Running: Benchmark Workouts

This is from an article in Runners World magazine written by Ed Eyestone. 

Purpose of benchmark workouts are to measure your fitness and hone in your speed. The workouts are based on goal race distance:

Marathon

16 miles at race pace at the end of a ‘high-mileage’ week.  “Not tapering for this workout serves two purposes: It allows for a great week of training without sacrificing mileage and aerobic development, and it teaches you to hold race pace on tired legs.  Do this run at least three weeks out from planned race.  It should be the culmination of race-pace runs: begin at 8-miles and build 2 miles every two weeks.

Half-Marathon

10 to 15 x 1000 meters at race pace with 60 second recovery.  Perform it two weeks from planned race. I [author] would suggest doing no more than 12 repeats.

10-K

25 x 400 meters at race pace with 30 second recovery.  This is a big workout so break it up in your head as five sets of five.  This is a mentally draining workout so do it sparingly. 

5-K

3 to 4 x 1 mile at race pace with 3:30 to 4 minute recovery.  This can be done closer to race day (10 days).