What kind of training/mileage did Olympic Marathon athletes before Zatopek?

Vid of the race

No, It was just low volume everything.

what's that foreign-talk they're talking on that video

Spanish.

I read that Delfo Cabrera ran 200 kilometers per week prior to London OG'S. Long Runs only. twice a day. Plus...water hydration was an issue because they didn't know if to drink a lot of water during the race was good or not.

I believe the Swedish runners invented the fartleks before Zatopek's time. Intervals were Zatopek's more novel thing.

Intervals came well before Zatopek. He pioneered volume intervals which needless to say was a dubious idea.

He worked harder but he could have still trained smarter and raced faster.

SMJO wrote:

He worked harder but he could have still trained smarter and raced faster.

No doubt they'll say that about todays stars in 60 years.

Barakus Obama wrote:

Well, I was watching a 10min video of London Marathon (1948)...note how Etienne Gailly was running totally out of gas after 30k.

Was Training basically high volume of Mileage and no intervals/no fartleks, etc?

I'm curious about your question (I haven't watched the video). Are you thinking the most likely reason Etienne ran out of gas after 30k was due to high volume and no intervals/fartleks? I would assume the opposite... running out of gas is usually due to aerobic weakness, no?

SMJO wrote:

Intervals came well before Zatopek. He pioneered volume intervals which needless to say was a dubious idea.

He worked harder but he could have still trained smarter and raced faster.

Well, the amount of intervals he had was like a fartlek. It doesn't resemble what we call intervals today.

this may hurt a little wrote:

Barakus Obama wrote:

Well, I was watching a 10min video of London Marathon (1948)...note how Etienne Gailly was running totally out of gas after 30k.

Was Training basically high volume of Mileage and no intervals/no fartleks, etc?

I'm curious about your question (I haven't watched the video). Are you thinking the most likely reason Etienne ran out of gas after 30k was due to high volume and no intervals/fartleks? I would assume the opposite... running out of gas is usually due to aerobic weakness, no?

He later said:

“Surprised when I saw that I was ahead of the entire field at such an early stage I was convinced the others would soon re-establish contact with me. In fact I was often glancing back, expecting Heino and Holden to appear at my side. I considered them my most dangerous rivals and it was baffling not to see them coming to the fore. … When after about 32 kms. the Korean, Choi, passed me and I could not respond, I asked myself: ‘Is he travelling so fast or am I fading?’ I had to admit to myself that my strength had left me temporarily. I could only watch how fast Choi was running. Although I hated this tiredness, I was not unduly alarmed. I had been alone in the lead for 27 kms: things looked not quite so good now but, after all, I felt nothing more than a normal tiredness which I hoped to overcome soon. Next the Argentinian Cabrera passed me. This, however, did not discourage me, not even when he gained some 60 yards on me, because just at this time I felt my rhythm coming back. I had got my second—or was it my third?—wind.”

The Korean had run an amazing middle part of the race but no sooner was he beginning to look a likely winner than he began to limp and before long was forced to drop out of the contest. Tommy Richards was looking stronger as the race progressed and with just 2 kms. remaining it was impossible to predict the winner as just 16 seconds covered the Argentinian, the Belgian and the Welshman. Etienne takes up his story once more:

“I joined issue again … and closed quickly … No sooner had I got into the Argentinian’s slipstream than I decided to spurt without delay. I no longer felt powerless: on the contrary, I thought that now was the time to square the account. … I passed Cabrera, and having regained the lead, seemed to be travelling well. Certainly I was tired, but quite convinced that I would last the distance.

“It was then that I committed my biggest blunder … To rejoin Cabrera I had to make good some 70 yards. Having achieved this I drew away from him too quickly because after about 1 km. I had left him 60 yards or so behind. This works out at over 100 metres overtake in only 2kms.”

The damage was done. Etienne was terribly exhausted—far more than he realised. He still led as the stadium was approached but was mercilessly exposed to the two men doggedly trailing him.

Did you make this up Barakus Obama? I don't believe a word of this. He won didn't he???

I do bekieve that interval work was being done by people like paavo nurmi, but i think it was given scientific credence by gerschler and Reindel of Germany in the late forties.

Gerschler states that the interval is the rest period not the distance run.

Gerschler also says that most athletes run intervals at to fast a pace.

Also the recovery was ran at a slower pace to aid lactate clearance if any was produced.

Although Gordon Pirie says that the pulse was taken and when the heart rate dropped to about 120 beats the next rep could begin, a bit confusing.