2x400m with 90" rest = 800m race pace?

I think the 4 * 400 is a better predictor.

Although another good one is 600m 1min rest then 400m.

For it to be a race predictor workout you need shorter rest or more reps. There is a huge difference between 90 sec and 1 min. I have been told that this is a race predictor workout for low mileage folks with 1 min rest max. I think maybe you can get a 2:16 although hard to say. The fact that it was in a group with spikes lowers my confidence given the higher rest.

Another predictor I like is 2 sets of 400–200–200, 1 minute rest between reps, 10 between sets. Your average pace will be close to 800m pace

I have tio agree with the need to run the actual distance (800m). I can run 3-4 400 reps with 3m rest, but cannot get anywhere near predicted time according to nick symmons projection. Why? pretty obvious for me as calculations will differ depending on one's aerobic fitness. The fitter you are, the more likely the 400m reps will work out.

That will predict too slow. Most will crater the 400 off that short of rest. Probably a good predictor for 1000.

I'm with you. I don't know why you need a predictor workout for an 800? Either get in a race and run one or time trial one. This isn't a Marathon we are talking about.

This seems like a good one to me. Nick's 3x 400 workout I believe is something he used as a predictor throughout his career but may not be applicable to everyone. There's a video out there of Nick doing this workout with the Brooks Beasts in the spring, so I think it's also intended to be done closer to peak fitness when you're truly sharpening.

This is the first time ever that one of these threads has been useful. Good workout suggestions, along with a lot friendly reminders that the best way to predict an 800m is to…run 800m.

1 X 600 1 minute, 1 X 200 = Goal Time

None of this means anything if you do not practice that pace.

2x400 w/ 0" rest = 800 pace.

If I had to guess, I would say your prediction would = 800 pace + 2s

This is my coaches favorite 800m predictor right now. It almost feels more difficult than just doing the 800m all out. The pain keeps building during that minute and you don’t feel like you’ve even kind of rested. It’s good though.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and feedback.

In case anyone's curious, I did that 2x400 workout a few days ago. Today, I did a 700m solo TT and got a 2:02.3. I now think I could do a 2:17 800 in a race and admit that my sub 2:15 estimate last night was too optimistic.

Used to train with an olympian 1.45 guy. Staple prediction workout was 2x400 with 1 minute.

The time you get +4-5 seconds (depending on endurance) is the shape your in. Before 1.45 low he ran 50+51 off a minute.

I don't understand why you wouldn't just time trail 800m.

Predictors make sense to me in only 2 scenarios:

1: You don't want to run all-out in training, so you run a hard but sub-maximal effort and predict times from that.

2: Time-trialling the distance in question would be prohibitively difficult alone or would take too much out of you for the rest of the week.

2 is never relevant if you're time-trialling 800m. 1 would make sense to me, but nobody is suggesting that - all these suggestions are maximal efforts, often off limited rest, with total distances of around 800m!

For example, I have no doubt that 600m, 1 min rest, 200m is a fantastic 800m predictor. But you're already at the track, the session is meant to be all-out, you're running 800m in total anyway - why not just skip the 1 min rest and actually get yourself an 800m time?

Similarly, congratulations on this - solid time, indicates sub 2:20.

But why not just time-trial 800m? You time-trialled 700m, so doing 800m would have been essentially the same, and you'd have an 800m time!

Why not run the same workout but with 0s rest in between?