Wondering how many miles is 50km? If so, welcome to rundreamachieve.com, the home of running tips. 50k is 31 miles. It is considered the shortest of all the ultramarathon distances. The goal with this post is to share with you some tips and strategies to help you get the most out out of your performance. There are far too many runners who know how to work hard.
Are the hardest working athletes always guaranteed results, not always. The best middle to long distance runners are more interested in working smarter. In addition, using leverage. Leverage simply means doing more with less. So, it isn't about the volume of mileage you are doing as much as it is the quality. Long slow running will make you a superior long, slow runner.
The 50k ultramarathon requires endurance as well as strength and stamina. We as long distance runners can always work on speed development. I recommend doing strides 2 to 3 times per week on top of your weekly training workouts.
Strides are far too short to built up any significant lactic acid. So, you can do these acceleration drills and not get fatigued. Again, when it comes to racing you want to remain relaxed and in control. Let your competition be uptight, nervous and tense the morning of the race, not you. My recommendation? Make training the most difficult part of your preparation. The race itself should be the celebration of all your hard work.
What Does 50 KM Mean in Miles?
31.07 miles to be exact. One of the best tips I can share with runners seeking to run a 50km ultramarathon is work on your long runs. There are many runners who routinely run too slow during these workouts.
I lowered my marathon PR from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35 conducting faster, varied pace long runs. It was extremely demanding to do these types of workouts.
That being said, it helped me go from holding 6:14 to 5:19 mile pace for 26.2 miles. So, I know using this strategy works. No, it is not fun but it is most certainly worth it.
You never want to rush into a 16 week 50k training plan. The training plans I created focus on periodization. Remember, if you want great results you had better have a belief in delayed gratification.
It takes time, patience and determination to build fitness to race over 31 miles. I recommend alternation one longer, varied pace long run one weekend followed the next by an easy, relaxed long run. Adaptation is essential if you want to continue to train hard anaerobically.
So, be mindful of how fast you are running during your easy days. A common mistake I see runners make is running too many miles or kilometers too fast. In addition, running far too many of them too slow as well on anaerobic days.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRAINING PLANSHow Fast is 50KM in Miles?
How fast you cover the distance is largely going to depend on the quality training you are doing. Remember, higher mileage is not a guarantee that you will fun a faster 50k race. I have created 50k training plans here to help speed up your progress.
The end goal is to improve the body's lactate tolerance. Easy running is still vital for running success. That being said, too much aerobic running will only make you a superior long, slow runner. The 50k race distance is highly aerobic in nature. It is still a race where speed matters. So, you want to do what the world's top runners do.
They are running between 35 to 40% of their weekly volume at or below their lactate threshold. We run between 85 to 89% of our max heart rate at this intensity. So, quality over quantity is what matters most.
How Long Does it Take to Run 50KM?
The average runner runs 50 kilometers or 50,000 meters in or around 4 to 6 hours. The world record for the 50m race distance for men was set by South Africa's Stephen Mokoka who ran a time of 2:40:13. So, he held 5:09 mile pace for 31 miles or 3:12 per kilometer for 50 kilometers.
The world record for women was set by South Africa's Irvette Van Zyl who ran a time of 3:04:24.
Zyl held 3:41 per kilometer for each of her 50 kilometers or 5:56 per mile for her 31 miles. Of course, these are the fastest times ever run. So, do not compare yourself to these athletes. I only include this to show you what the human body is capable of.
50km Ultra Marathon Training Plan
There are many people who ask how many miles is 50km who are seeking to compete in a 50km race. The plans I have created here focus on stressing the athlete but also ensuring they recover as well. Pre-planning is critical if you want to run well at the longer distance events.
Our plans are 16 weeks in length. 4 months is sufficient time to train for a 50km ultra. Of course, you can lengthen this to 20 weeks by running 4 miles easy before starting our training plans. I also recommend doing longer tempo runs when preparing to race over 31 miles.
We run right around or slightly above our anaerobic threshold when we race. So, it is important to spend more time training at this intensity.
The plans I have built work to gradually increase the intensity and volume the athlete is doing over time. No, we don't start off doing 12 to 14 mile tempo runs. You have to first adapt to doing 4 to 5 miler tempo efforts before you can go further. Of course, most athletes know this but many are also highly motivated. So, they try to do too much before they are anaerobically fit enough in order to complete the workout.
Again, the goal is to improve your body's lactate tolerance. You want to be able to sustain race pace more efficiently than your competition. How well you do this will be determined by how you train. The goal is to get that 50k ultramarathon race pace to feel more in control and less demanding. Yes, it takes time and effort in order to achieve this and adapt so be patient.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PRIVATE, MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITYHow Do You Train for a 50km Ultra Marathon?
There are many people who are wondering how many miles is 50km who have a desire to run their first 50km too. The focus first should be on running easy, base mileage. No house can stand without a foundation. The same definitely holds true with distance running.
I would focus on running 4 weeks nice and easy. Again, doing strides 2 to 3 times per week to work on your acceleration, form and speed. You can do these types of workouts without building up any significant lactic acid.
Once you have done this I advise investing in one of our 16 week 50k training plans. It takes the guesswork out of what you need to be doing on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. We also focus on a 10-day rather than 3-week taper.
What I find is many runners start to drop their intensity and volume too far out from their main event. You want to work the hardest in the last few weeks leading into a big race. 10 days is plenty of time to fully recover doing into your main 50km road race.
The goal is to go in feeling rested and motivated and not tired and lethargic.I would recommend subscribing to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I create new video content there each week to help runners of all capabilities get to the next level in their running.
Closing Thoughts
You also need to focus on hydrating well in training as well. Remember, this is 31 miles we are talking about, not a 5K or 10K race. You can get away with this with the shorter races but not in a race of this length. Your body is going to be craving fluids and calories.
So, make sure to practice drinking rather than sipping during your long runs. Mentally rehearse as well. You have to see yourself achieving your dreams in your mind before it ever becomes a reality in real life. I consistently saw myself breaking the 2:22:00 marathon barrier even while still a 2:43 marathoner.
Also, I credit mental training as well as the obvious physical training that helped me to eventually run 2:19:35 for the distance.
I also know about the 50km as well having run a 3:02:05 for 31 miles in a training run preparing for the 2011 Monumental Indianapolis marathon. In conclusion, focus on faster paced long runs, jogging on easy days to ensure recovery and longer tempo runs.
In addition, do not neglect your speed development. We do 1, vo2max workout per week. Your vo2 max is your maximum oxygen uptake. It is training at paces that are so fast your body can't clear the lactic acid faster than it is building up.
We work at sprint paces at these types of efforts. Again, the goal with all of these types of workouts is to get race pace to feel more in control. Also, to sustain race pace more efficiently and longer than our competition. I hope this post on how many miles is 50km has been helpful to you.
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