Marathon World Record Challenge

Workout - Marathon World Record Challenge

• 10min @ 6'00''/km
• 30s @ 5'13''/km
• 30s rest
• 30s @ 4'52''/km
• 30s rest
• 30s @ 4'30''/km
• 30s rest
• 30s @ 4'09''/km
• 30s rest
• 30s @ 3'48''/km
• 30s rest
• 30s @ 3'26''/km
• 30s rest
• 30s @ 3'05''/km
• 30s rest
• 5min @ 6'30''/km

Ready to start training?

If you already having the Pacing app, click try to import this workout:

Try in App Now

workout/marathon-world-record-challenge-ea4ba964

Don’t have the app? Copy the reference above,
to import the workout after you install it.

Intro

Head To Head Treadmill Knockout – Famous Marathon Paces from The Running Channel is worth a watch. The concept is unpacked below so you can try it yourself. Watch the full video for all the details.

Key points

• Run through a sequence of legendary marathon paces for 30 seconds each on a treadmill, moving from historic records to modern world-record speeds.
• A treadmill or Zwift removes the guesswork. Lock in the speed and focus on form, cadence, and efficiency within each burst. That’s the value of interval training: you practice at speed without piling on too much fatigue. More on that in Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
• Quick tip: shoulders relaxed, knees driving, steady rhythm. Short efforts force you to tune into form.

Workout example

This pace ladder is a high-intensity interval session. The concept uses historic marathon paces, but speed development in short bursts works across any distance. For runners chasing 5K times, see Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time.

Treadmill knockout pace ladder (all speeds in km/h):

1. Warm-up: 5 to 10 min easy jog
2. 30-second all-out at 11.5 kph — Violet Piercy (1924) pace
3. 30-second at 12.6 kph — Roberta Gibb (1966) pace
4. 30-second at 14 kph — early men’s record pace
5. 30-second at 17 kph — Albert Michelsen (1925) pace
6. 30-second at 18.3 kph — Jim Peters (1979) pace
7. 30-second at 18.9 kph — Brigid Kosgei (2019) pace
8. 30-second at 19.5 kph — Eliud Kipchoge (2018) pace
9. Cool-down: 5 min easy jog

Adjust the speeds to your current fitness. The Pacing app makes customizing the ladder straightforward.

Closing note

Try the workout. Hit those historic paces at 30-second intervals and pay attention to how you move. The Pacing app lets you set the speeds to where you are right now. Planning a 10K? Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance covers structured preparation.

Watch the full video for the story behind each pace.

References

• Head To Head Treadmill Knockout - Famous Marathon Paces - YouTube (YouTube Video)