How To Run A Sub-3 Hour Marathon

Are you targeting a sub-three hour marathon? For many runners it’s their ultimate goal and they can train for years to see 2:59 on their watch when they cross the marathon finish line.

Here’s our top tips on how to run a sub-three hour marathon.

RUN MORE

Volume leads to faster marathons. Not many people can achieve a sub-three marathon by only running 50km / 30 miles per week. It’s possible, of course, but running more volume really helps.

It may take you several years of consistent running to be able to safely build up to the weekly volume needed to run a 2:59 marathon. 

If you can consistently run over 80km / 50 miles a week, and you do it over months or years, then you will be able to build up a great foundation of fitness. Even better is if you can increase to over 100km / 60 miles or more, assuming your body can handle this volume and recover well. 

MORE MILES MEANS MORE SPEED

One benefit of this extra fitness and resilience to running is that you can likely handle more faster running. The 80/20 rule works with the idea that running slow helps you to run faster. What we mean by this is that if you run 50km per week then you could do around 10km of faster running in one week. Run 100km and you can do 20km of faster running a week, and that makes a big difference to over fitness. 

If you struggle with niggles or being able to run that far, then you could add in some cross-training as additional cardio volume. Try cycling, swimming or the elliptical and use it as recovery or easy volume. 

GET FAMILIAR WITH SUB-3 PACE

To run a sub-three hour marathon you need to run at 6:52 per mile or 4:16 per kilometre (here’s a marathon pace chart).

More realistically, you’ll want to prepare slightly faster than that allowing for running over the distance in your race (it’s rare to finish a marathon at exactly 26.2 miles or 42.2km, and you may end up running another quarter-mile or 400m – that’s more than 90 seconds of extra running). So practise running at or below 6:49 per mile or 4:14 per km. 

Early in your training block, run a 5km tempo at sub-three pace. It’s going to feel hard and it should, but it’ll show you what you need to do in training. 

As your training progresses, you’ll do longer reps at race effort. Don’t force sub-three pace or faster splits if it feels too fast. Work to RPE and effort in the first weeks and be consistent with increasing mileage and doing regular speed sessions, and naturally you’ll get quicker. 

Do some long run workouts where you’re running blocks at marathon pace during your long runs – more on that below. 

SPEED WORKOUTS 

Run at a wide variety of different speeds and different rep durations. Do short intervals and long reps, try sprinting, hill reps, tempo runs. Put different running stresses through your body, activate different muscles and muscle fibres, change the amount of recovery you give yourself between reps. We do all this to help us to adapt and improve our all-round fitness. 

Some of the most effective workouts will be threshold runs. These are run just below your lactate threshold which will be faster than marathon pace. 

An approximate threshold pace (because threshold is a unique personal measurement) for a sub-three marathoner is 6:20-6:30 per mile or 3:55-4:05 per kilometre. Get used to running mile or kilometre reps at this pace. 

Here’s Jess showing some of her training as she targeted her first sub-three marathon.

LONG RUN WORKOUTS

Running at goal marathon pace (or effort) in your long run is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a sub-three marathon. 

• In a 32km long run, alternate between 5km steady and 5km at race effort, with 2km steady to finish 
• Do a negative split long run with 20km (12 miles) steady and 10km (6 miles) at goal marathon pace/effort
• As a tough peak workout try 15km (9m) steady and 20km (12m) at goal marathon pace/effort

Use your longest long run, which will be two or three weeks before your race, to test whether you’re really ready to go for 2:59. Does the pace feel comfortable? Can you hold it for three hours? 

PRACTISE FUELING 

If you’re running high weekly volume, and you’ve nailed your pacing, and you’ve done your long run workouts, then there will likely be two things which prevent you from running a 2:59: fueling and muscular fatigue. In other words: hitting the wall. Let’s start with fueling. 

Fueling is something you should do during all your workouts and long runs. It’s non-negotiable. Sure, you can do some of your easy runs without fuel or even fasted (if that works for you), but go into all harder and longer runs well-fueled and take more carbs with you. 

Learn what gels or fuel sources work best for you and train your stomach to tolerate as much as you can. 

We generally recommend 30-60g of carbs per hour during a marathon, but typically faster runners will aim for 50-90g of carbs per hour – here’s a carb calculator for what that looks like. 

GET STRONGER 

We build up long runs and long run workouts to get as fit as we can to take on 26.2 miles. To complement this we should also be doing regular strength training. 

Aim for one or two strength workouts per week. Focus on all of the lower body muscles (calves, quads, hamstrings, adductors, glutes), the core and back. Lift weights and try to make progress in strength and add extra weight as you get stronger. 

RECOVER HARD 

It takes a lot of hard training to run a sub-three marathon, and to maintain that level of training we need to focus just as hard on recovery.

Good recovery covers everything from good nutrition to good sleep and using techniques which can help our body feel good – foam rolling, massage, physio, sauna, and more. 

The only way we can effectively run again tomorrow is if we’re recovered enough to handle the work. If a run is particularly intense and you need to have an extra rest day or recovery run, then adjust your training until you feel ready. 

WORK ON YOUR PSYCHOLOGY

First of all, you’re aiming for 2:59 not 3:00. That might be a small difference, but you want a time which begins with two hours. Focus on that. 

It takes a lot of mental strength to run a sub-three marathon, and a considerable amount of marathon training and racing involves problem solving and adapting when things don’t go as planned. We need the mental resilience to be able to deal with each of these. 

SIGN UP FOR A HALF MARATHON 

Try to find a half marathon (or even a 20 mile race) around six to nine weeks before your marathon. Use this to practise everything you can before your goal race – shoes, kit, nutrition, race travel, and more. 

You could race the half to see how fast you can go, but if you do that then factor in needing some additional recovery days after.

Or take on the half at goal marathon pace for the first 10 miles (16km) and if you feel good then push on to a faster finish. 

Jess tried to set a new half marathon PB as part of her sub-three training – and she had Olympian Andy to pace her!

TRAIN SPECIFIC FOR YOUR RACE

What is your marathon course going to be like? Will it be hilly or flat? Will there be lots of turns or mostly straights? What do you expect the weather to be like? 

Do your best to train specific to the conditions you’ll face. If it’s a hilly race like the Boston Marathon then do as many hill sessions as you can, and try to find a long run route which replicates the course well.

If the weather is likely to be hotter than you typically run then try to do some heat training, which may include saunas or treadmill runs in extra clothes – just remember to increase your hydration when doing this, and always stop these activities if they make you feel dizzy or ill.

BE REALISTIC 

You’ve trained towards a sub-three marathon for many weeks, but ahead of the race you need to be realistic and ask yourself the question: Am I ready to run 2:59?

Look back over your training and see if you’ve been hitting the splits you need. Have you been able to run blocks at marathon pace during long runs? Are you free from niggles or injuries?

If the answer is yes, then taper well, get your carb-load right, and good luck on race day! 

If you’re unsure then you may want to reevaluate your race goals. Either come up with a new goal or start out conservative and if you have a good day then push on later in the race. Blowing up after starting too fast feels way worse than speeding up if you’re feeling great. 

HAVE A RACE STRATEGY

Don’t try to go out faster and bank time, as that tactic never works out well in a marathon. It’s far better to try and run even and speed up over the final 10km if you’re feeling good. 

If you’ve trained well, then the first half of the race should feel relatively easy. Don’t be tempted to speed up. Being controlled in the first 30km of the race is really important if you’re going to have a great day.

Most races will have 3:00 pacers. Following these is a great way to keep a controlled pace and to take away the mental stress of managing your own pacing – you just follow the pack and run. It also feels easier to run in a group like this. 

HAVE A B GOAL

Marathons are really hard and a lot of things can happen over a race weekend which means that we don’t have the race we want. It could be bad weather, a bad stomach, or just some bad luck. Whatever it is, having a B Goal on race day can help keep you motivated if you start to struggle and fall off sub-three pace. 

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED… 

A sub-three hour marathon is a fast time and it’s something very challenging for most runners to achieve – do it and you’ll be in the top 5-10% of finishers in almost all world marathons if you run a sub-three marathon.

Unless you have a big base fitness or strong background in long distance running, then it’s hard to break three hours on a first attempt. Most runners take several marathons and several years to get there. 

Learn from your first marathon training block. What worked for you and what didn’t? What training do you need to do to get a bit faster and improve your endurance? Recover well after your race, and when you’re feeling physically and psychologically ready, then it’s time to build again. 

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Here’s a video of Jess aiming to run 2:59 at the 2024 Berlin Marathon.