As race day will get nearer, you’re beginning to fear in case your longest long term is lengthy sufficient. Questioning if 10 miles is a long term? Do you should run greater than 20 miles? How far must you run earlier than a marathon or a half marathon is a vital query. Proper alongside, must you restrict your long term to three hours!
As a longtime operating coach, I spend loads of time speaking you out of doing MORE than it’s best to. Which could not be what you’d anticipate to listen to, nevertheless it’s true. Doing extra usually mentally makes us really feel higher, however on the expense of our efficiency.
Right now we’re going to dive in to the distances you should full and why they’re sufficient. How far you run earlier than a half marathon or how far you run earlier than a marathon are depending on all kinds of things.
Plus we’re going to bust some myths like you’ll be able to’t run over 3 hours!
We’re going to sort out this query for each distances since you’ll see loads of overlap!
How Lengthy Ought to Your Longest Lengthy Run Be?
Nearly all of half marathon coaching plans for novices will prime out at 10 miles and for marathon runners 18-20 miles. Does that imply it’s the longest long term it’s best to do? Typically, sure.
The explanations that operating coaches so usually advocate you observe a plan from begin to end is that all of them construct in the direction of peak runs barely in a different way.
I’ve in contrast the prime marathon coaching plans right here.
- You may see that whereas the Hanson Methodology would possibly advocate solely a 16 mile lengthy, it’s based mostly on excessive mileage and excessive depth the remainder of the week. You run that long term at purpose tempo on drained legs.
- In the meantime a Strolling Marathon Coaching Plan might deal with an extended stroll day of 4-5 hours fairly than a selected distance.
- Superior marathon coaching plans will usually include 22 and probably even 24 mile lengthy runs.
Can Your Lengthy Run Be Over 3 Hours?
Sure. As famous above there are conditions the place you’ll completely must apply being in your toes for longer than three hours. That is an unlucky generally relayed message that isn’t backed in research.
It was initially from Jack Daniels, who is a good coach, however labored largely with elite degree runners. And what they cowl in 3 hours is vastly totally different from the runner averaging 12-15 min miles.
A giant variety of runners will likely be doing 3:30-4 hour lengthy runs, run/walkers and walkers might completely be on the market for over 4 hours.
That is NOT to say it’s best to pressure your long term to be longer than 3 hours simply because you’ll be able to. Comply with the plan that guides you thru what’s greatest on your targets and your physique.
In truth, that is such an enormous subject that I needed to offer you extra science and extra knowledge to make your individual knowledgeable selection!! Run Coach Laura Norris and I chatted about this on our podcast Tread Calmly.
Ought to You Run 26 Miles Earlier than a Marathon?
No. Exhausting cease until you’re a very long time runner who can also be coaching for an ultramarathon or doubtlessly an Olympic Qualifier. Although truthfully whereas elite runners hit enormous 100 mile weeks, they’re hardly ever operating 26.2 within the coaching for a purpose race.
The rationale we don’t run 26.2 miles previous to the race is the period of time it takes to get better from this long term.
That restoration time can affect the standard of your subsequent run and set you up for damage in case you don’t do sufficient simple days or take break day.
Ought to You Run 13 Miles Earlier than a Half Marathon?
Now we begin to see just a little little bit of a change within the reply as a result of for knowledgeable runners it’s a particular risk, whereas for first time half marathon runners it’s a NO WAY.
Very long time runners aiming for a half marathon PR might run as much as 16 miles. That is what I’ve achieved myself previously and what works for a lot of athletes working for 1:40 and sooner races.
NOT REQUIRED, nevertheless it does work for some athletes. That is largely since you’ve pushed your endurance a bit farther after which there’s a psychological part to figuring out that on race day you don’t must go as far so you’re feeling extra assured choosing up the tempo.
For a primary time half marathon save that HUGE milestone for race day! Don’t freakout about not having coated the total distance in coaching.
Once more for this reason you observe a good newbie half marathon coaching plan.
- Throughout coaching you’re constructing your whole endurance
- Every week you’re operating on barely fatigued legs from the gap and any velocity work
- After your longest run (roughly 10 miles for first timers), you go in to taper
- Throughout taper for a race, your physique has time to totally get better
- Race day sees your muscle groups stuffed with glycogen and in peak form to carry out.
- Plus you get the added bonus of race day adrenaline which is able to carry you a lot farther than you understand!
This graph is a good visible of how restoration lets you slingshot previous your present degree of health when used appropriately.
How Far Do You Have to Run Earlier than a Marathon?
Let’s break this down just a little bit extra that will help you perceive what the longest run of your coaching ought to appear to be.
Listed below are the elements we wish to soak up to consideration:
Expertise Degree
How lengthy have you ever be operating? Is that this your first marathon? If that’s the case we wish to err on the aspect of a extra conservative long term to keep away from any accidents that can stop you from making it to the beginning line.
Extra skilled runners are sometimes going to be doing extra or longer runs. And by skilled we don’t imply you’ve run 1 marathon, we truly imply that you simply’ve been operating for years with out damage and you understand how your physique responds to lengthy runs.
Your Tempo
As an alternative of specializing in the mileage for a long term, most runners needs to be contemplating whole time on toes. In truth, it’s why lots of the lengthy runs I prescribe have a run interval adopted by just a few miles of strolling.
Complete time on toes issues.
Coach Greg McMillian makes use of the next formulation for runners beneath a 5:00 marathon:
Most long term = [Marathon time – 30 minutes] as much as [marathon time + 15 minutes]
In different phrases in case your marathon purpose time is 4:00 you then would possibly do a long term of three:30 to 4:30 hours. Whereas this prime finish is unlikely to be on most coaching plans for a 4 hour runner, it’s one technique that truly takes tempo in to account.
Merely saying 20 miles needs to be your long term won’t be correct if it takes you 5 hours. We’d nonetheless cap your time on toes at 4:30 normally and fewer in others based mostly on further elements.
Damage or Sickness Historical past
Some runners merely are inclined to get injured extra simply. May very well be as a result of genetics, operating gait, lack of energy coaching or the basic coaching errors: an excessive amount of, too quickly, too quick.
Both approach when you’ve got discovered your self plagued previously with getting injured or sick throughout marathon coaching it pays to be extra conservative with the long term.
On this case, you might discover a greater profit from doing a long term that maxes out at 16 miles after which doing 8-10 miles the day after. That is just like what number of extremely runners prepare. It reduces the stress of the total long term and forces you to apply doing a good run on drained legs the next day.
Keep in mind that each coaching cycle and run will likely be totally different. Which implies you might want to regulate the length of your long term as a result of life, operating within the warmth and humidity or a shift in targets.
Don’t anticipate them to all really feel good.
I really like this assertion that about 1/3 of your coaching needs to be enjoyable, 1/3 ought to really feel exhausting and 1/3 needs to be simple. It’s a reminder that it adjustments and studying to embrace the exhausting helps on race day.
When Ought to You Do Your Longest Marathon Run?
After months of slowly build up your mileage, the most important long term for the marathon or half marathon needs to be TWO weeks from race day.
Old skool coaching plans used 3 weeks, however practically each operating coach I do know now agrees with the expertise I’ve seen in our athletes of a two week taper.
Which means two weekends earlier than your race you’ll do your massive run on Saturday or Sunday after which start to taper. The week earlier than your race your long term will most likely be 8-10 miles for the marathon and 6-8 for the half marathon.
How Many 20 Milers Ought to I Run?
Now that we’ve satisfied you 20 miles is a lot for the long term, the query turns to how usually must you run them.
First time marathon runners will seemingly solely do 1 run of 20 miles throughout peak week. You’ll most likely additionally solely do 1 run of 18-19 miles. The purpose is solely to construct your capability for operating lengthy, nothing extra.
Skilled runners who’re aiming for a Boston Qualifying time, will seemingly have a few 20 mile lengthy runs, plus 18 mile runs that embody purpose marathon tempo miles.
What’s the Shortest Lengthy Run To Run A Marathon?
As a coach I all the time hate this query as a result of it’s often a sign that you simply haven’t achieved sufficient coaching, however are decided to do the race and both hate it or get injured.
I might say a minimum of 16 miles, assuming you haven’t been following the Hanson Methodology.
Working a half marathon would possibly make you’re feeling just like the marathon is totally doable and so that you decide one out in only a few months. I really like the passion, however belief me when you hit 18 miles it looks like an entire totally different factor than the half marathon.
Your bones, ligaments and tendons want time to adapt to longer distances.
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