If so, how many easy miles per week?
If so, how many easy miles per week?
Depends on the person. If you're the 15:00 5k type it will be easier and take fewer miles than the 25:00 5k type. But yes, it is certainly humanely possible.
really depends how you define easy and what level of talent we're talking about. are you asking for yourself? if so, give us more context.
i'd say most people need at least 50 - 60 mpw with some good long runs to break 3. most do a lot more.
anecdotal data point: i ran a 2:58 off of mostly 50ish mpw with two weeks at 60. only non-easy miles were roughly one threshold workout per week and some MP miles on long runs. running background: HS and college, mediocre PRs by letsrun standards.
Carl Marks wrote:
really depends how you define easy and what level of talent we're talking about. are you asking for yourself? if so, give us more context.
i'd say most people need at least 50 - 60 mpw with some good long runs to break 3. most do a lot more.
anecdotal data point: i ran a 2:58 off of mostly 50ish mpw with two weeks at 60. only non-easy miles were roughly one threshold workout per week and some MP miles on long runs. running background: HS and college, mediocre PRs by letsrun standards.
what were you running pace wise on the easy miles and heart rate zones? I'm just now hitting 40-50 miles a week all easy miles at heart rate 140-145 and 7:45-8:45 pace. About 8 months out from marathon. Goal is sub 3 but may be unrealistic. No speed work in the past at all (so no 5 k times etc. )
That depends on who "you" are.
I don't know anyone who has done it.
Most do 60+ mpw with regular speed work and runs that are not easy because they are faster or longer.
But I suppose a really fast young stud could do it.
FredFlint wrote:
what were you running pace wise on the easy miles and heart rate zones? I'm just now hitting 40-50 miles a week all easy miles at heart rate 140-145 and 7:45-8:45 pace. About 8 months out from marathon. Goal is sub 3 but may be unrealistic. No speed work in the past at all (so no 5 k times etc. )
mostly in the neighborhood of 7:30 for easy miles because i don't like running slower haha. never looked at HR much then (this was spring of 2019), but since I go perhaps a little too fast it was probably usually in the 150s or even low 160s. a lot of long runs averaged 7:00 or faster because of the MP and also i would do them with a faster group.
i ran mid 17 for a 5K about 3 weeks before the race. the marathon was a struggle - i would do as many miles as you can without getting injured. i hit the wall hard due partly to dumb pacing (a lot of 6:30s in the first half) but also lack of quality mileage.
If “you” is me, then no. I could not run a sub-3 marathon on only easy running right now.
If “you” is FredFlint from farther up in this thread, then no. FredFlint cannot run a sub-3 marathon in 8 months without running at goal marathon pace during long runs before that, and 6:50 minute per mile pace will not be near FredFlint’s easy pace within 8 month, especially if he only does easy paced runs.
If “you” can currently run a 16:00 5k and your easy pace is about 6:50, then yes. You can run a sub-3 marathon in 8 months on only easy running as long as you do long runs.
Whiskers wrote:
If “you” is me, then no. I could not run a sub-3 marathon on only easy running right now.
If “you” is FredFlint from farther up in this thread, then no. FredFlint cannot run a sub-3 marathon in 8 months without running at goal marathon pace during long runs before that, and 6:50 minute per mile pace will not be near FredFlint’s easy pace within 8 month, especially if he only does easy paced runs.
If “you” can currently run a 16:00 5k and your easy pace is about 6:50, then yes. You can run a sub-3 marathon in 8 months on only easy running as long as you do long runs.
I suspected as much. My plan was to build mileage and easy pace through August and then pick up the 3 hour mission marathon 16 week training plan in september and see what happens. Ran pretty easy 3:30 marathon without really much running at all last year and then picked up running in December and have gradually brought up to consistent 40-50 miles a week with my long run each week only being 10-12 miles and again keeping heart rate ~145. Pace has dropped off at that heart rate because of the heat (mid 80's) but hopefully fall training and the day of race conditions (avg 50's) will be more forgiving. Sounds like 20 month goal race may be more doable.
I ran sub 3 (2,51) averaging over 9.30 miing. That includes races. I did a few faster runs but not many. I was 54. It was my first marathon and I have a bad Achilles and two bad knees that make it impossible to run hard very often. Jogged 100 to 110 miles a week.
I'd imagine if I ran 60mpw of easy milage for a year, I probably could.
I think it really depends on what easy milage pace is. Some people, easy pace means 11 minute miles. No amount of easy running is going to get them to sub 3.
I did this. Less than 20 miles per week, 45 years old. PR of 2:45 at age 42. Was just trying to get a Boston qualifier and ran a 2:59:50.
You can do it!
Maximum 60 mpw and magic 20x400 at perfect individual paces with rest back to 120 BPM will give perfect results- Magic summer is coming!
I can. Whether or not not you can is a totally different question
I'd loosely use the word 'easy' though. I would more say no real workouts. If they just run every day at a steady pace and not truely easy/recovery pace they can do it. Say someone can race a 5k at 6:00 pace, or 18:30's. This person could just run a bunch of mileage at 7:00-7:30 pace and run sub 3 hours. How much mileage? Depends on how fast they are to begin with. Someone who has a 18:30 5k time right now would need more mileage at 7-7:30 pace than someone who has a 16:00 5k time right now. I'd say the 18:30 person would need 70+ miles (and their 5k time will probably improve with all this extra work, I doubt they were doing 70+ miles) and the 16:00 person might be able to do sub 3 hours already without any increase in training.
Sub 3 hour marathon wrote:
If so, how many easy miles per week?
Maybe if you are fast enough over 10k already.
Most runners need to get to that speed first before they run sub 3.
At the end a sub 3 Marathon is only easy for highly talented runners who have a potential towards 2:30 or quicker. For everybody else there is hard work involved.
What is your easy pace? What is your 5 or 10k race time currently? I think those would be the big factors.
Using myself as an example, I can run a low 37 minute 10k off of little to no specific speed training as I did that one fall a couple years ago when coming back from injury. I think I was doing maybe 45 mpw. My easy pace, when I'm not doing any workouts, can get as fast as low 7's, but it's usually not much faster than 7:30. And if mileage is high and/or I'm doing workouts, running slower than 8's definitely happens.
My guess is that I'd need to be doing about 80 mpw to be able to race a sub 3 hour marathon. Maybe a little more, but maybe a little less.
I actually recall a thread a year or two ago where someone was complaining that a guy in his club runs 80-85 mpw with no workouts, and pretty slow, maybe around 8 minute pace, and then goes out and runs quite a bit under 3 for the marathon. Could be worth digging up.