How long should a long run actually be

Running isn’t rocket science. To get faster, you likely need to run a bit more, occasionally run a bit faster, eat a balanced diet How long should a long run actually be recovery. Exactly what that looks like for you is individual – and is usually the result of a few years of trial and error. But it’s always interesting to learn what others are doing, particularly those at the speedier end of the spectrum.

That’s why a new study on Boston marathon runners is worth a look. Arguably the world’s most prestigious 26.2-miler, the Boston Marathon has strict qualifying criteria and, as a result, attracts a high calibre of runner.

The researchers – from Virginia Commonwealth University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and other institutions – looked at a more than 900 runners from the 2022 Boston Marathon to see how they trained in the year leading up to the race. Information such as running frequency, weekly mileage, cross-training and quality sessions per week were gathered. The data was then divided between two training periods: 12-4 months before Boston and 4-0 months before Boston.

The 12-4 months period, referred to by researchers as the ‘macrocycle’, would reveal the runners’ habitual training. The 4-0 months period, referred to as the ‘mesocycle’, would reveal the specific marathon training and taper.

On average, the runners had completed 16 marathons and been training for marathons for nine years. Their average Boston finish time was 3:53 for women and 3:35 for men. So, they were experienced and fit but not elite – something that makes their training habits more applicable to joe public. Here are some of the biggest takeways:

12-4 months out

Lay a firm foundation

Higher levels of training, particularly in the 12-4 months before Boston, was predictive of quicker finishing times. Specifically, running 10 or more hours a week was linked to better performance than 5-7.5 hours, which in turn was better than 2.5-5 hours. There’s nothing particularly surprising about this, but it does underline that regular running before you begin a marathon plan is key to long-term success. And if running 10 hours a week feels like a stretch – and it will do for most – just remember that every little counts. In fact, every additional run per week in this period contributed to 3-4 minutes off marathon times. And every additional 1km per week was associated with about 30-40 seconds off marathon time.

Inject some speed

While low-intensity training should be the the bedrock of your marathon training, those that kept in touch with speedwork throughout the year reaped the benefits. One extra quality session (defined as intervals, tempo runs, fartleks or hills) per week correlated to a 15-17-minute reduction in marathon time. That’s a huge chunk.

Don’t sweat cross-training

Somewhat surprisingly, cross-training didn’t appear to make a big difference during this period. The number and duration of such sessions didn’t predict performance. However, there are other reasons why runners might choose to opt for cross-training rather than another run – particularly if there’s been a history of high-impact injuries such as stress fractures.

0-4 months out

Time on feet still counts

Running more than 10 hours a week was, again, associated with faster finishing times compared with fewer hours. Closely linked with this, more miles in training equated to a quicker time on race day. In fact, every extra 1-kilometre per week corresponded to a 13-minute reduction on finish time. Speed still counts, too, with every extra weekly quality session lowering marathon time by 17 minutes.

Cross-training counts more

Runners who included cross-training in the final four months ran better, with each extra session per week associated with a six-minute faster marathon time.

Reduce frequency

A surprising one, this: dialling back running frequency in this 0-4-month period actually improved performance. Runners who did this – i.e. who ran fewer weekly sessions in this period than during the macrocycle – averaged 3 minutes faster than those who maintained or increased running frequency. It’s worth noting, too, that this is exclusive of the taper period (the researchers didn’t measure the two weeks before race day, when you might expect running frequency to decrease). This data, therefore, suggests that the benefits of building a strong base in the year leading up to a marathon might then allow runners to slightly dial back run frequency, possibly replacing this with a cross-training session.