Top 5 Marathon Training Workouts

Marathon training isn’t just about logging miles—it’s about logging the right miles. Here are 5 of our favorite workouts to build endurance, speed, and that mental grind needed for race day. From the classic 20 mile long run to pyramid threshold sessions to sneaky turnover boosters like 6 kilos & 4 quarters—each workout builds a different piece of the puzzle. Stack them smart and you’ll toe the line feeling ready for whatever the marathon throws at you.

1. The 20 Mile Long Run

This is the bread and butter of marathon training. The more of these you do, the higher chance you'll have of finishing strong and hitting your goal time. The goal is to do these as frequently as you can without sacrificing the quality of midweek workouts or increasing your injury risk. It'll be different for everyone, and it may take a few blocks to find the right balance between volume and intensity. Once you've built up strength, you should use these runs to get large chunks of marathon pace under your belt. When sequenced properly, you should be running long marathon pace tempos (8+ miles) in these runs starting 12 weeks out.

2. The Pain Pyramid - 4, 3, 2, 1 Threshold Workout

This is a staple Jack Daniels workout that should be attempted by advanced runners only at sub 3 fitness levels. This is a big aerobic booster that will make marathon pace feel a lot smoother. It's a mentally taxing session that will help build the resilience needed to grind out marathon pace on tired legs.

3. 90 Minute "Recovery" Runs

This is a great way to get extra volume midweek and build your aerobic engine. You can keep this run as relaxed as possible, as the goal is to get time on feet. This will make the weekend long run feel smoother, and you'll notice recovery between intervals will get quicker as well. Here is our June 2025 list of the 5 Best Max Cushion Running Shoes on the Market—perfect for these time-on-feet recovery runs.

Check out Yowana's video on his 5 favorite marathon training books. Here he recommends the best book—or training style—for each type of runner on the YouTube channel:

4. 6 Kilos & 4 Quarters

Another Jack Daniels special. This workout is great for getting in higher end turnover without stressing the body too much. So much of marathon training is about stacking mileage and getting aerobic strength up (aka building raw endurance so you can run longer). The downside of that is faster paces can start to feel harder and the legs don't pop off the ground as quick as they did at lower mileage levels. Occasionally mixing in an interval session like this once every month or so will rebuild that turnover and make marathon pace feel smoother. The kilometers are run at roughly 5k pace, which will help your body make adaptations at using oxygen more efficiently. The 400s are run at mile race pace and will help recruit those fast twitch muscle fibers that don't get used often during marathon training.

5. 16 Mile Tempo Run at Race Pace

This is the best possible race simulator. Use the first few miles to find race pace and the rest to ease into it and hammer the marathon feel into the system. If you can run 16 at marathon pace during training, you'll be prepped to run 26.2 on race day on fresh legs. Note that the length of this workout in time should be no longer than 60% of your goal finishing time and is also one that should be attempted by experienced runners only. First-time marathoners should scale this down to 11 to 13 miles at marathon pace. Make sure to take a few days of relaxed running for recovery after this workout.

Check out Yowana's recommendations for the 10 Best Marathon Training Shoes.

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