Marathon-pace cutdown
Marathon-pace work that tightens to half-marathon effort over the closing blocks.
Also called: MP to half-pace finish.
A peak-phase confidence session. Finishing faster than goal pace on legs that already have marathon-pace volume in them is the closest thing training offers to a rehearsal of the last 10 km, and it is worth as much psychologically as physiologically.
The session
Shown at a 4:00 marathon reference — 1 h 02 total, about 10.0 km, including 40 min of quality work.
Warm-up
- 12 min easy (6:43–7:24/km)
Main set
- 12 min @ 5:51/km (M+10s)
- 2 min float @ 7:24/km (easy)
- 12 min @ 5:41/km (M)
- 2 min float @ 7:24/km (easy)
- 12 min @ 5:23/km (HM)
Cool-down
- 10 min easy (6:43–7:24/km)
Why this session works
Three blocks descending from just above marathon pace to just below it — the final block at half-marathon effort proves the race pace is genuinely aerobic for you now.
Source: Canova & Arcelli 1999. Training phase: peak.
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 marathon-pace cutdown?
Marathon-pace work that tightens to half-marathon effort over the closing blocks. A peak-phase confidence session.
How long is this session?
At a 4:00 marathon reference it comes to 1 h 02 and about 10.0 km, of which 40 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 peak 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 marathon-pace work sessions
- Marathon-pace run — A continuous block at goal marathon pace.
- Marathon-pace blocks — Goal marathon pace in several long blocks separated by short easy floats.
- Marathon-pace waves — Marathon pace with regular surges slightly faster, then settling back without slowing down.