You’d think that, having turned a 55-point deficit to Denny Hamlin into a 70-point championship lead over the same rival, Kyle Larson would have little else on his mind but securing his third NASCAR Cup Series title. But it turns out that with just one race standing between him and another championship, racing hasn’t been his biggest focus. In fact, Larson has confessed that he has other things on his mind.

“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 told Bob Pockrass for NASCAR on FOX.

The “other thing” Larson is referring to is his first marathon. Much like Jimmie Johnson, who pursued cycling and endurance fitness alongside his NASCAR career, Larson has found another outlet. 

The 34 year old is preparing for the California International Marathon on December 6. But this isn’t just a causal run, if you are thinking so. He is serious and has been logging more than 40 miles a week! But that is not all. 

He even plans to run 15 miles along the Florida coast Friday morning, just hours before getting into his No. 5 Chevrolet for Cup practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway. All this because, for Larson the marathon has truly changed his mindset around the championship.

“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 told Bob Pockrass.

Larson although decided to take this challenge after he learnt that several of his California friend including sprint-car mechanic Trevor Canales, were planning to participate. The race will take him from Folsom to Sacramento, just miles from his hometown of Elk Grove.

“Doing my first marathon in the town I was born in is cool,” Larson said. “It’s a favorable course, net downhill.”

In fact his training routine has become a part of his regular schedule now. He runs alone, and even has a playlist for those times!

“I don’t feel like I’m a great runner, so I don’t want to feel like I’m limiting anybody that’s going with me,” Larson said. “It’s peaceful. I just put my headphones in and go log miles. It’s fun. … [The music] could be anywhere from country to EDM, some rap, classic rock, alternative.

The benefit that he says he sees, is something that even his crew chief Cliff Daniels noticed. He told Pockrass how Larson’s, “physical capabilities are as high as they’ve ever been.”

Well, it’s tough to argue, given he went winless through the regular season, and 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.

From a 55-point deficit to a 70-point lead

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 five. He answered at Talladega, charging from 11th on the final lap to win, then finished ninth at Martinsville to preserve a cushion. The response says as much about the No. 5 team as the victories do.

His challengers have taken different routes to Homestead. Christopher Bell, 67 points behind, has shown speed but was hurt by a damaging Talladega afternoon and earlier setbacks at Gateway and Las Vegas. Hamlin, 70 points back, entered The Chase as the top seed after four regular-season wins. Trouble at Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Martinsville steadily eroded that advantage.

Both are now chasing Larson rather than controlling the standings. Bell needs a win and a major points swing; Hamlin faces a similarly narrow path. Larson needs nine points to clinch. If he scores no stage points, a 28th-place finish is enough.

His second target arrives four weeks after Homestead. First, he must finish the job in Florida. The training may help him keep the title fight in perspective, but it cannot make the final race routine.

Homestead is familiar territory. Larson won there in 2025, but the points cushion is no guarantee. Bell and Hamlin must take risks; Larson must avoid the kind of trouble that could turn a comfortable afternoon into a scramble.

He has spent the Chase proving he can recover, score heavily, and keep the No. 5 Chevrolet near the front. Now he needs nine points, not another statement victory. The marathon has given him a finish line to think about. One remains directly ahead.