How hard is a sub 3 marathon?

Anyone who can run a sub17 5k can run a sub3:00 marathon following 12 weeks of base and a proper 12 week cycle.

It seems that you want to do it to impress friends, why don't you look for a more-noble reason for your first 26.2? Maybe a charity?

Respect the distance. The 5K conversions assume a significant base. One doesn't redline a marathon. The challenge of the marathon isn't race day. It's the months of self-depriving base building before. Even talented middle-distance guys set themselves up for failure if they bucket-list their first marathon. Study Billy Rodgers' initially unsuccessful forays into 26.2. And none of us on LR is remotely as talented.

Prospective Marathoner wrote:

nsfned wrote:

Reasonable most likely. Have you ever run a race longer than 5K? Ability at 10M & Half marathon is more predictive of marathon ability than old 1500/5K times.

I ran a 10k last autumn in 36:00 (after going out in 5:05, thinking nothing had changed since I was 22 and doing 100 MPW and ball breaking intervals), and a ten miler last sping in 56:50.

And for the pole vault comment . . . come on, 5000 and marathon are much more similar.

If you are in the 56:50 10 miler shape, a 3 hr marathon should be very, very doable. I think it is a good goal for a first marathon, but really, if you had the experience under your belt with marathons, that 10 miler time suggests you could probably run in the low 2:40s. Good luck!!

It was not too difficult for me. I broke 3 hours (2:56) on my 2nd marathon and had a 5k pr of 17:15 which I ran in a road race. I trained between 50-60 miles per week for about 3 months leading up to that race. I would say OP can easily go sub 3 with reasonable training.

If you are in the 56:50 10 miler shape, a 3 hr marathon should be very, very doable. I think it is a good goal for a first marathon, but really, if you had the experience under your belt with marathons, that 10 miler time suggests you could probably run in the low 2:40s. Good luck!!

Completely agree with this. I think breaking 2:40 is doable with that 10 mile PR. I've done it and I know a couple others that have done it and I doubt any of us could break 57 for 10 miles.

wang dang doodle wrote:

If you are in the 56:50 10 miler shape, a 3 hr marathon should be very, very doable. I think it is a good goal for a first marathon, but really, if you had the experience under your belt with marathons, that 10 miler time suggests you could probably run in the low 2:40s. Good luck!!

Completely agree with this. I think breaking 2:40 is doable with that 10 mile PR. I've done it and I know a couple others that have done it and I doubt any of us could break 57 for 10 miles.

Go back and read the "respect the distance" quotes. He may be able to do that for 10 miles, but it doesn't mean sh_t in a marathon.

If you can run under 60 minutes for a 10 miler and do 3-4 long runs of 17-20 miles breaking 3:00 for the marathon is completely doable.

Back in the early 1980's I recall mid-30 year old guys in my town with no early running background qualify for Boston when the standard was breaking 2:50. That was the only thing they trained for.

They would run no faster than 37:00 in 10k road races and probably didn't break 18:00 for 5k.

Blue collar dudes that got motivated during that first marathon boom.

Back when 250 American males broke 2:20.

amcxz wrote:

wang dang doodle wrote:

Completely agree with this. I think breaking 2:40 is doable with that 10 mile PR. I've done it and I know a couple others that have done it and I doubt any of us could break 57 for 10 miles.

Go back and read the "respect the distance" quotes. He may be able to do that for 10 miles, but it doesn't mean sh_t in a marathon.

I think it means something. I'd wager that the vast majority (95%) of runners capable of 5:41 pace for 10 miles, could handle 6:53 pace for 26.2 miles. That being said, you are right that the distance needs to be respected, ie, do the necessary preparation in training and hold back on the urge to go out too fast in the early miles.

amcxz wrote:

Go back and read the "respect the distance" quotes. He may be able to do that for 10 miles, but it doesn't mean sh_t in a marathon.

Okay, "respect the distance," got it. I get that I won't be as good at the marathon as shorter distances, but it's not like I'd just turn into a pumpkin at 20 miles when I'm not even close to redlining.

And yes, that is exactly why I want to do it, to impress friends and cross it off the bucket list. If I want charity to have money I will just write a check.

Maybe instead of being a snotty little pr_ck you should listen to people who have run at least one. Marathons, especially the big ones always have quite a few people that go out like Geb, stepping on the backs of shoes of others till they get in the open, then you see them with "cramps" on the side of the road at mile 21. STFU and at least get through training for one before you go popping off to people.

run more than a few wrote:

Maybe instead of being a snotty little pr_ck you should listen to people who have run at least one. Marathons, especially the big ones always have quite a few people that go out like Geb, stepping on the backs of shoes of others till they get in the open, then you see them with "cramps" on the side of the road at mile 21. STFU and at least get through training for one before you go popping off to people.

Whoa, what's with the attitude? I'm planning on going out at ~6:50 pace and picking it up a little in the last few miles. Shouldn't be problem. I'll come back and post after I do it, probably this fall.

run 6:30-40 pace thru 20-24 miles and that will give you a little cushion for the last 2-6 miles.

If you can comfortably run for 2 and a half hours without stopping, a 3-hour marathon should be very easy for you. If you've never run for more than say 90 minutes, it might be a different story. I'm 33, my PRs (set at age 18) are much much slower than yours, I'm 25 pounds heavier than I was when I set my PRs, I'd struggle to run an 18:00 5K right now, and I can still run a 3 hour marathon without a whole lot of trouble. If you're not there already, get yourself to the point of being able to run for 2:30 without killing yourself, and a 3 hour marathon should be ridiculously easy for you.

Prospective Marathoner wrote:

So I've been thinking about jumping in a marathon just to say I did one. I figured 3 hours wouldn't be that much of a stretch.

I was a 3:5x/14:xx type back in my prime; I could probably do 16:30 now if someone put a big gun to my head. I run about 50 MPW. Male, 32.

Is this a reasonable goal?

Yeah, if you do 2 or 3 20 milers, you'll be in business. I find some value in doing at least a couple of training runs that take about the amount of *time* I plan to take to run the marathon, which in my case is a 23-24 mile run that I'll do in 3 hours (I typically run 2:55 - 2:58).Do that, and I'd bet almost anything you'd run a sub 3 very easily. With 2 or 3 20-milers, I'd still expect you to be able to do it, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Prospective Marathoner wrote:

impartial observer wrote:

Respect the distance. The tables are wrong and also assume perfect training.

Sure, and add to that that I'm a miler. But I still think that's enough margin that I could do it without any additional training. Maybe two or three twenty milers.

If you can still run a 10-miler in 56:50, you oughtta be able to run 3 hours running backwards, as long as you do a couple of respectable long runs first.

[quote]Prospective Marathoner wrote:

I ran a 10k last autumn in 36:00 (after going out in 5:05, thinking nothing had changed since I was 22 and doing 100 MPW and ball breaking intervals), and a ten miler last sping in 56:50.

If you (OP) can't run a sub 3 marathon you need to pack it in and get that beer gut going.

I ran 57:43 for 10 miles when I was 18. 2 months later I ran 2:44 for the marathon. I averaged about 70 per week, always did a weekly long run, did not consider myself anything special, but...I knew breaking 3 hours wasn't going to be a problem.

I was 58:32 at 10 miles and 2:01:52 at 20 miles. Without looking it up I believe that's around 2:40 pace, aka I slowed down. I threw up at 20, 23, and right in front of the crowds not 30 yards from the finish line of the marathon (Free Press) as Gatorade didn't agree with me. I had just turned 18 years old a few months before the Free Press Marathon.

But now...

If I could run 60 flat for 10 miles, I would not be worried about breaking 3 hours as long as I ran at least 60-70 miles a week, had one long run every 2 weeks (preferably one), and did at least one hard effort on the roads. But without that, I could not do it and I have a lot of will power and a slight bit of talent (nothing to brag about).

Good luck.

It's like this: you should probably be able to break 3 without too much difficulty based on your recent times. However, if you get out there and fall apart, you wouldn't be the first. Some people with crappy times in the shorter distances can break 3 with relative ease, and some really fast people get out there and suck it up. You can't debate your way to a sub-3. The performance charts are a useful tool, but not a guarantee. You'll just have to get out there and deliver.