Founder of Supwell, Yowana Wamala's Marathon Journey from 3:19 to 2:30
The marathon journey is rarely linear. Below we are taking a closer look at how Yowana Wamala, the Founder and CEO of Supwell, went from a 3:19 marathon to a 2:30 marathon this year at the Wilmington Marathon.
The first marathon was a battle just to finish, proving that even great training can’t fully prepare you for race day. Consistent 20 mile long runs, a 1:19 half, and even a 2:56 “for fun” marathon turned the sub-3 dream into reality before a huge training block with big grinder tempos pushed things even further. There were setbacks too — life stress, tough races, and rebuilding after rough patches — but staying consistent through the highs and lows led to a 7 minute PR and eventually a 2:30 breakthrough. The marathon rewards patience, resilience, and stacking small wins over years of work.
3:19 at the 2022 Charlotte Marathon
First marathons are always hard. Even the best training won't prepare you for the real demands of race day. Struggled but got it done in the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3.
2:49 at the 2024 Coast Guard Marathon
Consistent 20 mile long runs and running a 1:19 half made the sub 3 dream a reality. I also running a 2:56 marathon for fun during training and used the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris on race day. If you're looking for an updated version of this shoe, check out the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, another top 5 marathon racing shoe.
ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo
2:39 at the 2024 Chicago Marathon
My marathon training block for Chicago was the best training block of my life. I was able to ramp up volume and intensity in just the right doses. My favorite workouts during this block that really helped prepare me for another 10 minute jump in my marathon time were the grinder tempos at race pace. For this race I used the OG Saucony Endorphin Elite.
2:42 at the 2025 Baystate Marathon
This training block was full of unexpected travel, sickness, and a lot of stressful life circumstances. It felt like disaster mode. Life stress will make the demands of marathon training feel even harder, but Ihad the DQ (Don't Quit) mentality and got it done in the Puma Fast-R 3.
Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3
2:32 at the 2025 Kiawah Marathon
After the disappointing marathon at Baystate, I was determined to rebuilt and come back. I was able to put in some solid work following the Baystate Marathon and build on the high mileage training of the summer. I had an early rough patch in the race but worked through it for a 7 minute PR, once again in the Puma Fast-R 3.
2:30 at the 2026 Wilmington Marathon
The three rules of marathon training are consistency, consistency, consistency. Solid work over the past year led to a solid PR. Since the mindset going into this race was to have fun and stay relaxed, I chose the Li-Ning Feidian 6 Elite after doing only a couple of runs in it. It is such a fun, bouncy shoe with a softer and more comfortable feel than the demon-time, fastest of all time, Fast-R 3.
Li-Ning Feidian 6 Elite
For a full breakdown of the Feidian 6 Elite post-marathon, check out the full video on the Supwell YouTube channel:
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