Long run with surges
A long easy run broken up by short faster efforts.
Also called: surge long run.
Short surges inside a long run recruit fast-twitch fibres late in a session, when the slow-twitch ones are already fatigued, and they do it without the recovery cost of a full quality workout. A cheap way to keep a little sharpness through a heavy base block.
The session
Shown at a 4:00 marathon reference — 2 h 00 total, about 17.5 km, including 10 min of quality work.
Session
- 10 × (10 min easy (6:43–7:24/km) + 60 s @ 5:14/km (surge))
- 10 min easy (6:43–7:24/km)
Why this session works
One-minute surges scattered through the long run recruit fast fibres mid-fatigue and break the monotony — aerobic volume with a nervous-system bonus.
Source: Casado et al. 2022. 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 long run with surges?
A long easy run broken up by short faster efforts. Short surges inside a long run recruit fast-twitch fibres late in a session, when the slow-twitch ones are already fatigued, and they do it without the recovery cost of a full quality workout.
How long is this session?
At a 4:00 marathon reference it comes to 2 h 00 and about 17.5 km, of which 10 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.
- Progressive long run — A long run that gradually accelerates, finishing at or near marathon pace.
- Long run with marathon-pace inserts — Blocks of goal marathon pace embedded inside a long easy run.
- Steady-state run — Sustained running between easy and marathon pace — harder than a recovery run, easier than a workout.