Sub-4 Marathon? How to Break the 4 Hour Marathon Barrier
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- čas přidán 19. 05. 2020
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Running a sub-4 marathon is more difficult than merely hoping to finish. It requires more substantial training and a desire to get fast across more event distances than just 26.2 miles.
Listen to coach Jason Fitzgerald discuss marathon training for those hoping to break fours in the marathon - the mileage, workout, and long run considerations. Plus, how to know when you’re ready for that sub four marathon attempt!
Jason Fitzgerald is a USATF running coach, 2:39 marathoner, and the founder of Strength Running (one of the web's most popular running blogs and coaching businesses). A member of the Greatist Expert Network, he's also the 2017 Men's Running Magazine's Influencer of the Year and a contributor to Competitor Magazine, Active, Runner's World, Lifehacker, and other major media.
Visit strengthrunning.com/ to learn more about barefoot running, getting faster, injury preventing, and lifting for speed.
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I just completed my first marathon with a time of 3:57:46. Good info in this video.
wow first in under 4hr I'd be happy with that first time out for sure 👏
I am giving myself 7 years to train for under 4 hrs ,,,,have been at it for 3 already ,but I am incorporating cycling etc ,strength training to take the stress away ,I will be 60 yrs. ,,,god I am so proud for future events lol 😂 it is keeping me motivated
How‘s it going? ;)
@@erik4177 How is your progress?
7yrs is too lax😂 Better chance of achieving if you shorten the span to 3yrs.
Just got my 10k to under an hour, and got in a little over 17 miles on my 3 hour long run. Getting closer!
instablaster
IT band pain in both marathons I've run. 3:57 in 2003, 4:10 in 2021. Going to try again in fall 2022, doing hip flexor strength exercises to avoid the IT band pain again.
Today I started my marathon training education. This was my first video. Was perfect and concise. 6 HM last year as a 1st full year as a runner. Broke sub 2HR. Pretty confident with more great videos and training I can break 4 in a marathon. Always appreciate your videos man. Thank you for supporting the community.
Thanks for the excellent advice. I just started running 10 months ago, at 60 years of age .My first marathon took me 4 hours 20', I am aiming at a sub-4 but I do not know when 🙂! First try is March 26th will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the great video way better than many I have seen!
Good luck!!
So how was it?
Thanks Jason, videos like this really help me as a new runner better understand how to think about improving over the long run. Your explanation of how using 5k/10k times as benchmarks is really helpful and I'm going to extrapolate that to my current training plan for a half marathon as a way to check where my fitness is at. I've slowly realized that when I eventually get to marathon training I don't want to just finish it and suffer for 5-6 hours, but have the work put in a head of time so I can enjoy myself.
Excellent. I'm close to a 24:00 5K. I'll get there.
Thank you so much for this treasure trove of information!
Some great tip and info. Cheers 👍
Extremely helpful for me to adjust my expectations.
I think I’ll try to complete my next marathon with the goal of training injury free then follow up the marathon with another w a sub 4 goal.
VERY well done!! Thanks
Brilliant video, thanks so much.
I'm mostly a trail runner and ran my first marathon on a flat trail. My second marathon was London on a ballot place. I thought I had trained for a sub 4 but I hadn't banked on running it cross eyed. I finished in 4:17 and was eventually diagnosed with MS.
I ran sub 4 in my next road marathon later that year. I didn't feel I'd trained enough. But I was going to run the race anyway so thought I'd give it my best shot. Somehow everything came together, I enjoyed every minute despite dreary weather and chafing, and I finished in 3:59:12.
I've done two sub 4 road marathons since then and my next road marathon will be either my last or second to last. I want a second chance at London so I'm aiming for GFA. If I fail I'll just get back to trail ultras.
Amazing! Keep working hard
I broke my ankle last July when I had my first half planned for September. Still shooting for my goal of a sub-4 before I'm 30 (next year) Up to 3 miles a week now, 8 minutes each
Great info thanks I have 3:57 PR hopefully I can crack 3:50.
thx very much! I'm doing this!
Thank you all good information
excellent advice. makes a lot of sense. I am in the middle of my marathon (first) training and trying to shoot for 4 hour goal. I have finished slow long run of 26.2 miles in about 4:30 in my training. It is very difficult for me to get faster since I am old, 57 to be precise. I will take this advice to continue the rest of my training and hope it will work out.
Keep it up
Thanks!
Very helpful, thank you. At what pace or HR zone do you recommend for the long runs?
First of all, thanks for the practical and super specific tips! And I love the philodendron in the background : )
Had a super disappointing first (and so far only) marathon in 2018, and I was well within your equivalency performances (coming from a 21:05 5K and around a 1:46:00 half), so I really should have been able to break 4 hours.
Never underestimate the potential for disaster from not hydrating enough!!!! I drank at every aid station, but only a few swallows (it was quite warm, and the last few miles were hot and with no shade). I was so dehydrated by the end that I was struggling with terrible nausea, and missed breaking 4:00 by 69 seconds!!!! Very disappointing!
Notes for myself:
-- super helpful helpful equivalency performance times:
5K < 24 minutes
10K < 50:30
HF < 1:53:00
-- also: strides are key!
Great video
This video motivated me to start with sub4 marathon training plan. Today I missed long run, felt exhausted when I woke up... and now I hate myself and consider myself a big looser who never gonna finish marathon race... Skipped long run sucks...
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:32 🏃♂️ *Setting the Goal: Sub-4 Marathon Pace*
- The magic pace for a sub-4 marathon is 9:09 per mile or about 5:38 per kilometer.
01:00 🏃♀️ *Training Focus: Mileage, Long Runs, and Workouts*
- Aim for a peak training mileage of 40-45 miles per week to prepare for the demands of a marathon.
- Incorporate long runs up to 20 miles, starting with a higher long run early in the training cycle.
- Include weekly workouts like fartleks, repetitions, tempo runs, and hill repetitions to improve speed and endurance.
04:47 🏃♂️ *Strides: Boosting Running Economy*
- Integrate strides (100m accelerations) 2-3 times a week after easy runs to enhance running economy and strength.
- Strides help with improving turnover, leg speed, and overall efficiency.
05:40 🏃♀️ *Readiness Indicators: Equivalent Performances*
- Achieving a sub-4 marathon requires competitive equivalent performances in half marathon, 10k, and 5k.
- Aim for a half marathon time around 1:53, 10k around 50:30, and 5k around 24 minutes.
- Being consistent across distances indicates readiness for the challenges of a sub-4 marathon.
07:16 🏃♂️ *Advanced Training Considerations*
- For more advanced runners, options include fast finish long runs, two workouts per week, longer long runs, double sessions, and higher mileage.
- If sub-4 is initially missed, transition to focusing on improving times in half marathon, 10k, or 5k, then return to marathon training for better results.
- Continuous improvement and adaptation contribute to achieving the sub-4 marathon goal.
Made with HARPA AI
I have goal of breaking 3:30, do you have any videos on that? My current "modern era" pb is 3:49 (My actual pb is 2:43, back in 1984, although my HM pb is 1:13 from 1986 so I was a little better than that but got ITBS before I got a better marathon pb). Clearly, I'm old, 61, but I run about 80k+ per week (long runs up to 26k at 5:15 per km) and then do another 60k+ per week on my stationary bike.
Ran NYC in just under 4:00 in 1996 at age 19. Thinking of doing another in the next year or 2. Got my mile under 6:50, 5K under 24 and working on a 49:59 10k and low 1:50’s half. Finding time to run higher mileage is going to be tough…
i've been doing it for almost 6 weeks and only the long run I do on Sundays in sort of a pain schedule wise
Great tips!
Is the treadmill a good tool to practice those pacing long runs or outside best? I find add Weekly mileage I need to recover on legs so I tend to add those session. Are they a good or bad idea for a sub 4
Insane I can run a 1:40 half marathon and struggled to get a sub 4 marathon for so long.
Same. Had myself down to a 1:32 HM can't break 4:20 M to save my life
@@CharlZard19 work on longer runs. Also intervals runs after 13 to 15 miles speed up and slow down
Great advice! My marathon time is about 5 hrs now. How long does it take to train and make it sub-4?
Hopefully, in early 2021, we will have a chance to race another marathon.... It's BQ time!!!
Yeah baby!!
I'll be in a new age grade to hopefully qualify for London in 2021
how far from the marathon day should you stop your long runs, let's say your last 20 mile long run
About how many strides should one be doing per session?
After this video I gave a 10km a first time go. Got 49:46!
He said "fartlek"...(lol). Enjoyed this video. Definitely will use these principles in my next training for marathon.
you said start with strides. You mean how many times a week? and how many reps per session? thanks so much
Hi, i will be running for Mencap in the London Marathon 2023. As a first-time marathon runner coming from 2 years of Sinday running at 15km for 1:36 pb. What are my chances of doing a sub 4 ?
Thank you. I'm 46. I run a 21 min 5k, 44 min 10k. My last 1/2 was 1:30:00 4 years ago. But I have never broken 4 hours. My legs get so tight and I bonk at 20 miles ever time and wind up finishing 4:06-4:20. I always cut corners on training since I got injured often. So only maxed out to 35-40 for 2 to 3 weeks with a 20 mile long run. I'm assuming my issue is simply not running enough miles. Question....can I supplement every other week's long run with a cycle bike ride that is the same time it takes me to run the long run that week? Trying to fund a way not to get injured while racking up the miles
I’m not the expert but you clearly have the speed to make this target, you probably need months of higher weekly mileage, mostly done at >9:00 pace.
I have started a 10 yr training cycle ,
Whats the pace for long run? Do we run with marathon pace or slower or?
I'm sub 20 5k and 1:36 half but marathons kill me every time. PR is 4:11
What would you say are equivalent 5k, 10k, and half times to run sub 3?
18:30 5k , sub 39ish 10k , 1:25 -126 half I would say
What do recommend age 62 female first marathon runner
Thanks! As a 50+ covid runner who just started with races, this is very good. I am not planning a marathon (I am too slow), but might be fast enough for a half and will try to apply this though it probably needs adjustment for the long run.
How much should you increase your long run per week? My last half was 1.40:57h
If you get the miles in, with a half time like that you should easily break 4. Just get the time on feet.
Sarah Moore thanks for the encouragement ❤️
I’ve been checking my times for your sub 4 hr times ,and was 50 mins for 6 miles ,hey 53 give it up ,aiming for under 4 hrs when 60 yrs ,7 yrs to go ,at moment I am trying low impact ,
Hey, I just wanted to say goodjob on your training progress, I just saw your comment from 3 months ago. Hopefully you'll get there. At the moment, I'm training for my first marathon at 17 and I will try to make it sub 4 hours as well. Good luck!
@@comebruneteau849 yes and you ,I’m taking long term approach,for all round fitness and strength,already I can see progress
I refuse to do strides! Every time I tried adding them to my training, I got injured within two weeks, either while doing them or minutes afterwards. After four injuries, I learned my lesson. Any alternatives?
It happened to me too. I had 12x strides in my program and pulled my hamstring at the 11th repeat. Had to pause my training plan for week and later just skipped the strides or did them halfheartedly.
Running a marathon in two days time, have done 5 runs total training lol, wish me luck
what? how did it go??
I can only run every 2nd day and need 2 day rest after long run. So i can only fit 3 runs a week and replace easy run with swimming.
My thoughts on this would be 20 per mile per week for 2 months. Then two 10 miles run per week for another 2 months.
5:41 per km
Did you say "at least 2 x 20 mile long runs per week"? At 7:44.
No, no, no! Just 2 of those 20-mile long runs total at some point in the whole training cycle : )
Interested to know my 5k goal to take me to a sub 3 marathon,
About 18:15!
Thanks, mate, 4 hrs is the exact goal I have been aiming for for my 1st marathon but I have never even got to enter a marathon because I struggle after 26km. Every time my heart rate is near 160 bpm and each time I have run 28km (last year) and 30km (last month) I have got an injury and then I am knocked out of training distance for 2-3 weeks. Any tips?
Sounds like you need to work on your "equivalent performances" first. Get fast at 5k, 10k, and HM and you won't have so many problems with the longer distances.
@@JasonFitzgerald Yep, I have hit those targets before 10.5km 49 minutes, 21km 1 hour 49 minutes, but I die after 3hours running - my heartbeat is through
the roof at that stage too
During my training I did a 48 10k, 1:48 half, 21 5k.... Fought for a 4:16 marathon 🙄
I don't think you have to do all this to break 4. I broke 4 with no fartleks, very little speed work, and only 1 20 mile run. My longest week was 3 weeks out at 37 miles, but other than that I only hit 30/31 a couple other times. I think building an aerobic base is much more important to break 4. 3:30/3 hours is a different story.
12 weeks from no running to 4 hours. Let's go
4 week from no running to 12 hours could work.
@@sebastiand152 I ran a half in 1:52 4 weeks in
@@jakstrike1 From "no running" as basis. Sure...
@@sebastiand152 I play tennis and rugby once a week. Not been for a run in over a year.
@@jakstrike1 ok, then go for it...
@5:40 equivalent performances! That's what I was looking for! I run my first HM at 1:57 earlier this year and now working on my sub 50m 10k. I plan to attempt HM next year at 1:50. If I can achieve that without injury I might consider a marathon. My view of that distance is the following: if you can't complete it under 4 hours, don't even start. You just hold the traffic up. 🙂
I hear some people run their practice runs with a butt plug installed? Any thoughts on this?
I don't bother taking mine out for my runs, long or short.
@@alaskahudson Pro tip! Thanks for sharing!
Sorry, did you say fart-like repetition?
Fartlek