Can Anyone Break 3 Hours in the Marathon With This Method? - Lee Grantham

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of Can Anyone Break 3 Hours in the Marathon With This Method? from Lee Grantham. 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

The biggest mistake is over‑relying on long, slow runs or random speed work. You need sustained marathon‑pace effort mixed with short, faster reps. This blend of paces is a powerful approach, and you can learn more about the principles behind it by Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
All sessions are built around 5 km repeats at your goal marathon pace (e.g., 4:15 km for a 3‑hour marathon) with 60 seconds easy jog between repeats, followed by 5 × 500 m at a 10 k pace (≈4:00 km). Honing that faster gear is crucial, and our guide to Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance provides dedicated training plans and pace strategies.
Heart‑rate control is a progress marker: HR should rise during the 5 km, flatten in the 500 m, then recover quickly.
Gradually increase the number of 5 km repeats each week (1 → 2 → 3 … up to 6) while always keeping the 500 m fast work.
Complement these key sessions with easy runs, recovery runs, and occasional tempo work. Building your top-end speed can also make your marathon pace feel significantly easier, so consider incorporating workouts aimed at Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time into your broader training plan.

Workout Example (Sub‑3‑Hour Marathon)

Goal marathon pace: 4 min 15 sec per km (6 min 52 sec per mile).

Session	Reps	Main set	Rest	Fast 500 m @ 10 k pace*
1	1 × 5 km	5 km @ 4:15 km	60 s jog	5 × 500 m @ ~4:00 km
2	2 × 5 km	5 km @ 4:15 km	60 s jog	5 × 500 m @ ~4:00 km
3	3 × 5 km	5 km @ 4:15 km	60 s jog	5 × 500 m @ ~4:00 km
4	4 × 5 km	5 km @ 4:15 km	60 s jog	5 × 500 m @ ~4:00 km
5	5 × 5 km	5 km @ 4:15 km	60 s jog	5 × 500 m @ ~4:00 km
6	6 × 5 km	5 km @ 4:15 km	60 s jog	5 × 500 m @ ~4:00 km

*Adjust the 10 k pace to be a few seconds faster than your marathon pace – the goal is to make the marathon pace feel easier.

Practical Tips to Try Right Now

Keep the 60‑second jog between every repeat; it keeps HR elevated without over‑fatiguing.
Track your heart‑rate: a flat HR after the 500 m indicates good recovery.
Progress slowly – if 3 × 5 km feels too hard, stay at 2 × 5 km for a week before adding the third.
Taper the final 2–3 weeks: drop the volume, keep the pace, and let your legs fresh for race day.

Closing Note

Give yourself a solid marathon‑pace foundation this week by slapping in one of these sessions. You can easily adjust the paces in the Pacing app to match your own goal. Try it, feel the confidence build, and get ready to cross that 3‑hour line! 🚀

Remember to watch the full video on Lee Grantham’s channel for deeper explanations and coaching tips.