Steady-to-marathon-pace run
An easy start, a steady middle, and a closing block at goal marathon pace with no rest anywhere.
Also called: steady into MP, progression to race pace.
Marathon pace is easier to hold off a warm-up than it is deep into a run, and race day only ever asks the second question. This session builds the answer gradually: easy running first, then a steady block about twenty seconds per kilometre slower than goal pace, then goal pace itself for the finish. Nothing here is hard in isolation, which is what makes it a base-phase session — the difficulty is entirely in the order the pieces come in. If the closing block feels like a race, the steady middle was run too fast.
The session
Shown at a 4:00 marathon reference — 53 min total, about 8.6 km, including 35 min of quality work.
Session
- 18 min easy (6:43–7:24/km)
- 15 min float @ 6:01/km (M+20s)
- 20 min @ 5:41/km (M)
Why this session works
Race pace arrives at the end of an aerobic run instead of off a warm-up, so the marathon-pace block is run on legs that already have work in them. The base-phase way to meet goal pace without turning the day into a race.
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 steady-to-marathon-pace run?
An easy start, a steady middle, and a closing block at goal marathon pace with no rest anywhere. Marathon pace is easier to hold off a warm-up than it is deep into a run, and race day only ever asks the second question.
How long is this session?
At a 4:00 marathon reference it comes to 53 min and about 8.6 km, of which 35 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.
- Marathon-pace reps — Goal marathon pace in measured five-to-ten minute reps, separated by floats too short to be a rest.