Long Run WORKOUT - 17 Weeks Until London Marathon - The FOD Runner

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of Long Run WORKOUT - 17 Weeks Until London Marathon 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 session is a 30‑minute progressive run followed by an easy jog and a 30‑minute steady run, totaling just over 90 minutes.
Tempo work is broken into 8‑min, 6‑min, 8‑min segments at a hard‑effort pace (~6:59 – 7:00 / mile) with 1‑minute easy jogs between each block.
After the progressive set, run 10 minutes easy (≈6:30 / mile) then 30 minutes steady (≈6:50 / mile).
The route consists of two loops of ~6.5 mi each, mixing trails and road, giving natural hill variation for the tempo sections.
Warm‑up, proper fueling (≈200 g carbs + 200 ml water), and heart‑rate monitoring are emphasized to keep effort in the right zones despite wind or rain.

Workout Example:

Warm‑up – 5‑10 min easy jog, light strides.
Progressive Tempo – 8 min @ tempo → 1 min easy jog → 6 min @ tempo → 1 min easy jog → 8 min @ tempo.
Cool‑down – 10 min easy.
Steady Run – 30 min at a comfortably hard pace (just a touch slower than tempo).
Optional – Finish with a short easy jog or walk to fully recover. Total time ≈ 95 min.

Practical Tips:

Keep a 1‑minute easy jog between tempo blocks to clear lactate.
Use the looped course to plan where the hills fall – start tempo on flatter sections, finish on a gentle incline.
Fuel before the run (200 g carbs, 200 ml water) and sip small amounts during the session.
Monitor heart‑rate; if it spikes too high, back off the pace a little.
Adjust paces for wind or rain – the video showed slower paces when conditions were brutal.

Closing Note: Try this progressive long‑run today, and feel free to tailor the paces to suit your current fitness using the Pacing app. You’ll get a solid mileage boost while still keeping the effort manageable. Enjoy the run and keep building toward that London Marathon finish line!