Fast NEGATIVE SPLIT Long Run - 18 Miles In Marathon Training - The FOD Runner

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of Fast NEGATIVE SPLIT Long Run – 18 Miles In Marathon Training 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:

The run focuses on a negative split: easy, hill‑filled first half followed by a progressively faster second half ending at marathon effort.
Primary effort is Zone 2 (steady, moderate) for the bulk of the run, with a marathon‑pickup in the latter miles.
No strict paces were prescribed; the runner used feel‑based pacing, letting the effort naturally drop from ~6:44 /mi early to ~6:30 /mi by the finish.
Fueling was simple: 200 ml water + 200 g Molad dextrin mixed in a soft flask for a gel‑like consistency.
Practical tip: listen to your body, adjust the pickup if fatigue shows, and use hills to build strength early in the run.

Workout Example:

Warm‑up / Zone 2 – Run easy on rolling terrain for the first ~10 mi (≈6:44 /mi), incorporating the main hills.
Mid‑run checkpoint – After about 1 hour 30 min (≈12 mi), assess fatigue; if feeling good, begin a marathon‑effort pickup.
Pickup – Gradually increase effort for the next 4–6 mi, aiming for ~6:30 /mi or faster, holding a steady negative‑split pace.
Finish – Keep the effort strong for the final 2–3 mi, staying around 6:30 /mi, completing ~18 mi total (≈2 h 1 min).
Fuel – Sip the water‑dextrin mix throughout, especially before the pickup.

Closing Note: Give this hill‑to‑marathon‑pickup negative‑split run a try, and feel free to customize the paces in the Pacing app to match your own fitness. Enjoy the challenge and keep listening to your body – you’ve got this!