Progressive long run
A long run that gradually accelerates, finishing at or near marathon pace.
Also called: fast-finish long run.
The fast-finish long run trains the specific ability the marathon tests — running well when already depleted — at a fraction of the cost of a full marathon-pace long run. The progression should be gradual enough that no single kilometre feels like a gear change; if it does, you started too slow or finished too hard.
The session
Shown at a 4:00 marathon reference — 1 h 53 total, about 16.9 km, including 25 min of quality work.
Session
- 1 h 28 easy (6:43–7:24/km)
- 25 min @ 5:41/km (M)
Why this session works
Finishing the long run at marathon effort teaches the body to hold pace on depleted glycogen — the exact skill the last 10 km of a marathon demands.
Source: Canova & Arcelli 1999; Bassett & Howley 2000. Training phase: build.
Run it at your own paces
Open the workout generator and enter a recent race time — every rep length, recovery and target pace is recalculated for your fitness, and the session exports to .fit for a Garmin watch.
Frequently asked questions
What is a progressive long run?
A long run that gradually accelerates, finishing at or near marathon pace. The fast-finish long run trains the specific ability the marathon tests — running well when already depleted — at a fraction of the cost of a full marathon-pace long run.
How long is this session?
At a 4:00 marathon reference it comes to 1 h 53 and about 16.9 km, of which 25 min is prescribed quality work. The generator scales both to your own paces, so a faster runner covers more ground in the same time.
Who is this workout for?
It is written for the build phase of a marathon build. The distances shown suit a 4:00 marathoner; enter your own recent race time in the generator and every rep length and target pace is recalculated for you.
More long runs sessions
- Long run — Sustained easy running to build the aerobic base a marathon sits on.
- Long run with marathon-pace inserts — Blocks of goal marathon pace embedded inside a long easy run.
- Long run with surges — A long easy run broken up by short faster efforts.
- Steady-state run — Sustained running between easy and marathon pace — harder than a recovery run, easier than a workout.