Marathon-pace reps
Goal marathon pace in measured five-to-ten minute reps, separated by floats too short to be a rest.
Also called: MP kilometre reps, broken race pace.
The earliest place race pace belongs in a build is here, in reps short enough that you can hold the pace exactly rather than drifting toward it. A rep that lasts five to ten minutes gives you enough time to settle into rhythm and not enough time to start negotiating with it, and the float is deliberately brief — a minute and a half to two minutes at easy pace, long enough to reset your breathing and no longer. Judge the session by whether the last rep was run at the same pace as the first, not by how fast any single one felt.
The session
Shown at a 4:00 marathon reference — 55 min total, about 8.7 km, including 33 min of quality work.
Warm-up
- 12 min easy (6:43–7:24/km)
Main set
- 4 × (1200 m @ 5:41/km (M) — 6:49, 136 s/400 m lap + 90 s float @ 7:24/km (easy))
Cool-down
- 10 min easy (6:43–7:24/km)
Why this session works
Marathon pace in measured 5–10 minute reps with short floats. The same race-specific stimulus as a continuous block, cut into pieces short enough that pace never drifts — which is what makes it a base-phase session rather than a race rehearsal.
Source: Canova & Arcelli 1999; Daniels 2014. Training phase: base.
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 reps?
Goal marathon pace in measured five-to-ten minute reps, separated by floats too short to be a rest. The earliest place race pace belongs in a build is here, in reps short enough that you can hold the pace exactly rather than drifting toward it.
How long is this session?
At a 4:00 marathon reference it comes to 55 min and about 8.7 km, of which 33 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 base 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.
- Marathon-pace cutdown — Marathon-pace work that tightens to half-marathon effort over the closing blocks.
- Steady-to-marathon-pace run — An easy start, a steady middle, and a closing block at goal marathon pace with no rest anywhere.