How To Run A Sub 3 Hour Marathon

Are you seeking how to run a sub 3 hour marathon?

You are not alone. There are millions of runners around the world who have this as a goal. So, running a marathon under 3 hours is extremely difficult but can be achieved.

Does it takes some form of talent do run 3 hour marathon pace for 26.2 miles or 42.2 kilometers? Yes. What you lack in talent can be made up with hard work, preparation and tenacity.

There is no way around it. The sub 3 hour marathon is an extremely aggressive pace. I created the Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro course to help runners do just.

Furthermore, the trick to breaking the 3 hour marathon barrier getting accustomed to running faster than race pace.

The Challenges Of A Sub 3 Hour Marathon

Patience is one of the most difficult challenges of breaking this barrier.

So few runners dip below the 3 hour marathon.

What percentage of your weekly mileage are you running faster than 6:52 mile or 5:41 per kilometer pace? If the answer is less than 20 percent therein lies a clue why you haven't broken the 3 hour marathon.

It is not about the amount of mileage you are running. What does count is what is the amount of quality mileage you are putting in.

How are you conducting your long run? Also, are you running long, slow long runs every weekend? What is the pace of your mile repeats? What is the pace of your tempo runs?

Have you considered implementing heart rate monitor training into your routine? |

Who Is The Creator Of The Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro Course?

Well, that is me. My name is Nate Pennington. I have over 27 years of experience with long distance running. I've run 20 miles in 1:44:05 or 5:11 mile pace and hold a half marathon best of 1:07:06.

Additionally, I have a personal best time of 2:19:35 for the marathon. That being said, my stating that is not to impress you but to impress upon you what is possible. I debuted with a sub 3 hour marathon back in 2002 running 2:43:36 at the New York City marathon.

Furthermore, how to run a sub 3 hour marathon comes down to razor sharp focus and an effective training plan. I didn't have the sub 3 hour marathon pro course back when I started. That said, I wish I had. It would have cut my learning curve in half.

You are more than welcome to visit the about page and learn more about my background if you wish. So, my reasoning for building this course was to help advanced-level athletes finally get below this barrier.

A sub 3 hour marathon is an elite time and very few runners break the barrier each year. I want you to be the next. Additionally, I want to personally interview you after you complete the course to hear about your new personal best.

How Do You Run A Sub 3 Hour Marathon?

Two of the biggest sub 3 hour marathon killers are the long run and hydration.

There are other significant reasons runners miss having a “2” before their marathon personal best. One of the biggest reasons is not practicing sub 3 hour marathon pace often enough. In addition to that, not enough time is spent at paces that far exceed 3 hour marathon pace.

The trick is getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Obviously, this is much easier said than done. Running at 5:40 mile pace is not relaxed pace. That being said, it is over a minute faster than your goal marathon race pace.

A sub 3 hour marathon effort asks a great deal from the athlete. How do you sustain 3 hour marathon pace for the entire duration of the race? There are countless marathoners who can hold sub 3 hour marathon pace for 18 to 20 miles.

What counts is if you can do it for 26.2 miles. This is the goal of the Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro course. Leverage. Leverage simply means doing more with less. The goal is quality running versus running too many miles too slow.

Vary The Pace Up

The problem I had for many years trying to lower my marathon from 2:43:36 to sub-2:22:00 was running too slow. My long run distance varied from 18 to 24 miles in length.

The problem was the long runs I was doing were too slow. How did I go from running 6:14 mile pace to 5:19 mile pace for the marathon distance? Well, the long run became the hardest workout I did. It remains so to this day.

A sub 3 hour marathon is going to ask a lot out of you. It does not have to be as intimidating as the time sounds. If you follow what I teach in the Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro course you will break the barrier.

How? By leveraging how you conduct that long run. I'll be teaching the same tactics I was taught by the 1985 Boston Marathon champion. Additionally, you'll be following the same strategies taught to me by two other world-class coaches.

Jack Hazen (2012 USA Track and field assistant coach for the 2012 USA Olympic Team)

Dr. Joe Vigil (world-renowned exercise physiologist and coach)

The biggest reason I was able to go from a 2:43:36 to 2:19:35 PR for the marathon was a change in how I conducted my long run.

It is one thing to do a 18 to 24 miler at 6:45 mile pace. It is a whole other thing to do a long-run like the one below.

Use Leverage

24 miler – first 5 miles@6:15 mile pace, 1 mile in 4:50, 4 miles@5:55 pace, 2 miles@6:05 pace, 7 miles@5:40 pace, 2 miles@6:15 pace, 1 mile in 4:50, 2 miles@6:15 pace

Do you see the difference? You have to change up the way you are conducting your long run. In addition, two miles are run below 5-minute mile pace and many at sub-6 minute mile pace.

This is why the Kenyans make their marathons look so easy.The Japanese are the same way. Their marathon national record is now 2:05:50. It is not just the Kenyans that can run fast. Runners from around the world are running under 3 hours for the marathon.

So, the reason they make it look easy is they have taught themselves to burn fat at race pace and conserve carbohydrate.

Our bodies only have between 1700 to 1800 calories stored as carbohydrate. When do most runners hit the so-called “wall”? The “wall” is usually experienced around mile 17 or 18. This is because runners run out of carbohydrates too soon.

How do you teach the body to conserve carbohydrate?

Conserve Carbohydrate

Runners burn between 100 to 120 calories per mile. Is it no wonder why the “wall” is usually experienced around this point in the race

So, the key is to train in such a way to conserve carbohydrate and utilize fat as your main fuel source. This will minimize race pace “slow down” and get you to the finish line with strength still in your legs.

You'll have the carbohydrate needed in that last 10K to maintain pace while your competition is slowing down.

So, how is this achieved? The strategy used by top marathoners is we train at higher heart rates for longer periods of time.

Now, I am not stating you need to run hard and long every weekend. You should alternate your long runs each week. One hard, long run one week followed by an easy, long run the next week.

Recovery is key. Additionally, recovery is where the benefits come from. Running easy and slow is also important. The key is not to run easy and slow for 85 to 90 percent of your weekly mileage volume.

100 miles a week run at 9 minute mile pace will build strength and endurance. What it will not do is help you run 26.2 miles at 6:52 mile pace or faster.

Learn More About The Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro Course

Hydration

So, you cannot sip for 26.2 miles or 42.2 kilometers and expect to break the 3 hour marathon barrier.

It is essential that you are drinking in the race. Have you ever watched world-class marathoners? What do they do when they grab their water bottle? Do they grab a dixie cup and sip a small percentage of the fluid in it? No.

What they do is grab a bottle they have already set out for them. In addition to that, they will hold the bottle in their hand for a good 800 meters or so in the race.

They are drinking. I wasn't drinking sufficiently. Additionally, I was not taking in enough calories in the race. If you want to run a marathon under 3 hours you have to start taking your hydration seriously.

I, too, was making the same common mistake many marathoners make. You cannot expect to break a 3 hour marathon taking in less than 100 calories during the race. Additionally, our muscles are yearning for fluid and calories during the race.

Furthermore, we ask much of them during the event. If we neglect training at or below race pace and fail at hydrating well, then we fail.

You could be only a few minutes away from a breakthrough simply by changing this tactic up. Are you currently a 4 hour marathoner seeking to break the 4 hour marathon? Perhaps the Sub 4 Hour Marathon Mastery course is for you.

My goal with building the RunDreamAchieve Academy was to help runners leverage their capability. What is critical is running more quality miles and varying up the paces at which you are running them at.

How To Improve Hydration Intake For Your Sub 3 Hour Marathon Attempt

Nothing takes the place of practice.

A common concern for many runners is worrying about drinking too much during the race. No one wants to have fluid sloshing around their stomach for 26.2 miles.

How can you prevent this? Practice and practice often.

I had the same concern so I totally get it. I would put water bottles out every 3 miles during my long runs. That being said, I would deliberately drink rather than sip to see if this worry was legitimate.

The result? What I feared most never occurred. You are already an established marathoner if you are reading this post. No one runs a sub 3 hour marathon half-assing it. Runners don't break the 3 hour marathon barrier being interested.

Furthermore, there is a massive difference between interest versus commitment.

How to run a sub 3 hour marathon can be answered by using leverage more effectively. Lastly, running too many miles run far too slow will not get you there. Leverage is about working smarter, not harder.

The Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro course is designed to help you take action and get results faster. It is not a cookie-cutter 3 hour marathon training plan.

Lastly, it is a course designed by someone who understands your frustrations. Additionally, by someone who knows what it takes to run fast over the marathon distance.

The secret of success is finding someone that is successful and simply duplicate their work habits – Dave Severn, entrepreneur

How to run a sub 3 hour marathon is about using leverage. The Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro is designed to help you do that. Leave a comment or feel free to click the link below to learn more about the course.