Marathon Pace Training: Benefits, Workouts, and Science

Many runners include marathon pace runs in their training — but few understand exactly what these runs do to the body.

The truth is, training at your actual full marathon race pace (referred to as M-pace in Jack Daniels’ system) isn’t always the most effective option — there are many situations where other training intensities produce better results.

That said, marathon pace training offers an excellent return on investment when used correctly. This article explores the physiology of M-pace training and how to implement it effectively.

Both Jack Daniels’ Running Formula and Arthur Lydiard’s training system include M-pace workouts as a core component of full marathon preparation — and for good reason.

By the end of this article, you’ll understand the physiological effects of M-pace training, know how to set the right pace, and be able to incorporate it at the right time in your training cycle.

Understanding Marathon Pace: Intensity, Pace Setting, and Volume

M-pace stands for “marathon pace” — your goal full marathon race pace. Here’s how to understand its intensity, set the right pace, and determine appropriate training volume.

Marathon Pace Intensity

When exercise intensity is divided into five zones, marathon pace falls in Zone 3.

As we’ll cover later, Zone 3 training strikes a balance — it generates meaningful physiological adaptations while remaining recoverable enough to repeat throughout a training cycle.

How to Set Your Marathon Pace

M-pace is simply your goal full marathon race pace. If you’ve recently run a marathon, use that finishing time to determine your pace directly.

If you haven’t run a marathon recently, use your half marathon or 5K time to calculate your predicted marathon pace with the VDOT Calculator.

The “Marathon” row shows your M-pace. In the example below, the marathon pace is 5:54/mile (3:40/km).

For a step-by-step guide to using the VDOT Calculator, see the related article below.

Training Volume at Marathon Pace

According to Jack Daniels’ Running Formula, the maximum recommended M-pace volume per session is 20% of your weekly mileage (to reduce injury risk).

For example, if your weekly mileage is 100 km (62 miles), limit each M-pace session to no more than 20 km (12.4 miles).

What Marathon Pace Training Actually Does

Here are the key benefits you can expect from M-pace training.

Building Marathon Specificity

The primary reason to run at marathon pace is to build marathon-specific fitness.

By repeatedly running at M-pace, you improve your running economy at that specific speed — meaning marathon pace starts to feel progressively easier. This is the specificity principle in action.

Renato Canova is one of the most respected marathon coaches in the world, having guided athletes such as Wilson Kipsang (former world record holder) and Sondre Nordstad Moen (former European record holder, 2017 Fukuoka International Marathon champion).

Central to Canova’s coaching philosophy is training specificity. According to the Canova system, “any training below 90% of marathon pace is not specific to the marathon.”

In practice, Canova’s athletes sometimes run 40 km (25 miles) at 98% of marathon pace — an extreme but instructive example of specificity-first thinking.

Specificity is one of the five fundamental principles of training. The results achieved by athletes who’ve adopted the Canova system confirm that the specificity principle applies powerfully to the marathon.

Elite marathon runners who train with race-specific workouts consistently show VDOT scores for the marathon that far exceed their performances at shorter distances — further evidence that specificity-driven training pays off.

This confirms that training specifically for your target event is key to performance improvement.

What Daniels’ Running Formula Says

Here’s what Jack Daniels’ Running Formula has to say about M-pace training:

The purpose of M-pace running is to practice running at race pace and to practice taking fluids at that pace. Therefore, the main benefit of M running is mental — building confidence in running the planned pace. The physiological benefits are no different from those of E running.

Jack Daniels’ Running Formula, 3rd Edition

According to Daniels, the physiological stimulus of marathon pace running is essentially the same as easy-pace jogging.

The benefits of easy-pace running are covered in detail in the article below.

Lactate Threshold Improvement

A controlled trial in trained cyclists found that threshold-zone training (Zone 3 / sweet spot intensity) significantly improved lactate threshold (LT)※1.

Additionally, nine weeks of moderate-intensity endurance training at 75% of VO2 peak — comparable to marathon pace — led to significant increases in skeletal muscle lactate transporters MCT1 (monocarboxylate transporter 1) and MCT4 (monocarboxylate transporter 4), improving lactate clearance capacity※2. Based on this evidence, M-pace training can meaningfully improve your lactate threshold.

Zone 3 training is also known as sweet spot training (SST). SST sits in an intensity band that delivers a meaningful lactate threshold stimulus with relatively manageable fatigue, making it efficient to accumulate training volume.

That said, compared to polarized training — which combines low-intensity aerobic work with high-intensity intervals — the magnitude of LT improvement from SST alone is more limited※1. Sweet spot training is not a substitute for high-intensity work when maximum LT gains are the goal.

For a deeper look at sweet spot training, see the article below.

By consistently building SST volume, you can steadily improve your lactate threshold over time.

Marathon Pace Workout Examples

Here are practical ways to incorporate marathon pace training into your schedule.

Pace Setting by Training Phase

Jack Daniels’ Running Formula includes sample 18-week marathon training plans with guidance on how to set M-pace throughout your preparation.

On determining VDOT-based training paces, Daniels recommends the following:

When determining paces for M, T, I, and R runs from VDOT, be realistic. Base VDOT on race performances of 10K or longer, using the most recent and longest race as the primary reference… For the first 6 weeks, use the lower of: the VDOT corresponding to your most recent race result, or 2 VDOT points below your predicted marathon VDOT. Increase by 1 VDOT point for weeks 7–12, and again by 1 point for the final 6 weeks.

Jack Daniels’ Running Formula, 3rd Edition

In other words, begin the preparation block at a conservative VDOT and progressively increase training intensity over the 18-week cycle.

Using Heart Rate to Set Intensity

When using heart rate to target marathon pace intensity, the appropriate range is 83–87% of max heart rate — consistent with Zone 3 as shown in the intensity table above.

For a runner with a max heart rate of 180 bpm, that translates to approximately 149–157 bpm.

To use heart rate as your guide, you’ll need to know your accurate max heart rate and have a heart rate sensor capable of precise real-time measurement.

For accurate heart rate measurement during running, an optical heart rate sensor (arm-worn) or a chest strap heart rate monitor is recommended.

Alternating Pace Workout Examples

Here are structured workout examples from Jack Daniels’ Running Formula.

※ E = Easy pace (conversational pace / jogging); M = Marathon pace; T = Threshold pace (lactate threshold pace)

Options include a straightforward M-pace run, or an alternating pace workout that weaves in threshold pace segments. Both formats are race-realistic and build the physical and mental readiness needed on race day.

Bookending M-pace segments with easy-pace jogging provides a built-in warm-up and cool-down.

Extending the opening easy segment up to 60 minutes also allows you to add a long run component to the same session.

Interval-Style Marathon Pace Workouts

Many runners incorporate marathon pace in an interval format. As performance levels rise, the gap between marathon pace and easy pace narrows — making it harder to sustain M-pace continuously for long stretches.

Breaking M-pace work into intervals allows you to accumulate more volume at the target intensity without excessive fatigue.

Since marathon pace sits in the sweet spot zone, it also works well as a sustained lactate threshold stimulus. Some runners incorporate it in a repeats format as follows:

When to Include Marathon Pace Training in Your Plan

There are two main windows when marathon pace training fits best.

The primary goal of M-pace training is to build marathon-specific fitness. Ideally, begin incorporating it around two months out from race day.

When used outside the race-specific phase, M-pace functions as sweet spot training — a form of lactate threshold work within the base building phase.

Factor in your target race distance and how much time you have before race day when deciding how and when to introduce M-pace training.

References

※1 Neal CM et al. (2013) “Six weeks of a polarized training-intensity distribution leads to greater physiological and performance adaptations than a threshold model in trained cyclists” J Appl Physiol 114(4):461-471

※2 Dubouchaud H et al. (2000) “Endurance training, expression, and physiology of LDH, MCT1, and MCT4 in human skeletal muscle” Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 278(4):E571-579