Marathon Race Progression

Workout - Marathon Race Progression

• 2.0km @ 5'30''/km
• 6.0km @ 4'24''/km
• 6.0km @ 4'00''/km
• 3.0km @ 3'45''/km
• 2.0km @ 5'30''/km

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We’re pulling together the main takeaways from Lee Grantham’s How to Train Smarter: My 5 Essential Marathon Sessions — it’s worth watching in full, but here’s what you need to know to start training today.

Key Points

• Running at race pace matters more than racking up miles in marathon training.
• Five compact sessions totaling 25 km or less build speed, strength, and race confidence. Speed matters just as much as endurance—the interval techniques from Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time transfer well to holding a strong kick over the final miles.
• Varying your pace—stepping up 10% or dropping to half-marathon speed—prepares you for how a marathon actually unfolds. Building speed endurance through Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance techniques gives you a real advantage on race day.
• Hills, tempo shifts, long repeats, and broken runs round out your training for any terrain. These are really just variations on interval training, which every runner should understand. Dig into Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them for the science.
• Don’t skip the warm-up, nail your fuel strategy, and practice downhill sections—all three matter for race day.

Workout Example – Session 1 “Marathon Race Progression”

1. Warm‑up 3–5 km easy.
2. Run 10 km at 4 min 24 s / km (marathon pace + 10 %).
3. Run 10 km at 4 min 00 s / km (target marathon pace).
4. Finish 5 km at 3 min 45 s / km (half‑marathon pace).
5. Cool‑down 3–5 km easy. Total ≈ 25 km.

Closing Note

Test this workout—or modify the paces using the Pacing app—to get a feel for marathon rhythm before the gun goes off. You’ll come away with stronger legs and a better kick. Train well and enjoy your next race!

For more workouts and detail on each one, grab the full video from Lee Grantham.

References

• How to Train Smarter: My 5 Essential Marathon Sessions - YouTube (YouTube Video)