ANOTHER FAILURE - 7 Weeks Until London Marathon 2024 - The FOD Runner

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of ANOTHER FAILURE – 7 Weeks Until London Marathon 2024 from The FOD Runner. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Training focus: Mid‑week quality session to lock in half‑marathon pace (HMP) and 10K‑effort speed before the marathon.
Structure: This session uses a powerful mix of longer and shorter repeats. By combining 3 × 2 km repeats at HMP with 6 × 1 km repeats at a faster pace, you get 12 km of quality work after your warm-up. This is a classic example of a challenging session, and if you want to understand the science behind it, you can learn more about [Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them](/blog/mastering-interval-training-science-backed-workouts-and-how-a-smart-app-can-personalize-them).
Pacing targets: Aim for ~5:30–5:40 per mile on the 2 km repeats (half‑marathon pace). For the 1 km repeats, you’ll be pushing a ~5:20–5:30 per mile pace, which is roughly your 10 K effort. If you need help dialing in that specific pace, check out our guide on [Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance](/blog/mastering-the-10k-proven-training-plans-pace-strategies-and-how-a-smart-app-can-elevate-your-performance). As always, adjust based on how you feel that day.
Practical tips: Use the first 2 km as a tempo starter, treat the terrain (up‑hills, down‑hills) as part of the effort, and keep the recovery jogs to ~90 seconds between intervals.

Workout Example

15‑minute easy warm‑up →

2 km @ ~5:30‑5:40 mi (half‑marathon pace) – treat the first repeat as a tempo run.
1 km @ ~5:20‑5:30 mi (10 K effort) – keep the effort hard but sustainable.
Repeat the above pattern 3 times (2 km) and 6 times (1 km) for a total of 12 km of effort.
90‑second jog between each interval for active recovery.
Cool‑down as needed. If you’re running in kilometers, convert the paces to ~3:26‑3:32 per km for the 2 km repeats and ~3:12‑3:18 per km for the 1 km repeats.

Closing Note

Give this session a go, listen to your body, and feel free to tweak the paces to match your current fitness using the Pacing app. While this workout is geared toward marathon prep, the principles of building speed endurance are universal. The strength gained here will not only help you finish the London Marathon strong but can also translate to faster times in shorter races. In fact, the same interval strategies are key to [Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time](/blog/mastering-5k-speed-proven-interval-strategies-to-cut-minutes-off-your-time).

Keep stacking those runs and enjoy the journey