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Whether you’re just starting to run or you’ve been running for many years, our goal at RUN is to be a resource for training information, inspiration to plan your next trail running race, insights about how to fuel, ideas on how to build running-specific strength, and more. We’ve got you covered if you’re looking to get started or take your running to the next level.
In the meantime, if you’re looking forward to tackling your training and racing goals in the new year, consider taking the “You vs. the Year 2025” running challenge.
In no particular order, here are the top training articles published on RUN in 2024.
5 Key Workouts to Nail the Half Marathon and Marathon
By Emma-Kate Lidbury
Like everything with running, more and faster isn’t always better. It’s equally important that workouts are designed for optimal impact and efficiency—too hard and you risk zapping your legs for days to come, but too easy and you won’t get the gains you’re seeking. With this in mind, we asked three top runners and coaches—Nell Rojas, Bobby McGee, and Jack Fultz—for their go-to up-tempo workouts that can help sprinkle just the right amount of speed and intensity into your marathon or half-marathon training build.
11 Reasons Your Heart Rate is High on Easy Runs
By Cindy Kuzma
Regular runners tend to have lower heart rates at rest and at every level of physical activity, from light to moderate to intense. But sometimes when you’re trying to run easy, your heart rate may feel like it’s soaring out of control—or at least, out of proportion to your pace. Why does this happen, when it is a problem, and what can runners do about it?
What’s the Optimal Length and Timing of Your Longest Run During Marathon Training?
By Joe Baur
Why is everyone running different distances in the lead up to their marathons? Some runners run as long as 20 to 22 miles for their longest runs during a marathon buildup, while others max out at 14 to 16 miles. Some runners cap their long runs at two hours, some run as long as four hours. With the help experienced running coaches, we attempt to pinpoint the optimal length and timing of your longest run in a marathon training block.
4 Key Takeaways From My Experience at a Pro Runner’s Marathon Training Camp
By Emilia Benton
Nell Rojas’ first Boulder-based training camp for all levels of runners proved to be an eye-opening and energizing way to kickstart my current marathon training cycle. Here are four key takeaways from my training camp experience, and how you might be able to benefit from a similar training camp in your next marathon buildup.
Why It’s Normal to Feel Like Garbage in the Middle of Your Marathon Training Cycle
By Ashley Mateo
Marathon training is a commitment, but it can also be a grind. By the time you’re two to three months in, with race day creeping ever closer, you might start to feel like each week is getting harder than the last. Feeling like crap—heavy legs, sore muscles and joints, and perhaps unmotivated to head out the door— around two months out from your marathon is actually pretty normal. Here’s why.
5 Marathon Training Resolutions Coaches Wish You Would Make
By Lauren Wingenroth
Need some inspiration for how you might refresh your marathon training? Kelsea Masterson and two other coaches weighed in on the marathon training resolutions they wish runners would make—from nutrition to mindset to goal-setting—as you begin your next marathon training cycle.
How to Fuel for a Half Marathon, Even if You Don’t Think You Have To
By Joe Baur
Experienced marathoners may feel like a 13.1 miles isn’t enough to warrant fuel, but here’s why this mindset could be hindering your performance. Going into a half marathon race too casually—without a proper fueling and hydration plan—can be disastrous, especially if you have any expectations of pushing yourself to a PR.
A Beginner Training Plan for Your First 50K
By T.J. Murphy
For some, a special breed, the next challenge after a marathon is about going farther. It’s time to take the journey into what is not just the next distance, but also the next world: Ultrarunning. This guide is aimed at training you to go the distance in a 50K (roughly 31 miles), the “shortest” standard distance you’ll find when you push beyond the limits of the marathon—and often a gateway to 50-, 100- and 200-mile races!
How to Bulletproof Your Legs Against the Most Common Running Overuse Injuries
By Emma-Kate Lidbury
Regardless of whether you’re new to the sport, a seasoned marathoner, or a sturdy trail runner, avoiding common running injuries is hard to do. Studies show that 50 percent of runners get hurt every year. But armed with the right information, there is plenty you can do to minimize the chance of being hit by the injury bug.
Here’s What the Data Says about How to Run a Sub 2:00 Half Marathon
By Zoë Rom
The sub-two-hour half marathon is a much sought-after benchmark for amateur and age-group runners, akin to the sub-three-hour marathon. We dove into thousands of data points to extract training insights about how to run your best half marathon yet.
4 Ways to Tell Your Fitness Is Improving Without Obsessing Over Pace
By Ashley Mateo
One of the most appealing things about running is its objective nature: it’s measured by the clock, or how fast you can run. But pace is not the only way to measure your fitness, workout performances, or long runs.
Race Fueling Tips For Distances From 5Ks To Marathons
By Lauren Antonucci
It is important to toe every starting line well hydrated and with glycogen stores and blood glucose topped off, but how much and what you’ll need on race day will vary. Here are some easy-to-follow fueling guidelines from 5K to marathon.
5 Essential Tips to Start Training (Again)
By Amber Sayer
Smart advice on what you need to know before you start a running program… and also serves as a reminder for those returning to running from a time out or an injury. We share five beginner tips to help you start running safely and successfully.
A Runner’s Guide to Strength Training
By Kyle Norman
Lifting weights can be intimidating for runners. Here’s everything you need to know to get started, including when to schedule it, what equipment you need, and how to reach your goals.
You Don’t Need a Gym to Become a Stronger Runner
By Jason Fitzgerald
Lifting weights is often considered the “gold standard” for strength, power, and force production. Here are three proven ways to increase running strength—and speed, economy, power and injury resistance—without lifting a single weight.