Yasso 800 Workout: Pace Chart, Benefits & How-To Guide

If you’re targeting a sub 3 hour marathon and wondering whether the Yasso 800 is right for you, this guide has the answers.

I’ve worked through a wide range of interval training sessions myself, and the Yasso 800 is one I keep coming back to — the results speak for themselves.

Drawing on exercise physiology and my own training experience, here’s an in-depth look at what the Yasso 800 actually delivers.

By the end of this article, you’ll understand the training benefits of Yasso 800 and know whether it belongs in your program right now.

What Is the Yasso 800 Workout?

The Yasso 800 is an interval training workout that consists of 10 × 800m efforts with 400m jogging recovery between each rep. Its appeal among recreational runners comes down to one thing: a simple, intuitive pace formula.

You calculate your target pace directly from your marathon goal time.

Below is a full Yasso 800 pace chart by marathon goal time.

Marathon Goal Time	800m Effort Time	400m Recovery
2:30 marathon	2:30	2:30 easy jog
2:50 marathon	2:50	2:50 easy jog
3:00 marathon (sub-3)	3:00	3:00 easy jog
3:15 marathon	3:15	3:15 easy jog
3:30 marathon (sub-3:30)	3:30	3:30 easy jog
4:00 marathon (sub-4)	4:00	4:00 easy jog

Note: For runners targeting a sub-3:30 marathon or slower, the Yasso 800 pace may fall short of true VO2 max intensity. In that case, treat it as lactate threshold volume work rather than VO2 max development — or bump your target pace slightly faster.

In Jack Daniels’ Running Formula, the recommended recovery duration for interval workouts is equal to or shorter than the effort duration.

A network meta-analysis of interval training protocols※1 found the work-to-rest ratio (WRR) that produces the greatest VO2 max improvement is approximately 0.85 — around 140 seconds of effort to 165 seconds of recovery.

Yasso 800’s 1:1 ratio is close to this optimal value, making it a well-designed workout.

A randomized controlled trial※2 also confirmed that active recovery — jogging the 400m between reps, as in Yasso 800 — leads to greater VO2 max gains compared to passive rest (standing still).

Who Should Do the Yasso 800?

The Yasso 800 effort pace corresponds to VO2 max intensity, making it a type of VO2 max interval training. For a detailed breakdown, see the related article below.

That said, the Yasso 800 isn’t equally effective for everyone.

Based on my own experience and feedback from other runners, my conclusion is this: the Yasso 800 is best suited for runners who can run a sub 3 hour marathon or faster.

For runners with a marathon time slower than 3 hours, the Yasso 800 pace tends to feel too easy (based on feedback from multiple runners).

This observation is supported by VDOT Calculator data.

Comparing the Yasso 800 pace against the interval pace derived from the VDOT Calculator for the same marathon time, the Yasso 800 pace becomes progressively more demanding as marathon times improve.

In the chart, orange dots represent the Yasso 800 target pace and blue dots show the interval pace calculated from the VDOT Calculator.

The two paces converge when marathon time is approximately 2:38 (Yasso 800 pace: 4:14/mile (2:38/km)).

Runners with a marathon time faster than 2:38 will find the Yasso 800 pace is harder than what the VDOT Calculator prescribes.

At the sub 3 hour marathon level, the Yasso 800 pace falls below the interval pace recommended in Jack Daniels’ Running Formula, meaning the VO2 max training stimulus is reduced.

This makes Yasso 800 a workout better suited to intermediate and advanced runners.

Why Yasso 800 Works: Training Benefits

Here’s a breakdown of the main training benefits — and one notable limitation — of the Yasso 800.

VO2 Max Improvement

With the right effort pace, you can expect meaningful VO2 max gains. The key factors are effort intensity and time spent at VO2 max intensity (T@VO2max).

An RCT※3 found that 4 × 4-minute intervals at 90–95% of max heart rate (HRmax) raised VO2 max by an average of 13%.

A major review of HIIT programming※4 identified T@VO2max as “the most important metric for evaluating the cardiovascular benefits of HIIT.”

Each Yasso 800 effort takes roughly 150–180 seconds, which is close to the optimal effort duration for VO2 max improvement (approximately 140 seconds)※1.

The extended recovery between reps makes it easier to maintain a high effort speed and secure T@VO2max rep after rep.

In my own sessions, I found it much easier to stay focused and hold pace effort to effort compared to longer intervals.

The key: hold your speed as close to VO2 max pace as possible throughout every rep.

Building Training Volume for Marathon

Long recovery periods make it easy to complete more reps, which means more total training volume.

For marathon runners, volume matters just as much as intensity.

A review on skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations※5 found that mitochondrial content increases in a volume-dependent manner. Yasso 800’s higher rep count drives these mitochondrial adaptations and makes it well-suited to full marathon prep.

A 5 × 1000m workout offers better race specificity for 5K, but for marathon training, Yasso 800’s ability to accumulate volume gives it the edge.

Low Mental Barrier — Easy to Stay Consistent

Since maintaining near-maximal effort is the whole point of VO2 max intervals, any session where your pace fades midway yields reduced benefits.

From my own experience running solo, long intervals can fall apart — pace fades, or I quit early when it gets hard.

Yasso 800’s generous recovery makes it far more likely you’ll complete every rep at the target pace.

Over time, consistency and repeatability compound. Finishing every rep in every session adds up to far more training stimulus than half-completing harder workouts.

Track Your Marathon Fitness Over Time

Yasso 800 doubles as a marathon fitness test.

Because it’s manageable to complete, you can run it consistently throughout your training cycle and track changes over time.

And since the pace you can hold translates directly to a marathon time prediction, the feedback is immediately meaningful.

Limitations of Yasso 800

As a race-specific workout, Yasso 800 falls short. The long recovery periods are far removed from actual race conditions.

For 5K-specific training, extend the effort to 1000m and shorten the recovery — that builds the ability to sustain a hard pace when fatigued, which is the specificity 5K racing demands.

Shorter rest teaches you to push through discomfort at race pace. That’s the kind of race-specificity you need for 5K and 10K performance.

When to Use Yasso 800 in Your Training

Yasso 800 is one of the more accessible VO2 max interval workouts. But because the recovery is generous, it lacks race specificity for 5K and 10K racing.

My recommendation: use it as a VO2 max stimulus within a half marathon or full marathon training block.

In the later stages of marathon prep, your focus shifts to race-specific work — but you still need to maintain the VO2 max you’ve built. Yasso 800 threads that needle.

It builds volume and delivers a VO2 max stimulus while remaining manageable alongside other quality sessions.

That combination makes it a well-placed option in a half marathon or full marathon training block.

It’s one of the most popular structured workouts among recreational marathon runners for good reason.

If you haven’t tried interval training yet, starting with a reduced set — say 4–6 reps — is a great way to ease in.

References

※1 Yang Q, Wang J, Guan D (2025) “Comparison of different interval training methods on athletes’ oxygen uptake: a systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analysis” BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation

※2 Ben Abderrahman A, Zouhal H, Chamari K et al. (2013) “Effects of Recovery Mode (Active vs. Passive) on Performance During a Short High-Intensity Interval Training Program: A Longitudinal Study” European Journal of Applied Physiology

※3 Helgerud J, Hoydal K, Wang E et al. (2007) “Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

※4 Buchheit M, Laursen PB (2013) “High-intensity interval training, solutions to the programming puzzle: Part I: cardiopulmonary emphasis” Sports Medicine

※5 Granata C, Jamnick NA, Bishop DJ (2018) “Training-Induced Changes in Mitochondrial Content and Respiratory Function in Human Skeletal Muscle” Sports Medicine