Goodwood 5k RACE.. what really happened (not my fault!) plus 20 mile long run and mini RANT! - Ben Parkes

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of Goodwood 5k RACE.. what really happened (not my fault!) plus 20 mile long run and mini RANT! from Ben Parkes. While Ben’s race had its own share of drama, if you’re looking to conquer your next race without any surprises, you can find proven strategies in our guide to Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time. For now, we’re breaking down his long-run workout so you can try it today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

Vary your long‑run paces instead of staying flat – mix easy miles with marathon‑pace blocks to hit different energy systems. This approach of mixing intensities is a core principle of effective training, and you can dive deeper into the science behind it by Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
For a 20‑mile (≈32 km) run, Ben starts with a 3 km easy warm‑up, then a 5 km segment at true marathon pace (≈3:45 min km), runs easy to 16 km, turns around and repeats the easy 16 km back to the car.
He emphasizes using Strava race‑segment data to verify course distance and avoid “wrong” race markings.
Practical tip: don’t let slippery conditions force you into a single pace – keep the run interesting and mentally fresh by switching effort.

Workout Example:

20‑mile (≈32 km) Long‑Run
1. 3 km easy jog – warm‑up
2. 5 km at marathon pace (≈3:45 min km)
3. Easy run to 16 km mark (≈3 km easy per km) – enjoy the scenery
4. Turn around at 16 km and jog back to the start (16 km easy)
Total: ~32 km, overall average ~4:02 min km with two marathon‑pace blocks.

Feel free to adjust the distances and paces to match your own training level. While this structure is fantastic for marathon prep, the principle of varied intensity is key for any distance. You can adapt these ideas for shorter goals by exploring our guide to Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance.

Closing Note: Grab your gloves, hit the Worth Way, and give this mixed‑pace long run a go today. You can easily customize the paces in the Pacing app to fit your current fitness – happy running, and keep chasing those personal bests