As race day will get nearer, you’re beginning to fear in case your longest future is lengthy sufficient. Questioning if 10 miles is a future? Do you want to 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 future to three hours!
As a longtime operating coach, I spend plenty of time speaking you out of doing MORE than it is best to. Which could not be what you’d count on to listen to, but it surely’s true. Doing extra typically mentally makes us really feel higher, however on the expense of our efficiency.
At present we’re going to dive in to the distances you want to 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 may’t run over 3 hours!
We’re going to sort out this query for each distances since you’ll see plenty of overlap!
How Lengthy Ought to Your Longest Lengthy Run Be?
The vast majority of half marathon coaching plans for freshmen will high out at 10 miles and for marathon runners 18-20 miles. Does that imply it’s the longest future it is best to do? Usually, sure.
The explanations that operating coaches so typically advocate you observe a plan from begin to end is that all of them construct in direction of peak runs barely otherwise.
I’ve in contrast the high marathon coaching plans right here.
- You may see that whereas the Hanson Technique may advocate solely a 16 mile lengthy, it’s primarily based on excessive mileage and excessive depth the remainder of the week. You run that future at purpose tempo on drained legs.
- In the meantime a Strolling Marathon Coaching Plan might give attention to an extended stroll day of 4-5 hours somewhat than a particular distance.
- Superior marathon coaching plans will typically include 22 and presumably 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 superb coach, however labored largely with elite stage runners. And what they cowl in 3 hours is vastly completely different from the runner averaging 12-15 min miles.
A giant variety of runners can 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 is best to drive your future to be longer than 3 hours simply because you may. Comply with the plan that guides you thru what’s greatest to your targets and your physique.
Actually, that is such an enormous subject that I wished to give you extra science and extra knowledge to make your individual knowledgeable alternative!! 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. Laborious cease until you’re a very long time runner who can be coaching for an ultramarathon or probably an Olympic Qualifier. Although actually whereas elite runners hit big 100 mile weeks, they’re not often 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 well from this future.
That restoration time can influence the standard of your subsequent run and set you up for harm in the event you don’t do sufficient straightforward days or take day off.
Ought to You Run 13 Miles Earlier than a Half Marathon?
Now we begin to see somewhat 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 carried out myself up to now and what works for a lot of athletes working for 1:40 and quicker races.
NOT REQUIRED, but it surely does work for some athletes. That is largely since you’ve pushed your endurance a bit farther after which there’s a psychological element 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 this is the reason you observe a good newbie half marathon coaching plan.
- Throughout coaching you might be constructing your complete endurance
- Every week you might be operating on barely fatigued legs from the space 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 completely get well
- Race day sees your muscular tissues full of glycogen and in peak form to carry out.
- Plus you get the added bonus of race day adrenaline which can carry you a lot farther than !
This graph is a superb visible of how restoration lets you slingshot previous your present stage of health when used accurately.
How Far Do You Have to Run Earlier than a Marathon?
Let’s break this down somewhat bit extra that will help you perceive what the longest run of your coaching ought to seem like.
Listed below are the components we need to absorb to consideration:
Expertise Stage
How lengthy have you ever be operating? Is that this your first marathon? If that’s the case we need to err on the facet of a extra conservative future to keep away from any accidents that may forestall 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 just’ve been operating for years with out harm and you know the way your physique responds to lengthy runs.
Your Tempo
As an alternative of specializing in the mileage for a future, most runners ought to be contemplating complete time on toes. Actually, 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 components for runners underneath a 5:00 marathon:
Most future = [Marathon time – 30 minutes] as much as [marathon time + 15 minutes]
In different phrases in case your marathon purpose time is 4:00 then you definitely may do a future of three:30 to 4:30 hours. Whereas this high finish is unlikely to be on most coaching plans for a 4 hour runner, it’s one methodology that really takes tempo in to account.
Merely saying 20 miles ought to be your future may not be correct if it takes you 5 hours. We’d nonetheless cap your time on toes at 4:30 typically and fewer in others primarily based on extra components.
Damage or Sickness Historical past
Some runners merely are likely to get injured extra simply. Could possibly be as a consequence of genetics, operating gait, lack of power coaching or the traditional coaching errors: an excessive amount of, too quickly, too quick.
Both method you probably have discovered your self plagued up to now with getting injured or sick throughout marathon coaching it pays to be extra conservative with the long term.
On this case, you could discover a larger profit from doing a future that maxes out at 16 miles after which doing 8-10 miles the day after. That is much like what number of extremely runners practice. It reduces the stress of the total future and forces you to apply doing a good run on drained legs the next day.
Do not forget that each coaching cycle and run can be completely different. Which implies you could want to regulate the period of your future as a consequence of life, operating within the warmth and humidity or a shift in targets.
Don’t count on them to all really feel good.
I really like this assertion that about 1/3 of your coaching ought to be enjoyable, 1/3 ought to really feel exhausting and 1/3 ought to be straightforward. 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 increase your mileage, the largest future for the marathon or half marathon ought to be TWO weeks from race day.
Old style 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.
Meaning two weekends earlier than your race you’ll do your large run on Saturday or Sunday after which start to taper. The week earlier than your race your future will in all probability 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 typically must you run them.
First time marathon runners will possible solely do 1 run of 20 miles throughout peak week. You’ll in all probability 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 possible have a few 20 mile lengthy runs, plus 18 mile runs that embrace purpose marathon tempo miles.
What’s the Shortest Lengthy Run To Run A Marathon?
As a coach I at all times hate this query as a result of it’s normally a sign that you just haven’t carried out sufficient coaching, however are decided to do the race and both hate it or get injured.
I’d say a minimum of 16 miles, assuming you haven’t been following the Hanson Technique.
Working a half marathon may make you’re feeling just like the marathon is completely doable and so that you choose one out in just some months. I really like the passion, however belief me when you hit 18 miles it looks like a complete completely different factor than the half marathon.
Your bones, ligaments and tendons want time to adapt to longer distances.
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