Running basics · 4 min read
What is a long run?
The long run is your weekly endurance anchor: slower than you think, longer than the rest, and the session most marathon training is built around.
The short answer
A long run is your longest run of the week, done at an easy, conversational effort. Its purpose is time on your feet: building endurance, glycogen use, and the durability to keep running when you are tired.
For a 5K or 10K runner, the long run might be 8 to 12 km (5 to 7.5 mi). For half marathon training, 14 to 18 km (9 to 11 mi) is typical. Marathon plans build toward 28 to 32 km (17 to 20 mi).
How fast should it be?
Slower than most runners expect. The long run is not the place to prove fitness. If you finish feeling like you could run another 15 minutes, you paced it well.
A common approach is to start easy and let the last quarter drift naturally faster if you feel good. That teaches you to run on tired legs without turning every long run into a race.
If your long run leaves you unable to train for two days, it was too hard – not too long.
Building the distance
Increase gradually. Keep any single run within about 10 percent of your longest run in the past month: in a large study of recreational runners, longer jumps than that were linked to more overuse injuries. Take an easier week every third or fourth week. Beginners should extend time on feet rather than chase distance.
The long run is also a fueling rehearsal. Practise taking water and, for runs over 90 minutes, some carbohydrate. Race day is the wrong time to discover that gels upset your stomach.
Shoes for long runs
Long-run shoes prioritise protection and consistency: enough cushioning to keep your legs fresh, a stable platform for tired form, and a ride that does not demand pace. Max-cushion trainers and super trainers both fit here.
Many runners keep a dedicated long-run shoe separate from their daily trainer so the foam has time to recover between sessions. Rotating pairs also spreads wear.
- Easy long run
- Max-cushion or balanced daily trainer.
- Long run with pace work
- A super trainer with a plate or livelier foam.
- Marathon-specific
- The shoe you plan to race in, broken in beforehand.
Sources
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