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Long run with fast finish: simulates race fatigue by increasing the pace in the last kilometers, improving physical and mental endurance.
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Running a half marathon: a half marathon race helps to estimate marathon pace by doubling the time, adding 5-10 minutes.
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Yasso 800 method: train with 10 repeats of 800 metres, predicting marathon pace based on the consistent times of the intervals.
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s marathon day approaches, it’s natural to start thinking about what pace to maintain to maximize your performance. Avoiding a pace that’s too fast at the start can make all the difference, allowing you to conserve energy for the final part of the race. To determine a suitable pace, try these three workouts that help predict it realistically—while keeping in mind that factors like weather, crowd support, and your condition on race day can affect the outcome.
3. Long run with a fast finish
This workout involves running a distance between 22 and 28 kilometers, split into two phases: in the first phase, you maintain your usual long-distance pace, while in the second, starting around the 16th kilometer, you gradually increase your speed. This type of workout simulates typical race fatigue, allowing you to assess your ability to maintain a steady pace until the end. The goal is to get used to finishing the workout strong, thereby improving mental and physical endurance in preparation for the marathon.
2. Running a half marathon
Another effective predictive method is to run a half marathon in a race setting, a few weeks before the marathon. This can help estimate your marathon pace based on the time achieved. How does it work? By doubling your half marathon time and adding roughly five to ten minutes. For example, if you complete the half marathon in 1:30:00, the marathon goal pace might be around 3:05–3:10.
3. The Yasso 800 method
This method, created by American marathoner and journalist Bart Yasso, suggests training with 10 repeats of 800 meters to predict your marathon time. For example, if you aim to run the marathon in 2:45, you should train to complete each 800-meter repeat in 2 minutes and 45 seconds, with a recovery time equal to the time taken for each repeat. The more consistently you can maintain your repeat times, the more accurate your marathon pace prediction will be.