3 Treadmill Workouts for Marathon Training

Try this:

  • Warm up for 10 minutes, jogging easy.
  • Complete four sets of 2-minute intervals at 10K pace with 2 minutes of easy jogging between each set.
  • Cool down for 10 minutes, jogging easy.
  • Once you feel comfortable completing four sets, increase the intervals from 2 minutes to 3 minutes, and decrease the recovery time to 90 seconds.

Hill Training

It's hard to replicate rolling hills or trails on a treadmill. On most treadmills there's no decline, and the variation in uphill and downhill grades can't be simulated as accurately.

The treadmill will still offer beneficial fitness gains, despite some of the drawbacks.

"Thanks to the incline, you can certainly get a good hill workout on the treadmill," says Corkum. "However, in my experience, your natural form used running uphill outside is different from the form you'll use on a treadmill, so this should only be considered when conditions are too bad outside."

More: Challenge Yourself With Treadmill Hill Workouts

Try this:

  • Warm up for 10 minutes, jogging easy.
  • Complete four sets of 60 seconds at a 5-percent grade, running at your marathon pace. Follow with 90 seconds of easy jogging and a zero-percent gradient. Ramp back up to your marathon pace for 45 seconds at a 6-percent grade, and finish with 90 seconds of easy jogging at a gradient of zero.
  • Cool down for 10 minutes, jogging easy.
  • Add one set every week for 3 to 4 weeks and increase the time spent at incline by 30 seconds for each interval.

More: Take Your Treadmill to Hill and Back

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About the Author

Mackenzie Lobby

Mackenzie Lobby is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and photographer with a Master's in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota. She has run 10 marathons and is a USATF certified coach. When she's not writing, she's out swimming, biking, and running the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. Check out her website at mackenzielobby.com.
Mackenzie Lobby is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and photographer with a Master's in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota. She has run 10 marathons and is a USATF certified coach. When she's not writing, she's out swimming, biking, and running the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. Check out her website at mackenzielobby.com.

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