Kyle Larson's Secret Marathon Plan for NASCAR Title Revealed

“More Thought Behind This Than the Chase”—Kyle Larson Reveals Unorthodox Marathon Regimen Fueling Championship Bid

Kyle Larson is training for his first marathon.

He has logged more than 40 miles a week throughout the NASCAR playoffs.

He plans to run 15 miles along the Florida coast Friday morning, hours before Cup practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

His goal: finish the California International Marathon on December 6 in under three hours and 30 minutes.

Larson told Bob Pockrass for NASCAR on Fox that he has put “way more thought” into the marathon than the Chase.

“I do think it’s kept my mind off of racing, which has been good because I think I have this other thing that I’m like equally committed to,” Larson said.

“Probably honestly put way more thought behind this marathon than I do the Chase, which I think has kept a lot of pressure off of me, oddly.

“I’ve definitely felt pressure, but I’ve felt more pressure in other years, and I think a lot of it’s just to do with my mind is on something else, but I’m not distracted from it either because I think it’s all kind of benefiting Sundays in a way.”

Larson enters Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a 67-point lead over Christopher Bell.

He needs only nine points to clinch his second consecutive Cup title and third in six years.

A driver can earn one point just for starting the race.

Additional points are available based on stage finishes.

The maximum points for a single race is 76.

That cushion has removed most of the drama from the finale, which returned to Homestead this season after six years at Phoenix Raceway.

But Larson insisted he still feels pressure.

“Man, you’ve done such great work to this point to put yourself in position,” Larson said Thursday during an awkward media day where he was the only championship contender present.

“I would just hate for something crazy to happen, to eliminate all the work that we’ve gone to get ourselves in a great position to where you don’t have to score a ton of points.

“I think that’s the pressure. Like, man, don’t (screw) it up at this point.”

Larson expects those butterflies to disappear once he straps into his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“I foresee my race looking like any other Homestead race for me: try to get to the front and manage the race from there,” he said.

“Hopefully the first stage goes well and then you can really just race free after that.

“I still don’t think it’s going to change the approach of the race, but you can race with less worry at that point.”

The numbers suggest Larson’s unusual approach is working.

According to statistics shared by NASCAR Insights, Larson averaged 27.8 points per race during the 26-race regular season.

Through nine Chase races, that figure has skyrocketed to 47.1.

That is a staggering improvement of 19.3 points per race — nearly double the increase of any other driver in the 16-driver field.

Christopher Bell has made the next-biggest jump, improving from 29.2 points per race during the regular season to 39.1 in the Chase, a 10-point increase.

Joey Logano has climbed from 27.3 to 36.8 points per race.

Chase Briscoe has improved from 29.3 to 36.7.

But Larson’s numbers stand apart for another reason.

His 47.1-point average is eight points higher than Bell’s 39.1, giving him a substantial advantage over the next-best driver in the Chase.

Consider where Larson started.

During the regular season, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Briscoe and Bell all averaged more points per race than the No. 5 driver.

Nine Chase races later, Larson has surpassed every one of them.

Larson’s surge looks even more impressive when compared with Hamlin’s performance.

The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran was the most productive points scorer among Chase drivers during the regular season, averaging 39.5 points per race.

Since the Chase began, that number has dropped to 33.2, a decline of 6.3 points per race.

Hamlin isn’t alone.

Blaney has fallen from 36.1 to 29.0 points per race.

Gibbs has dropped from 34.3 to 27.7.

Reddick’s average has slipped from 34.4 to 31.0.

Even Chase Elliott has experienced a modest downturn, going from 27.8 points per race to 25.3.

For much of the 2026 season, Larson had little reason to feel comfortable about his title defense.

The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet went winless through the regular season.

Larson entered The Chase seventh, 55 points behind Denny Hamlin.

Nine races later, he has turned that deficit into a 70-point advantage over the same rival.

Larson has scored 424 points through nine Chase races, the most of any driver, with three victories, six top-five finishes and eight top-10s.

His 6.78 average finish reflects a run that has outpaced his rivals.

He has outscored Hamlin by 125 points in the postseason after entering it winless through 26 regular-season races.

Larson’s DNF at Phoenix, after handling trouble and a cut tire, reduced a 49-point lead to its current 67-point margin.

A third Cup title would put Larson in elite company.

He would become the 11th driver in NASCAR history with three Cup titles.

The list includes seven-time champions Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson.

Jeff Gordon has four.

Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart and Joey Logano have three.