What Everyday Runners Can Take Away from Strava Data on Marathon Training

Have you ever been curious about how other runners train for a race, especially runners who are making progress or are just a bit faster than you? It’s human nature to look around and want to compare ourselves to others, but how we do that in running may differ from one person to the next. These days it’s easy to see posts on Instagram or Strava and feel like everyone is doing hard, fast workouts all the time. Maybe that’s because that is what catches our attention. Or maybe that’s what people are sharing the most on Instagram. But what does the Strava data on marathon training actually tell us?

Are hard workouts really the key to a faster marathon? They likely have something to do with it, but a new study from Sports Medicine highlights that the fastest marathon runners had a large training volume with most of their time doing easy runs. So what does that mean for the everyday runner? This Strava data on marathon training gives us some insight into training intensity distributions (TID) across marathon runners and we can begin to unpack how this information can inform training approaches.

The Research Found from the Strava Data on Marathon Training

Most of the research we have on training intensity distribution and types of marathon workouts are from elite runners. While this can inform the training approaches of other runners, we know that there are differences between elite runners and everyday runners who may not have the time, support, or ability to train in the same way. This study looked at the 16 weeks leading up to 151,813 marathons by 119,452 runners.

Training intensity distributions were determined using a 3 zone approach, with zone 2 starting at 82.3% of critical speed and zone 3 starting at critical speed. (Critical Speed is the maximum speed that a runner can maintain for an extended period of time where speed can be sustained at a metabolic steady state effort.)

The data showed that faster runners (sub 2:30 marathoners) accumulated at least 3 times the amount of volume of the slower runners (sub 4:30 marathoners). What is particularly interesting is that the amount of training in zones 2 and 3 was essentially the same across all groups; the biggest difference in volume was seen in zone 1 (easy running).

You may also like: 3 Ways to Make Sure You Are Running Your Easy Runs Easy

Another noteworthy aspect of the faster runners’ training style was that the majority were using pyramidal training. This is basically where a majority of running happens in zone 1, a moderate amount in zone 2, and a small amount in zone 3.

Why Everyday Runners Should Include Plenty of Easy Running in Marathon Training

One takeaway from this study is that easy running is important. If you can increase your volume of running during marathon training, your safest bet is to add on more easy miles. You may also want to look at your TID and consider if it’s worth replacing some hard running with more easy or moderate running. We know that if you can safely increase your mileage without risking injury or burnout you may be able to improve marathon performance. Easy running is a great way to do that.

How to Use this TID Information from the Strava Data in Marathon Training

Going along with the focus on easy running is considering your training distribution. There is sometimes a fear of “grey zone” running but this is mostly a concern if you are running lots of miles at a moderate effort instead of doing easy runs. Look at the percentage of time you are spending in each zone. Is the majority of your mileage in zone 1? Are you doing some moderate miles and a few harder miles each week? 80% easy, 15% moderate, and 5% hard is an example of a way to breakdown pyramidal TID. If you use a 5 zone model (like most watches do) this will look different. To simplify this using a 5 zone model, you can think of your easy runs as zone 2, moderate as zone 3, and hard as zones 4 and 5.

Considerations for Everyday Runners

While this may sound good in theory, it’s not always as simple or practical to put into practice. There are few things to consider for us everyday runners. First, how much time do we have to train each week? This may limit the amount of running we can do, which would ultimately mean we would need to choose between reducing our hard workouts to fit in more easy runs or not adding as much easy running. We also might be running slower, which would mean each mile takes longer, and that adds up over the course of a week.

If we aren’t running as much in zone 1, then a pyramidal approach may not work as well. Some runners, especially beginners, need to focus in just getting in the miles without too much focus on workouts. Other runners may be limited by time constraints but still want to get in their speed workouts, and don’t have time for enough easy runs to get to that ratio. However, I think one takeaway is that if you DO have the time or desire to run more, try adding in additional easy miles and keep an 80/20 (or 80:15:5) split if that works for your training.

You may also like: Why You Should Follow Your Training Plan and Run Your Easy Runs Easy

So just like on Instagram, try not to worry too much about everyone else’s training. Remember that easy running is important, and can actually help you to get faster if it’s done correctly. And remember that all those fast workouts you see on Strava are only a small part of the equation.

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Have you read about the Strava data for marathon training?
Do you focus on easy runs when training for a marathon?

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