Marathon training, regardless of finish time (including over 4h30), is accessible, legitimate, and beneficial for all amateur runners, irrespective of speed.

noli's read

The claim that the human body is not built to run for more than 5 hours is contradicted by evolutionary anthropology and sports physiology. Research, notably studies on human endurance capabilities (e.g., Lieberman's work on endurance, published in 'Nature'), demonstrates that humans are biologically adapted to endurance running over long durations, although efficiency varies according to training. Risks of injury or extreme fatigue exist, but they are more related to ill-adapted training volume than to the duration of the effort itself. Meta-analyses on running practice show that cardiovascular and metabolic benefits are present even at moderate intensity or over long race times (observational studies on amateur runner populations). It is therefore scientifically inaccurate to limit the utility of the sport to a question of speed. The creator's message aligns with literature on the benefits of regular physical activity, which emphasizes that adherence to the sport is the key factor for health, much more so than pure performance.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.