Crumbling the 20-mile myth: Your long run doesn’t have to be epic!
It looms large in every marathoner’s mind: the mythical 20-22 mile training run. A grueling test of body and spirit, it’s often hailed as a mandatory rite of passage. But is this training dogma set in stone, or is it just another marathon myth ready to be shattered?
The Myth
To prepare for the physical and mental challenge of running the marathon distance, your longest training run should be between 20 and 22 miles.
Countless studies and training plans seem to solidify this truth, making it appear sacrosanct. A quick internet search reveals a sea of plans with identical long-run peaks, 20, 21, or 22 miles – a seemingly undeniable law etched in coaching practices.
The Reality
The 20-22 mile mantra seems to originate from elite runners and studies showing a link between longest run and finish time. But, let’s pause: these studies primarily feature young men averaging 3-hour marathons – a far cry from the average runner of today.
Everyone who has walked on the moon ate cheese
But here’s the crucial point: correlation doesn’t equal causation. Just like everyone who has walked on the moon ate cheese, doesn’t mean consuming cheese makes you an astronaut. Similarly, forcing everyone to endure a 20-mile slog won’t magically transform them into faster marathoners. Perhaps it’s the ability to run (multiple) 20-milers that makes some runners faster, not the act itself.
Science backs this up. Research suggests:
- Over 60% of a long run’s benefits come after just 60 minutes.
- Beyond 1 hour, improvement slows down significantly.
- By 2 hours, you’ve reaped nearly 90% of the benefit, and it takes 3 hours to obtain 95%.
- Injury risk and recovery time skyrocket with longer runs, especially for women.
So, pushing past 2 hours seems counterintuitive. For diminishing gains, you risk extended recovery and injury, hindering overall training.
But where’s the concrete proof? Given the complexities, large-scale golden standard studies are non-existent – also understandable considering the reluctance to be a training guinea pig for a relatively rare and important (for the individual) event. However, some fascinating meta-analyses reveal:
- High training volumes do not commonly impact training response.
- Rapid volume increases rarely benefit runners.
- The longest training run most highly associated with a 4-hour marathon time? A mere 23 kilometers (that’s 14.3 miles!).
The Verdict
Most marathoners aren’t elite athletes. We have different bodies and needs, demanding different training approaches. Ditch the 20-22 mile obsession – it’s not a fixed target, but a potential ceiling to be reached when, and if other factors allow.
The real takeaway? Running longer than 2 hours should probably not be a common practice, and reserved for practicing race nutrition as appropriate. Focus instead on smart, efficient training that maximizes gains without unnecessarily long runs.
Bonus Tip
Skip the training guesswork! TrainAsONE crafts personal plans with optimal long run distances. Our users smash finish times on less overall training volume and shorter longest runs! Achieve more with less – grab your free account and ditch the marathon myths!
Stay tuned for the last in the series tomorrow – it’s another big one! And remember, running knowledge is the best kind of holiday gift! So don’t forget to share.
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