Marathon On/Off Kilometers

Workout - Marathon On/Off Kilometers

• 10min @ 6'00''/km
• 5 lots of:
  • 1.0km @ 4'40''/km
  • 1.0km @ 5'20''/km
• 5min @ 6'00''/km

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Intro

Here’s what you need to know from ALL IN: EPISODE 12 - LONDON MARATHON IS OFF, NEW GOALS AND A PB by The Welsh Runner. The full video deserves a watch, and we’ve pulled out the essentials so you can get straight into the workout.

Key Points

• Since the London Marathon is postponed, training pivots away from race prep toward a blend of marathon-specific intervals, a progressive 5 km run for variety, and solid base building.
• The main set: A kilometer-on/kilometer-off session in the “can-ova” style, alternating hard kilometers with easier recovery kilometers (roughly 30 seconds slower than marathon tempo). The overall target is about 5:30 /mi across 11–12 miles.
• Practical tip: A Stride foot pod tracks your power output and adjusts for terrain and wind, making it easier to hold steady effort regardless of conditions.
• Following the interval work, the runner completed a 5 km “hard but not all-out” run, with each successive kilometer getting faster—a solid approach when you don’t have a scheduled race.
• The session also highlights strength training and building aerobic capacity at moderate intensity, plus Strava’s “best estimated efforts” feature as a way to set fresh personal benchmarks.

Workout Example

Marathon Session (Kilometer on/off)

• Warm-up: Easy jog, 5 minutes.
• Do 4–5 rounds:
  • Kilometer 1: Run ~30 seconds faster than marathon pace (for example, if your marathon goal is 8 min/mi, target ~7:30 /mi).
  • Kilometer 2 (recovery): Run ~30 seconds slower than marathon pace (for example, ~8:30 /mi). Keep this one relaxed—think steady effort, not a specific split.
• Cool-down: Easy jog, 5–10 minutes.
• Target: Complete roughly 11–12 miles with an average pace of around 5:30 /mi.

5 km Progression Run (no race required)

• Cover 5 km on flat terrain, beginning slightly slower than your 5 k personal best, then pick up the pace with each kilometer. By the final kilometer, hit or come in just under your PB pace (~5 min/km or roughly 8:00 /mi). This builds both mental strength and your sense of pacing.

Closing Note

Test out the kilometer-on/off session, or customize the 5 km progression to match your own target paces in the Pacing app. Have fun, train smart, and keep growing your aerobic base—the next marathon opportunity will be here before you know it! 🚀

References

• ALL IN: EPISODE 12 - LONDON MARATHON IS OFF, NEW GOALS AND A PB - YouTube (YouTube Video)