The goal for Valencia Marathon - tough long run session - plus cross training! - Ben Parkes

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of The goal for Valencia Marathon - tough long run session - plus cross training! from Ben Parkes. 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 90‑minute long run built around 10 × 1 km repeats at roughly half‑marathon pace (about 3:40 min/km).
Each 1 km fast interval is followed by a 1 km easy recovery (about 4:30‑4:40 min/km) to teach the legs to run hard when fatigued.
Ben emphasizes volume, cross‑training (cycling, indoor bike, and cross‑trainer) and regular strength/yoga work to keep the body balanced and injury‑free as marathon mileage climbs.
He plans two long runs per week, easy recovery jogs, and a second daily session of cycling or strength work.

Workout Example:

Warm‑up: 2 km easy jog

Repeat 10 times:
  • 1 km @ ~3:40 min/km (half‑marathon pace)
  • 1 km @ ~4:35 min/km (easy recovery)

Cool‑down: 1‑2 km easy jog
Total time ≈ 90 min, ~10 km fast + 10 km recovery

Feel free to adjust the paces to match your current half‑marathon or 10K pace, and swap the 1 km recovery for a short walk if needed.

Closing Note: Give this session a go, tweak the intervals to suit your own pace, and track it in the Pacing app. You’ll be building the stamina you need for Valencia while staying strong and injury‑free. Happy running! 🚀