Lee Grantham's 20x400m Speed Session

Workout - Lee Grantham's 20x400m Speed Session

• 10min @ 6'00''/km
• 20 lots of:
  • 400m @ 4'30''/km
  • 15s rest
• 5min @ 6'00''/km

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Intro

Lee Grantham walks through his strategy for running a sub‑2:21 marathon in this training week breakdown—it’s definitely worth your time. Here’s what we’ve pulled out so you can get started with this workout right away. Check the full video if you want more context and detail.

Key Points

• Recovery runs (40 min) work best when done on an empty stomach in zone 1, ending with 3‑5 min of easy walking. You should walk away feeling better than when you started.
• Strength work (Monday) emphasizes glutes, hamstrings, quads, and lower-leg power alongside core conditioning, done twice weekly.
• Easy runs (Tuesday & Saturday) clock 50 min at zone 1, finishing with 10 × 80 m pickups at your goal marathon pace.
• Cycling – three 50 km sessions per week (around 1 h 40 min each) build aerobic fitness while giving your legs a break.
• Mid‑week repeats (Wednesday) – 20 × 400 m at 65‑70 s per rep, preceded by 2 km easy running and followed by 1.5 km cool‑down (about 12 km total). Each 400 m should run roughly 10 % faster than your marathon pace.
• Rest day (Thursday) – no running or cycling. Focus instead on eating, drinking plenty of water, maintaining electrolyte balance, and a brief core workout.
• Long run (Sunday) – 25 km broken down as: 5 km at 4 min/km (20 % slower than marathon goal), 15 km at marathon pace (around 3:20 / km), then 5 km back at 4 min/km. Add a 2 km warm‑up and cool down as needed.
• Nutrition – race morning means 5 bananas blended with water. During intense sessions, take a gel every 20 min (roughly 80 g carbs/hr). Post‑run, get 100 g carbs in within 10‑15 min (try a banana‑oat‑milk smoothie).
• Recovery basics – sleep is your foundation; manage stress, stay hydrated, and keep electrolytes up.

Workout Example (Mid‑Week Interval)

Warm‑up: 2.5 km easy
Main set: 20 × 400 m @ 65‑70 s each (≈10 % faster than marathon pace)
   • Keep effort consistent, treat each rep like a race
   • Recover briefly (15‑20 s) between reps
Cool‑down: 1.5 km jog → walk
Total: ~12 km

Adjust your 400 m pace based on your specific marathon goal—if your target is 3:20 / km, aim for around 2:50 / km on the repeats.

Closing Note

Try this plan for yourself and use the Pacing app to dial in the paces for your current fitness level. Since it’s built to be flexible, you can adjust distances and intervals as you see fit—just stick with the fundamentals: easy recovery running, strength training, targeted speed work, and proper fueling. Enjoy the training.

References

• Training Week Breakdown for Sub-2:21 Marathon - YouTube (YouTube Video)