Marathon Training Workouts | Best workouts and Unnecessary workouts - Seth James DeMoor

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of “Marathon Training Workouts | Best workouts and Unnecessary workouts” from Seth James DeMoor. 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

Threshold runs (9‑mile and 13‑mile) were the most effective workouts for building marathon‑pace confidence.
Long runs of 20‑22 miles (one 24‑mile run was a bit too much) gave the necessary endurance without over‑taxing the legs.
A single interval session of 12 × 1 km repeats with 90‑second rest provided a solid anaerobic boost.
Tempo runs at roughly 6:00–6:20 min/mile for 12‑15 mi helped keep the legs ready for race‑pace effort.
Mountain “14‑er” runs (14,000‑ft elevation) were used for altitude and hill strength, but too much high‑altitude work left the feet vulnerable on the pavement.
Lessons learned: add a few 1‑km repeats (6‑8 reps, 60‑90 sec rest) to improve turnover and consider a few pavement‑specific workouts before a road marathon.

Workout Example

Marathon‑Prep Week (example)

Monday: Easy run 5 mi (recovery)
Tuesday: 9‑mile threshold run – start easy, build to 5:17 / mi pace for the last 3 mi, finish easy.
Wednesday: Rest or light cross‑train.
Thursday: 12 × 1 km repeats @ 5K‑pace, 90‑sec jog recovery (optional add 6‑8 reps if you need more turnover work).
Friday: Easy run 4‑5 mi.
Saturday: 13‑mile threshold run at 5:30‑5:40 / mi (steady, no watch needed, just “comfortably hard”).
Sunday: Long run 20‑22 mi at a comfortable, conversational pace (focus on time on feet, not speed).
Optional: Add a 12‑15 mi tempo run (6:00‑6:20 / mi) every other week on pavement to adapt the feet to harder surfaces.

Closing Note

Give this marathon‑training mix a try and tweak the paces to match your own training zones in the Pacing app. You’ll build confidence, speed, and endurance for your next race—go for it! 🚀