Eliud Kipchoge is the fastest man in the world — at his 1:59 marathon in Vienna, he ran consistent splits between 2:48 min/km, and 2:52 min/km (around a 4:30 min/mile), yet when the Kenyan runner heads out for his training miles, his pace drops considerably. Clocking around 200km a week, the Kenyan runner does a lot of his miles at an ‘easy’ pace of 4:00-5:00 min/km, or 6:26-8:03 min/miles. So how slow should you be doing your easy miles? We asked two running coaches to find out more.
Easy miles form the backbone of most training plans, whether you’re training for a 5K, or a marathon. When running easy, slower miles, you will use mostly slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are important for building endurance. You’ll also work on your cardiovascular strength, which is essential for all runners, no matter how far you plan on running.
