by Katarzyna Radzka

Created on: August 29, 2010

The marathon is one of the most challenging and demanding races a person can do. Thousands of people run them every year around the world completing the 42.195km distance in record times. Advanced marathon runners are required to train hard and train regularly. Sometimes even twice a day. Their training demands a lot from their body and come race time they expect results. Advanced marathon runners need to have a combination of tempo runs, speed work, hills and endurance. Their training usually ranges from forty minutes to two or even three hours of running at a time. It’s an enormous stress on their body but it’s what brings results. Here is a sample marathon training program fro advanced runners.

Monday

45 minutes easy or Rest  

Tuesday

A.M. 5 x 1200m sprints at 10km pace with 2 minutes jogging rest in between.

P.M. 45 minutes easy run

Wednesday

A.M. 45 minutes run with hill work

P.M. 45 minutes easy run

Thursday

60 minutes tempo

Friday

A.M. 10 x 400m sprints at 5km pace with 2 minutes jogging rest in between

P.M.  45 minutes easy

Saturday

A.M. 60 minutes tempo

P.M. 30 minutes easy

Sunday

20-30km run at marathon pace plus 2 minutes

Advanced marathon runners often have to train twice a day to build strength and improve their running performance come race time. The long runs are important to practice endurance so that they are able to run the 42.195km distance. The runs don’t have to be long but it’s important to build up the kilometers over the course of the week so that runners are running more than 50km a week. Many advanced programs vary in the amount of tempo workouts they do, how often they do speed work and whether they do 200, 400, 800 or 1200m sprints.

Some advanced marathon runners take a day off and some don’t. The important thing is to listen to your body, although one day a week should be a light day if you want to run. That way your body can relax and recharge it’s batteries preparing itself for the next week’s training. The active rest day can include easy running or cross training like cycling, weight training or swimming which can really benefit the runner by making them stronger. Flexibility training is also important for runners, and adding a few sessions of yoga and Pilates to their workouts can improve their results because their muscles will be more supple and can even help them avoid injury.

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