Stepping into Spring:
How to shift from winter miles to race pace

Hi Reader,

Apparently, Spring starts on Sunday, so the TV and radio keep telling me.

To be honest, I haven't seen much sign of it yet. I got soaked again coming back from a gym session on Friday - although there was that one sunny day last week, and the daffodils are finally out.

But what's the real significance of the first day of Spring for us runners?

It marks a crucial countdown:

• 6 weeks to Brighton & Paris
• 7 weeks to Manchester & Boston
• 8 weeks to the London Marathon

Having clocked up a lot of soggy, rain-soaked miles in the dark through December and January, and survived a period of hill work in February, it is time to switch up the pace.

All winter, I have been pushing steady running and building up your aerobic base. That is essential advice, but the old saying holds some truth: "Lots of long, slow running will produce a long, slow runner."

Your aerobic capacity is vital as the building block for your race speed. But now, six to eight weeks out from your Spring marathon, just as the days are warming up, running faster is essential to get into race shape.

Time to Sharpen the Blade

The gradual introduction of intervals at your VO2 Max pace will give you back that edge you may have felt left you during the winter slog.

Here are a few sessions I rely on during this phase:

1. The Classic Intervals:​
Try 12-15 x 400m @ 3km pace with 60 to 90 seconds recovery. It’s tough, but it works.

2. Yasso 800s:​
This is a session invented by Runner's World coaching editor Bart Yasso. You run 10 x 800m, with the recovery time equal to the time taken for the effort.

The theory: The average time for your efforts in minutes and seconds predicts your marathon time in hours and minutes (e.g., averaging 3min 30sec suggests a 3hr 30min marathon).
​The reality: It’s likely just a good guess, but it’s a brilliant session for sharpening up regardless.

3. Pyramids (or Ladders):​
I love throwing these into the mix.

In early March, I tend to set sessions like:

• 2 or 3 sets of: 200m, 400m, 600m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m
  (with 200m jog recoveries).

Later, closer to race day, we switch to time-based ladders:

• 5 min, 4 min, 3 min, 2 min, 1 min + 5 x 100m hard strides.

Those hard strides become a key feature in the last six weeks.

Even though the marathon is 95% aerobic, good form and conditioning come from occasionally running a lot faster than marathon pace.

The Long Run Evolves

Don't worry, the long run doesn't disappear! But it does change.

It shifts from "long and steady" to slightly shorter runs with a gradually increasing pace, up to or beyond marathon pace towards the end.

I feel this develops positive neuromuscular memory. And perhaps more importantly, confidence.

Does it work?

I’ve seen this periodisation work time and time again.

Back in 1983, after just a few weeks of faster interval training, my own race speeds improved dramatically. I won the Sittingbourne 10-mile race in 48:30 in early February, then improved to win the Tonbridge 10-miler in 47:11 in late March. That speed work set me up to win London in 2:09:43 shortly after.

Fast forward to today, and the same principles apply. My coached runner, Stephen, ran a 70:41 half-marathon in January 2024. By March, after this sharpening phase, he hit a PB of 66:24 at the Fleet Half, before running a superb PB of 2:19:10 at London.

This approach consistently works across the spectrum - whether you are aiming for sub-3, sub-4, or sub-5 hours.

Trust the process. It’s time to find your speed. Train smart!

Checkout my workout below for non-marathon runners

Bonus workout:
Fartlek fun run for all levels

Not in marathon training right now? Keeping things fresh with a fartlek session can be just the ticket, whatever your experience.

Here’s how to make it work for you:

For beginners

• Warm-up: 10 minutes easy jog or brisk walk
• Main set: Alternate 1 minute at a “comfortably hard” pace with 2 minutes easy jog or walk; repeat 6 - 8 times
• Cool-down: 10 minutes easy jog or walk

For advanced runners

• Warm-up: 10 minutes of easy jogging
• Main set: Alternate 2 minutes fast (5K/10K pace) with 2 minutes steady recovery jog; repeat 8 - 12 times
• Cool-down: 10 minutes easy jogging

Fartlek means “speed play” in Swedish, and that’s exactly what this session is about - mixing paces to boost speed, endurance, and keep each run interesting as the seasons turn.

Give it a go and let me know how it felt!

Happy running this spring!

Mike Gratton (Head Coach, Coach the Run) & the team.

p.s. Read my latest Ask the Coach blog:

​How to overcome negative thoughts and build confidence for marathon success​

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