• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

How to Run a Marathon in Under 2 Hours 40 Minutes

You are here: Home / Track & Field / Marathons / How to Run a Marathon in Under 2 Hours 40 Minutes
8
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

October 2, 2007 by Jimson Lee 1 Comment

Last Updated on November 16, 2012 by Jimson Lee

Guest Blogger Dave Elger from the Okinawa Running Club in Okinawa, Japan submitted this article. Yesterday’s article discussed how to run a marathon under 3:30

In my late 30s, I was still running decent times and breaking 16 minutes for 5 kilometers, but had not been doing any serious marathon training. As my 40th birthday approached, I decided to give the marathon a shot, just to see how fast I could go.

According to one of those Race Time Predictor formulas, a 16 minute time for 5 kilometers means you are capable of a 2 hour 36 minute marathon.

It turns out that I was fortunate enough to stumble onto a routine that worked extremely well, and I ran the following times after my 40th birthday:

  • 2 hr 38 min Disney World Marathon 94
  • 2 hr 34 min Boston Marathon 94
  • 2 hr 38 min Disney World Marthon 95
  • 2 hr 37 min Fox Cities Marathon 96
  • 2 hr 39 min Disney World Marathon 97

Here is a general outline of what I was doing, as best as I can recall. The focus was always on 3 key workouts per week during the build-up phase, the long runs, the tempo run, and the short interval workout or 5 kilometer race.

    Sunday
    long run. I ran up to 17 or 18 miles at 7 minutes per mile pace

    Monday
    easy recovery. Maybe 5 miles at a very relaxed pace.

    Tuesday
    medium long run. 10 miles at an easy pace.

    Wednesday
    easy recovery. Same as Monday

    Thursday
    tempo run 45 min to 60 min at a fast pace

    Friday
    easy run up to 1 hour

    Saturday
    intervals, between 4 and 6 x 800 meters very hard, sub 2:30s or 5K race

Here is the twist. Six weeks before my marathon, I upped the medium long run to another long run, so I was doing 2 x 17 mile runs just 2 days apart. I found that I could handle the workouts and recover faster than running 20-22 mile runs. So I tried to do 8 two hour runs in a 4 week time period.

Here is another twist. As much as possible, I did one or both long runs off the road. I felt my legs could recover quicker after a trail run than running on asphalt, especially after 2 long hours of pounding.

I followed the 2 long runs per week routine for 4 weeks. After that, I did not do anything over 90 minutes, and only once or twice at an easy pace.

Two weeks out from race day I did 2 or 3 tempo runs each week for 5-6 miles, which I felt would prepare me physically and mentally for 6 minute per mile pace without tearing me down.

According to one of those Race Time Predictor formulas, a 16 minute time for 5 kilometers means you are capable of a 2 hour 36 minute marathon, while a 16:20 predicts 2 hours 39 minutes. I believe most runners must have that kind of speed over 5 kilometers in order to break 2 hours and 40 minutes for 26.2 miles.

If you can do that and follow this training program, I know you can do it. I did five times in a row!

About the Author
Dave Elger is a well respected authority within the running community having written hundreds of articles on the topics of running and wellness. You can contact him at http://www.daveelger.com. He also supports the Okinawa Running Club.

See also  The Four Basic Secrets to High School Sprint Training

Category iconMarathons,  Track & Field,  Training Tag iconMile,  speed

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • Oregon22 Coaches Club now Online
  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}