How I Improved My Marathon Time By 14 Minutes in Just 9 Weeks... - Ben Is Running

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of How I Improved My Marathon Time By 14 Minutes in Just 9 Weeks… from Ben Is Running. 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

Build muscular resilience after an injury by prioritising leg strength and endurance, not just cardio.
High early volume: 150‑180 km per week for the first 4‑5 weeks to quickly rebuild base fitness.
Three marathon‑specific long runs (35 km, 40 km, 37 km) performed with steady‑pace miles followed by marathon‑pace pickups to teach the legs to run fast when fatigued.
Double‑easy days: 20 km easy in the morning + 10 km easy in the evening to add volume without excessive stress.
Balanced interval work:
- Tuesday – marathon‑pace repeats (e.g., 2 × 10 km @ 3:25 min/km or 4 × 5 km @ 3:25 min/km).
- Thursday – faster VO₂‑max work at half‑marathon/10 k/5 k pace (≈3:00 min/km) to raise speed ceiling.
Fueling practice during long runs so the stomach is “bullet‑proof” on race day.

Workout Example (sample week)

Tuesday: 2 × 10 km at marathon pace (3:25 min/km) with 2 km jog recovery between repeats.
Thursday: 5 × 1 km at 10 k pace (~3:00 min/km) plus a 6‑km easy run.
Saturday (double easy): 20 km easy (≈5:15 min/km) in the morning, 10 km easy (≈5:15 min/km) in the evening.
Sunday (long run): 35 km total – 30 km steady at 4:05‑4:10 min/km, then finish with 5 km at marathon pace 3:25 min/km. Practice your race‑day nutrition during the run.

(Adjust the distances and paces to match your current fitness – the Pacing app makes it easy to swap in your own target marathon pace.)

Closing Note

Give this 8‑week block a try, tweak the paces to fit your own numbers, and watch your marathon time drop. You’ve got the plan – now hit the road, log it in the Pacing app, and enjoy a faster race day!