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An examination of the training of some of the world’s best female marathon runners ever

January 25, 2018

Marathon Training – Women

Written by Tony Willson

An examination of the some of the world’s best female marathon runners’ – Lorraine Moller, Grete Waitz, Joan Benoit, Rosa Mota, Uta Pippig, Ingrid Kristiansen, Priscilla Welch, Sonia O’Sullivan and Linda Somers Smith – base training plans.

Common patterns within their training plans

- All included some type of weekly tempo run / fartlek
- All included a weekly very long run (exception Rosa who did a faster 90 min run).
- All included a weekly medium long run.
- All included a repetition session (usually one) – Priscilla added hers in a later training phase
- Long repetitions (miles / 1kms) seemed to be preferred to short repeats
- There was a lack of the super session normally associated with track runners. Training was controlled.
- A few included weekly strides (Uta, Ingrid, Priscilla, Sonia)
- The top woman did a little less volume than the top men. 100 – 110 miles was about the average a couple did more and a couple did fewer.
- The vast majority or training runs were a 40 to 60 mins. Most of Joan’s 6-13 miles runs were likely 10 miles if you do the maths.
- There was a lack of designated hill sessions (no doubt covered in hilly runs)
- Former track runners were more inclined to include track sessions and easy recovery days, and do less total mileage – under 100 miles (Lorraine, Grete (according to “Lore of Running”), Sonia, Linda)
- Those who only specialised in the marathon (eg Rosa, Joan, Uta) ran more miles (around 120) and had more focus on overall faster steady longer running. Uta and Ingrid used more of a hard/easy approach.
- Some used cross training (Ingrid with CC skiing), Lorraine. Priscilla (swimming / water running) and Linda (cycling)

Running With Legends

runningtimes.com

Below are the training plans of the stars followed by generic training plans incorporating the ideas from within this article

Womens Marathon Training Summary

	Grete Waitz	Joan Benoit	Rosa Mota	Uta Pippig	Ingrid Kristiansen	Priscilla Welch	Sonia O’Sullivan	Linda Somers Smith	Lorraine Moller
Long Run	1 long run – 2 hours easy	1 very long run – 2 hours	1 or 2 medium long run – 90 mins max (good pace)	1 long run – 20 miles	2.5 hours of cross country skiing	1 long run 2-2.5 hours	1 long run – nearly 2 hours	1 long run	1 strong very long run up to 2 hr 45
Number of Runs	many runs of less than one hour	1 long run – 15 miles	runs usually an hour or less	1 medium long run strong pace – 15 miles	Lots of cross training / treadmill running	2 x medium long runs	runs usually an easy hour or less	1 medium long run	1 easy long run – 15 miles
Doubles	many doubles	many doubles	many doubles – usually at a good pace 6 min mile pace or better	many doubles – most runs around an hour or less	many doubles 40 to 60 mins	many doubles, mainly steady pace	many doubles, easy medium length runs	easy days are very slow	many doubles with 3 doubles of shorter runs
Reps	2 rep sessions (long and 300s)	1 rep session	2 fartlek sessions (1 to 5 min efforts) on the road	1 rep session (mile reps), when training for track 15-20 x 400m	1 session of strides, in summer did three rep sessions like 1 km reps, 60 sec efforts	1 session of strides	1 rep session (miles and 200s), 1 strong hill session	1 rep session has a background of many years of running	1 rep session (400s or 1000s)
Runs	1 fartlek/tempo run	. Many runs were hard.	Raced Regularly	1 tempo run	2 x 15 min temp runs (one session), 1 x pickup run	a couple of steady state runs per week	1 hard tempo run	includes 1 rep session, a long run, medium long run with steady efforts	1 tempo run
Mileage	a little under 100 miles a week when training for marathon, 60 miles per week when focussing on track events. Most runs were at a steady pace.	120 miles per week	100-110 miles per week, never missed a day, took one afternoon per week off (sometimes two)	120-130 miles per week, sometimes hit 170 miles per week	Focus on long slow efforts, ran very easy on recovery days, hard days were hard (Tuesday/Thursday). 110-120 miles per week. Foucus on many shorter runs than long runs. Nature of hard workouts did vary.	3 long runs at 70-80 % MHR and a third at 60 %. Major focus on aerobic running, did rep work for three months of the year. had three weeks off per year.	This training is from when Sonia was training for the 5000, cross country and not the marathon	70 miles per week	3 recovery days, regularly less than 100 miles per week

Grete Waitz’s training on lower mileage – http://sciencenordic.com/how-become-world-beater

Womens Marathon Training

	Grete Waitz	Joan Benoit	Rosa Mota	Uta Pippig	Ingrid Kristiansen	Priscilla Welch	Sonia O’Sullivan	Linda Somers Smith	Lorraine Moller
	World Gold 1983	Olympic Gold 1984	Olympic Gold 1988	Winner 3 majors 2.21	WR 1984	Age 42 – 2.26	World CC Champ 2.29	Age 49 – 2.36	Olympic Bronze 1992
Monday am	45 mins, 4 min per km pace	6-13 miles	NO WEEKLY OUTLINE	10 miles – 4.23 per km pace	50 mins (6 mins per mile) on treadmill	45 min at 70-80 % MHR			Recovery day 10 km	Monday am
Monday pm	55 mins	6 miles		6 miles 4.23 per km pace, 15 strides, 45 mins calisthenics	2 hours cross country skiing	30 min easy	69 min easy	Very slow run	10 km (rarely slower than 7.00 mile pace) or swim	Monday pm
Tuesday am	45 mins	15-16 miles	Always a one hour morning run	6 x 1 mile in 5.15 (2 mins)	1 hour on treadmill at 6 min per mile or faster	60-90 mins at 70-80% MHR on hilly course	45 min easy			Tuesday am
Tuesday pm	6 x 1000m in 2.55 with 60 sec rest (or 5 x 1 mile (400 recovery) or 5 x 2000m)		100 -110 miles per week. 2 runs per day.	6 miles	2 x 15 mins at 5.00 – 5.15 mile pace (4.00 min rec) 12.5 to 15 miles	30 min easy plus flexibility drills	Track session – 1 mile 5.00 min pace, 8x200m (34), 1 mile 5.00, 8 x 200m (34), 1 mile 4.55, 2.5 miles w/u, w/d and strides	Very slow run	5 km steady state	Tuesday pm
Wednesday am	45 mins	6-13 miles	2 sessions per week and 1 or 2 long runs of 13-15 miles per week	10 miles – 4.23 per km pace	50 mins on treadmill at 6 min mile pace	10 x 100m with 300m jog with coordination drills	45 min easy			Wednesday am
Wednesday pm	55 mins	6 miles	Runs are never more than 90 mins	6 miles 4.23 per km pace, 45 mins calisthenics	60-90 mins cross country skiing	30 min easy plus flexibility drills	60 min easy	Medium Long Run (12 miles fast finish, 10 miles fast last miles, 13 miles steady) – rotate over three weeks.	15 miles (6.30 to 7.00 mile pace)	Wednesday pm
Thursday am	45 mins	6-13 miles	Runs usually at 6 min mile pace (sometimes 5.45)	15 miles – 4 min km pace	60 mins on treadmill – 1st 30 min 6.10-6.30 mile pace, 2nd 30 min 5.20 mile pace	60-90 mins at 70-80% with last 20 mins at 90% MHR	42 min easy		Recovery day 10 km	Thursday am
Thursday pm	fartlek 6-4-3-2-1 mins (2 min rec), or 1-2-3-4-3-2-1 mins. Or , 20 min tempo run	track session or fartlek	Examples of hard sessions – 10 x 1 min (1 min) or 10 x 2 mins (2 min) or 3, 4, 5 min repeats	6 miles, strides	60-90 mins cross country skiing, 15 mins of jumping exercises	50 mins	12 x hills 57/58 secs each	Very slow run	10 km (rarely slower than 7.00 mile pace) or swim	Thursday pm
Friday am	45 mins	6-13 miles	Raced regularly, most runs were of quick pace, did not do very long runs.	10 miles – 4.23 per km pace	55 min on treadmill at 6.00 min mile pace and 5 x 100 m strides	45 min at 70-80 % MHR on treadmill	64 min easy		Recovery day 10 km	Friday am
Friday pm	55 mins	6 miles		6 miles 4.23 per km pace, 15 strides, 45 mins calisthenics	60-90 mins cross country skiing, 15 mins of jumping exercises	30 min easy	50 min easy	Intervals (alternate mile / 1000m / 400m) rotate over three weeks.	10 km (rarely slower than 7.00 mile pace) or swim	Friday pm
Saturday am	50 mins	20 miles		6 miles – 3.28 per km pace	2.5 hours of easy cross country skiing	Maximum aerobic pace test	76 min total running including fast last lap Bushy Park 38.30 (approx 7 miles)			Saturday am
Saturday pm	2 x 10 x 300 (100m jog rec) 5 min jog b/w sets			6 miles – 4.30 per km pace		5 miles at 80% MHR with coordination drills		Very slow run	High quality intervals or race eg 20 x 400 in 74 sec, or 10 x 1000m (400 rec)	Saturday pm
Sunday am	2 hour run	6-13 miles		20 miles 4.15 km pace	10 km (40 mins) on treadmill	30 min running in water, flexibility drills	1 hr 50 mins good steady long run	Long Run (20 mile steady, 16 mile with a fast finish, 18 with a steady last 10 mile) rotate over three weeks.	long run up to 2 hr 45 mins, as fast as 6.0 mile pace	Sunday am
Sunday pm		6 miles			10 miles (60 mins) on treadmill	2-2.5 hrs at 60-70 % MHR				Sunday pm

A standard weekly training plan incorporating training ideas of these elite athletes may look something like this.
	am	pm
Mon	10 km easy	12 km easy
Tues	10 km easy	Reps (eg 5 x 1 mile (rec 2 mins) or 12 x 400 (rec 60 sec)) 14 km total
Wed	10 km easy	14 km easy (including strides)
Thur	6 km easy	23 km good pace
Fri	10 km easy	10 km easy
Sat	Warm up, hard effort (5 to 12 km) (eg hilly run or tempo run or 2 x 15 mins) or race, warm down 16 km total	6 km easy
Sun	28-32 km easy

A plan, with the same principles, for a serious club runner who may only be be able to run 100 km (60 miles) per week may be
Mon	12 km easy
Tues	Reps (eg 5 x 1000 (90 sec) or 8 x 400 (60 sec)), 12 km total distance
Wed	15 km easy (including strides)
Thur	18 km good pace
Fri	10 km easy
Sat	Hilly or Tempo Run (30 mins) 12 km total distance
Sun	20-25 km easy