where your best time stacks up.

January 19, 2026

Racing

What's a ‘Good’ 5K Time? Here’s What the Latest Data Says

We analyzed 2.2 million race results from 2024 to offer perspective on overall times and times by gender and age.

April 15, 20261

News

Will Boston’s New Rules Make Downhill Marathons Extinct? The Answer is Complicated.

We dive (way) into the data to reveal what the new qualifying regulations actually mean for Boston hopefuls and downhill races.

July 10, 2025

Racing

Will You Ever BQ? Here's What the Data Says

We pored over years of Boston qualifying data—and spoke to people who made it (and some who still haven’t cracked the code). The stats don’t lie: Qualifying for Boston is tough.

April 17, 20252

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