Forums >General Running>How long is your Long Run?
How long is your long run, Time? Distance? provide both please.
How often do you run long? once a week? every 10 days? every 2 weeks? etc...?
What race distance are you currently training for? or usually training for?
300m- 37 sec.
Lately, around 15 miles on trails, which takes 2:45 to 3:00. Currently I'm in early training for a trail 100K in February.
When I was training for Western States 100 I did some long runs over 30 miles which took 6-7 hours. Typically did 20-35 miles as my long run every week, lasting 3.5-6 hours.
For a road marathon I like an 18-22 mile long run every week and take about 2.5-3 hours. Some weeks I include some tempo or marathon pace in the long run.
If I'm not training for anything I like a long run around 1.5-2 hours just because I like to go out and run for a while.. Distance will vary depending on surface and if I decide to push the pace.
I am not currently training for anything but I keep an easy paced long run on the calendar on a weekly basis, I tend to run by time instead of distance and this works out to the long run being 90-110 minutes.
If I were training for a race (my preferred distances are half and full marathon), the long run would increase in duration up to 180 minutes during certain weeks but no longer than that. In my experience as an individual runner and a coach, there is a notable increase in injury risk associated with going longer than 3 hours for little added training benefit.
In my opinion, most recreational runners would be better off adding more easy days instead of focusing too much on the long run.
Rebuilding my aerobic base....racing next year.....nothing to see here....move along now.
Interval Junkie --Nobby
10miles or longer is a "Long Run". Nothing less remotely qualifies (except 9.9mi)
Currently Long runs is about 15mil. Retired.
Training long runs were up to 20-22mil. 3 weeks of four unless there was a tempo run on Sat. Always a rest week. Marathon training.
2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do
RIP Milkman
90 minutes is the start of a long run for most distances, but I'd consider 120 for marathons.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
SMART Approach
On 25 miles per week my weekly long run is 9 miles averaging 8:30-9:00 min pace. This mainly in non racing season like now. When training for 5Ks or a half and I am serious (which has been a while), I get in several 10-10.5 mile longer runs where I also mix in quality work like last 2-3 miles faster. Every other mile faster, 2 miles faster, 2 miles slower, 2 miles faster or I may do 9 miles and include 5-6 x 1k at fast tempo or 10K effort. Nice to mix things up and have a goal for each run.
Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery
Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training
Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique
www.smartapproachtraining.com
I lost my rama
For me, it's definitely dependent on what I'm training for.
For marathons or halfs, I like to keep it around 16 miles, or roughly 2.5 hours. Every other week during the peak of the cycle, and keep the LR below 30% of weekly volume. Cardiac drift usually sets in not long after 2 hours, so I don't get much aerobic benefit going too much after that.
For ultras, it's a different story. Aerobic development is necessary, but also building the body to take a beating for a lot longer period of time. Long runs are 20 up to 27 miles, and in the 3 - 5 hour range. Distance isn't as important as time on feet, as pace is slower. Because of the time-suck, I do these whenever I can, so no real schedule (Friday nights work well). Back-to-back LR's are debatable, but I've done 21 on Sat and 26 on Sun during a peak cycle for an ultra race. I guess it's training your mind as much as the body at that point.
3/17 - NYC Half
4/28 - Big Sur Marathon DNS
6/29 - Forbidden Forest 30 Hour
8/29 - A Race for the Ages - will be given 47 hours
Definitely depends on what I'm training for. During a marathon cycle, long runs are 2+ hours, usually 13 or more miles, at least once per week. Longest runs are in the 20-mile range, usually about 3 hours.
In the off-season, my long run will be more like 10-12 miles.
Rick
Currently training for a marathon. Usually training for longer (50+) Ultras. Completely different games.
Ultra training I would do a 4 week cycle. Build, build, build with a big self supported outing 8-12 hours, recovery.
Now with marathon training I am trying for consistent weeks. The trouble is an event or adventure pops up that interferes with the schedule. So my training is pretty erratic. I have two months to work on the long runs. Goal is every week a 18-22 mile run with no walking (very hard when coming from trails and ultras). Also want to mention I try to do a double on Wed. Big miles but easier on the body.
12-22 Last One Standing - dnf 37 miles
1-23 Sun Marathon - 3:53
3-4-23 Red Mountain 55k - 7:02
4-15-23 Zion 100 - 27:59
Lately 10-18 miles, 80 minutes to 2:30. I'm not training for anything and am not on a training schedule. I usually don't consider less than 10 miles or 90 minutes to be a "long run", although that double digit demarcation line is definitely beginning of the long run status.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
HA! You really need at least 12 to 16 weeks of focused and disciplined training for the marathon (if you want to do well). But yeah, when something tasty comes along, there's too much temptation to take a bite.
Which is why I've been munching on ultras all year (coming up on my 5th so far). Unfortunately, I have a spring marathon. Let's see how disciplined I can be, haha!
thanks for all the info.
my primary focus is a fast 5k in the next year or 2.
one running coach I saw basically said 8-10miles long run for the 5k is all you need...
my plan is definitely to get up to the 80-90min long run and 8-10miles point, still not there. maybe once there work on some 80-120min long runs, perhaps a half marathon in the future but no real plan for that.
have an 8M race Sunday, just hoping to run / finish around 90mins.
Runs in the rain
I read that a non-runner would consider 6 mile or more to be a really long run, but most of us would think at least 10 miles or more makes a long run. I typically slack off after my September races and then have to build up with gradual increases in millage. In 2017 I did 3 training runs of over 20 miles with my fastest being a 20.8 mile run done in 4 hour 15 minutes. I did a marathon like a month after late September in 4 1/2 hours. This year I tried limiting my long run to just 18 miles and did it back to back with a 17 mile run the day before. It took about 4 hour 27 minutes. Although my longest run was shorter I did try to run long distances consistently each day ranging from 10 to about 15 miles with 2 rest days a week and got up to a 70 mile week. However I did not get serious about training until June and my marathon time was a slow 5 hours. Next year I hope to BQ by doing a sub 4:10 marathon, must do more speedwork! I also was not happy with not doing a few runs over 20 miles this year .Unproductive training or not it is worth the confidence boost alone, at least that is how I feel! I know that it is said that any training run over 3 hours is wasted effort but I would really have to increase my speed since my typical training run for me exceeds that when I get close to 14 miles. 20 miles in 3 hours would be a 9 minute mile pace, rather fast for me! Good long distant runs are like 12 miles which I can finish in under 2 1/2 hours. Note that almost all my long runs involve some hills which slow me down and my age, 67, is also a factor, but no excuse since I find most runners in my AG finish faster than me.
Long distance runner, what you standin' there for?Get up, get out, get out of the door!
thanks for all the info. my primary focus is a fast 5k in the next year or 2. one running coach I saw basically said 8-10miles long run for the 5k is all you need... my plan is definitely to get up to the 80-90min long run and 8-10miles point, still not there. maybe once there work on some 80-120min long runs, perhaps a half marathon in the future but no real plan for that. have an 8M race Sunday, just hoping to run / finish around 90mins.
I'd say that's about right if you're focusing on a 5K. Regardless of the long run, just adding more weekly training volume will help.
I had to go back and look, but for my PR Half marathon, I had 7 LR's between 120 and 150 minutes in that cycle. I think 120 would be fine though.
Good luck in the race!
Well, you can always make your long run a fun run by going to some big park and doing a trail loop. It's scenic and you get your hours in. And maybe even hit a 20 mile loop, walking a bit (or lot) of it. Remember, for the long run, it's distance(time) not speed, who cares if trails aren't as fast as pavement. Take a picnic lunch and enjoy it when you're done. Make it a daycation.
i have to chant to myself "far not fast" when doing a long run, because I usually just want to get it done with, and find myself turning it into a half marathon tempo or time trial.