TRAIN LIKE KIPCHOGE: 3 Workouts You NEED TO TRY! - Ben Is Running

Intro

This is a quick summary of TRAIN LIKE KIPCHOGE: 3 Workouts You NEED TO TRY! from Ben Is Running. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workouts today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points

• Kenyan marathoners train one dedicated track session per week (usually Tuesday) plus a mid‑week fartlek and a long run at marathon pace on Saturday.
• Kipchoge’s track workouts focus on high‑quality volume: 15 km of work per session, done at or just faster than marathon pace.
• Altitude makes the paces feel harder, so you can run them a bit slower at sea level; the structure (reps + recovery) is what matters.
• You can scale the repeats down (e.g., 6 × 1 km) if you’re new to interval training.
• A bike adaptation mimics the 2 km + 1 km track set, using threshold intervals to stay non‑weight‑bearing.

Workout Examples

1️⃣ Kipchoge Classic – 15 × 1 km

• Distance: 15 × 1 km (total 15 km)
• Pace: ~2:50 – 3:00 min/km (roughly marathon pace at altitude, feels like half‑marathon/10 K pace at sea level)
• Recovery: 90 seconds easy jog/walk between each km
• Goal: Build speed endurance and maintain marathon‑pace effort for a long volume.

2️⃣ 5 × (2 km + 1 km) Ladder

• Structure: 5 sets of 2 km followed immediately by 1 km
• Pace: 2 km at marathon pace, 1 km slightly faster (≈10‑15 s quicker per km)
• Recovery: 90 seconds between sets
• Total work: 15 km
• Goal: Mix steady marathon effort with a faster finish to improve lactate tolerance.

3️⃣ Late‑Stage Speed Sharpening – 12 × 800 m + 10 × 400 m

• 800 m repeats: 12 at ~10 K pace (≈3:00 min/km)
• 400 m repeats: 10 at ~3 K pace (≈2:15 min/km)
• Recovery: Short jog or walk (≈30‑45 seconds) between each repeat
• Goal: Add sharper speed work while reducing overall volume as race day approaches.

4️⃣ Bike Adaptation (Ben’s version)

• Sets: 5
• Work: 6 min at threshold effort → 90 s rest → 3 min at threshold effort → 90 s rest
• Repeat the 6 min/3 min block five times.
• Mirrors the 2 km + 1 km track set, keeping the intensity but removing impact.

Practical Tips

• Adjust paces to your own marathon pace: if your marathon is 5:00 min/km, aim for ~5:00 min/km on the 2 km repeats and ~4:45 min/km on the 1 km.
• Keep recovery consistent (≈90 seconds) to train your body’s ability to clear lactate quickly.
• Start small: if 15 × 1 km feels too much, begin with 6–8 repeats and build up.
• Use a GPS watch or the Pacing app to set exact interval timers and track your effort.
• On altitude, expect the same paces to feel harder; treat them as a strength‑building phase.

Closing Note

Give one of these Kipchoge‑inspired sessions a try this week and tweak the distances or paces to match your current fitness in the Pacing app. You’ll feel stronger, faster, and a step closer to marathon greatness. And don’t forget to watch the full video on Ben Is Running for the complete behind‑the‑scenes inspiration!

References

• TRAIN LIKE KIPCHOGE: 3 Workouts You NEED TO TRY! - YouTube (YouTube Video)

Workout - The Kipchoge Classic Starter

• 12min @ 6'00''/km
• 4 lots of:
  • 100m @ 3'00''/km
  • 1min rest
• 7 lots of:
  • 1.0km @ 4'30''/km
  • 1min 30s rest
• 12min @ 6'30''/km

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