3 Ways to Use the Long Run to Get Faster
The long run is a key component to marathon training. Below we are breaking down 3 ways to execute your long runs to get the most out of yourself and your training so you will be best prepared on race day.
The long run isn’t just about going longer—it’s a tool you can shape to build exactly what you need as a runner. You can keep it easy and stack time on feet to build durability and aerobic base, progress into steady efforts to simulate race-day fatigue, or layer in harder segments to convert fitness into real speed. Each version serves a purpose, from reducing injury risk and improving fuel efficiency to sharpening marathon readiness and unlocking race-specific gains. The key is matching the long run style to where you are in training, not forcing one approach year-round.
The Magic of the Long Run
Remember the “Mirror of Erised” from the first Harry Potter book/movie? It’s a magical mirror that reflects the deepest desires of whoever gazes into it. We can think about the long run in a similar way: it’s a flexible training tool that can be molded to target the specific fitness goals a runner needs to address, no matter what phase of training they’re in.
Three Types of Long Runs for Marathon Training
1. Time on Feet
- Goal: Focus on completing the distance and time rather than maintaining a specific pace.
- Benefits: Relaxed long runs help increase volume while minimizing injury risk, teach your body body to burn fat as fuel instead of carbs, and build mental comfort with going the distance.
- Recommended Shoes for Time on Feet: Nike Vomero Plus, R.A.D UFO, and ASICS Superblast 3
R.A.D UFO
%202.png)
ASICS Superblast 3
2. Steady Mobbin'
- Goal: Once you’ve adapted to the demands of running for 2+ hours, consider implementing Zone 3 long runs.
- Benefits: Zone 3 long runs sharpen marathon readiness by providing a race-like stimulus without the recovery toll of a dedicated speed session. Steady running over long distances also prepares you for the mental battles you’ll face on race day.
- Recommended Shoes for Zone 3 Long Runs: ASICS Megablast, New Balance SC Elite v5, and Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4
ASICS Megablast
New Balance SC Elite v5
3. Demon Time
- Goal: Aggressive fitness building through intense, marathon specific sessions (ie. long, grindy tempos at marathon pace, or fatigued mile repeats within a long run).
- Benefits: These are "turbo boosters" that solidify the work you’ve put in, converting general aerobic gains into specific race-day fitness. While Demon Time long runs come with the highest injury risk and recovery burden, they are the most effective way to take significant chunks off your race time.
- Recommended Shoes for Demon Time long runs: Puma Fast-R 3, Hoka Cielo X1 3.0, and Li-Ning Feidian 6 Elite
Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3
Hoka Cielo X1 3.0
Watch Yowana's video on How to Use the Long Run to Get Faster in Your Marathon Training on the Supwell YouTube channel:
Supwell Shoe Matcher
Whether you're looking for a reliable easy run shoe, pampering comfort on recovery days, a long-run cruiser, or a race day weapon, check out our Shoe Matcher tool to get matched. We've done the extensive testing, so you don't have to.
Find your next running shoe
Answer a few questions to find the best shoe based on your preferences and goals
