Run like the Olympic Champion and learn from team Ingebrigtsen - Stephen Scullion - Olympic marathoner
This is a quick summary of Run like the Olympic Champion and learn from team Ingebrigtsen from Stephen Scullion – Olympic marathoner. 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 core of the Ingebrigtsen system is a double‑threshold model: two threshold sessions per week, split into two shorter blocks to maximize volume while minimizing fatigue.
- Typical threshold work includes sessions like 5 × 2 km repeats (30‑60 sec rest) or 25 × 400 m repeats at a fast pace, while keeping lactate low. This kind of structured work is foundational to improving performance, and if you’re looking for a deeper dive into the principles, you’ll find more in our guide on Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
- A specific Saturday session often involves hill repeats (e.g., 2 × 10 × 30‑sec hills or 200‑m hills) to add power and an event‑specific stimulus.
- Weekly mileage is high (≈100 mi / ~160 km) with most easy runs at a brisk 3:40‑4:00 min/km.
- Adjust volume and intensity to your current base; avoid jumping from 10 mi/week to 30 mi/week too fast.
- Use heart‑rate or lactate monitoring to keep intensity controlled and avoid over‑training.
Workout Example:
- Monday: Easy run 8 km @ 4:00 min/km (recovery)
- Tuesday (Morning): Double‑threshold – 3 × 2 km @ threshold pace (≈3:45 min/km) with 30 sec rest, repeat in evening with another 3 × 2 km.
- Wednesday: Easy 10 km @ 4:00 min/km + 6 × 100 m strides.
- Thursday: Double‑threshold – 5 × 2 km @ threshold (same pace) with 30‑60 sec rest, followed by a night session of 25 × 400 m at slightly faster than threshold, keeping rest 30 sec.
- Saturday: Specific session – 2 × 10 × 30‑sec hill repeats (or 200‑m hill repeats) at a hard effort (aim for lactate 7‑8) with full recovery.
- Sunday: Long run 20‑25 km @ 4:00‑4:15 min/km, easy pace.
Remember to adjust the distances (e.g., 2 km → 3‑5 km) and hill duration (30 sec → 1‑2 min) based on your specific event. For those targeting shorter distances, you can find tailored advice in our guide to Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time. If you’re building towards a longer race, you’ll benefit from the training plans and pace strategies in our article on Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance. Whatever your goal, use the Pacing app to set your own paces.
Closing Note:
Give the double‑threshold model a try, tweak the intervals to match your race distance, and keep the volume sensible for your current fitness. Customize the paces in the Pacing app, stay consistent, and you’ll see the same low‑lactate, high‑speed benefits the Ingebrigtsen brothers enjoy. Go ahead and try the workout today – you’ve got this
References
Workout - Ingebrigtsen Threshold Intro
- 15min @ 6'30''/km
- 4 lots of:
- 100m @ 2'30''/km
- 6 lots of:
- 1.0km @ 4'00''/km
- 1min rest
- 15min @ 6'30''/km
to import the workout after you install it.
