For a long time (years) I was consistently and comfortably running sub 18 for 5k and sub 38 for 10k yet couldn’t really improve on 3h05 for a marathon. I was always time squeezed so opted for the quality over quantity approach to marathon training, trying to maintain 5k speed with plenty of interval and tempo work combined with the long runs in an attempt to break 3. Hrs
Last year I just tried to forget about my shorter times and concentrated on the long runs and increased volume. I still didn’t run huge mileage but improved my pb by 8 minutes on a hilly course. So my thoughts would be that it’s imperative to focus on the goal and try and train as specifically as possible. I spent years trying to blag my way to sub 3 unsuccessfully…
I think you need to get a marathon done with disparity like that.
I think my PB’s are reasonably aligned. I’ve PB’d on a virtual 5k this year which is a bit of an outsider but hopefully good for some new PB’s soon
5k 16:48 (2017) now 16:16 in English 5k virtual champs 2020
10k 34:59 2017
HM: 1:16:20 (2019) a bit windy and slightly undulating
Marathon: 2:37:02 (2019 - Berlin - Good course!)
Pretty sure I ran a half faster than that in the dim and distant past of more than 25 years ago, but can’t remember the time… and i’m sure i’ve got a faster mara in me, but never really either focused on it, or when I have, got my race strategy right.
My mara is my one and old standalone and is definitely an outlier. Lacking motivation to train with no races but just want to enjoy running and cycling.
I consider all of mine quite weak, compared to what I thought I could do. Not that thinking and doing really correlates!
3 km - low 9.20s (can’t remember exactly)
5km - 16.46 or so
10km - 35.08
1/2 - 76.30 (very ill the weekend before went all or nothing for 75)
Mara - 2.52 (Manchester short course, so 2.54 I’d say)
Had planned on taking the half time (and hopefully shorter distances along the way) this October in Cardiff. Guess we’ll never know. Will I have the motivation to try again? Not sure. We’ll see.
You say - ‘Last year I just tried to forget about my shorter times and concentrated on the long runs and increased volume. I still didn’t run huge mileage’
What sort of mileage and how many long runs?
1 long run per week? Longer midweek runs? Lots of 18+ milers?
I’ll try and dig it out but i think strava have locked me out as a non premium user. From memory…
I’d say i was in 18.10 5k shape at the start of training. I ran a 1.24.20 HM as a comeback from injury race in june. This was the first time i’d used Nike Vaporfly. The marathon was end of october.
It was then 16 weeks to the marathon i think, maybe 18. I know from memory i averaged 45km per week for that period. That includes rest weeks of 25-30km though… i probably peaked at 90km weeks. i was running 5-7 times per week, often with 1 or 2 double days of 2 x9km easy. Thats 5min/k with backpack.
I tried to run between 10km and 10 miles at marathon pace every thursday evening.
I got up to 18 miles early in the cycle and ran 4 x 20 milers in total, on sundays, all but one of which had at least 10km of marathon pace in them. These were always hard. I also did a 3h30 minute coastal trail run at a very easy pace with a backpack full of Jamaica ginger cake. I didnt do any warm up races and very minimal speedwork. A few hill rep sessions.
The marathon itself (Chelmsford) was hillier than i expected which probabbly offset the Vaporfly advantage. I was fine until 21 miles… as usual, the last 3 miles hurt but i had time in the bank and was still holidng 4.40/km even by then ( it think i hit half halfway in 1.22.30)
Hope that helps !!
I should add… apart from the first half of last year when i’d had back trouble, this came on the back of 3yrs pretty focused running. EJC said the keyword IMO… CONSISTENCY
In my head mine seem fairly balanced from what I think I do, then looking at what I’ve actually done realise I have some gaps: Perhaps loaded to shorter stuff reflecting training history, I started running/triathlon in 2017
1K: 2:59 - 2020
1M: 4:59 - 2020
5K: 17:30 - 2019, confident could have gone ~17:00 as that was training goal when did the 1K/1M
10K: 39:30 - Never done one; this is 1/2M split from 2018, although have done a 34:26 for 9.5k in a triathlon in 2019
21K: 1:25:04 in 2018
Marathon: 3:17 in IM, Never done a standalone, would hope to be around the 2:59 mark, maybe 2:55 for GFA at a push.
Agree, there’s a sub 3, and likely a GFA for @Poet from those if he wanted to do a standalone with that 10k and 1/2M speed.
Can’t be that far wrong! That’s a nice marathon time regardless, nevermind in the context of the 5k-10k. As you say, reflects what you’ve trained for but probably not much more to come from marathon race-day execution until improve the 10k time in my view.
Id say because shes never trained for a 10k and just did it, settling into a slightly harder than usual pace rather than an all out 10k PB attempt. I dont care what she said on camera she did not look hard pressed at any stage or after.
She said her last 10km was 2017 and 45.00. She didn’t look like she was busting a lung to me either but she has a very smooth running style, so it’s hard to tell.
Some fairly big disparities in people’s times, either not specific enough training or more suited to specific events.
FWIW, most of mine were actually set last year albeit only by a few seconds, not all were with the 4% either.
5K 18:51
10K 38:45 (this was the short Leeds course, so add about 5 seconds on, PPB was 38:58)
Half 1:24:41
Full 3:00:34
Marathon was in 2014, had a succession of bad races, injuries, lack of training since. But did do Chicago (2018) in 3:11 in what felt like a steady pace all the way in pretty terrible conditions.
So not a bad graph if you plot it out in K pace probably.