Marathon FAST: Treadmill Speed Sessions for Masters Athletes
Marathon FAST is a focused collection of key treadmill sessions designed for Masters Runners to improve your Marathon pace, aerobic endurance, running economy and ability to maintain race pace when fatigue starts to build.
Using the treadmill allows you to control pace precisely, remove distractions such as terrain and weather, and accumulate quality time at, and around, your current Marathon speed.
This isn't a complete marathon training plan or a replacement for your long runs. Instead, it's a collection of purposeful quality sessions designed to complement your existing running, triathlon or endurance programme.
What you'll work on:
🔹 Marathon race-pace endurance: becoming increasingly comfortable at your target Marathon speed.
🔹 Aerobic strength: improving your ability to sustain a strong, controlled effort for longer.
🔹 Faster-than-Marathon running: controlled periods above race pace designed to make Marathon speed feel increasingly manageable.
🔹 Race-pace durability: maintaining pace and form as fatigue accumulates.
🔹 Running economy: learning to run efficiently and conserve energy at Marathon pace.
🔹 Pace changes: developing the ability to increase effort before settling smoothly back into race rhythm.
🔹 Fast-finish strength: learning to maintain or increase pace during the latter stages of a hard run.
🔹 Confidence: making Marathon race pace familiar, controlled and repeatable.
Sessions use simple treadmill speed targets based around your current Marathon Speed (kph), making them straightforward to follow regardless of your current ability.
For example, if your current Marathon speed is 12kph, a session prescribing Marathon Speed + 0.5kph would be completed at 12.5kph.
Recoveries are deliberately controlled. Some sessions use easy jogging, while others progress continuously without recovery. The priority is always maintaining the quality, consistency and efficiency of the race-specific running.
Who is it for?
Marathon FAST is ideal for runners and triathletes who already have a solid aerobic base and want to add structured, Marathon-specific quality work to their training.
It can work particularly well for athletes who:
🔹 Have the endurance to complete a marathon but want to race it faster.
🔹 Struggle to maintain target pace during the latter stages of a marathon.
🔹 Want to improve their Marathon pace without making every long run harder.
🔹 Need more structured exposure to target race pace.
🔹 Tend to start strongly but fade significantly over the final 10–12km.
🔹 Want to improve running economy and fatigue resistance.
🔹 Struggle to judge sustained race pace consistently outdoors.
🔹 Want focused treadmill sessions alongside their normal marathon programme.
🔹 Have limited access to reliable flat running routes.
Before starting
You'll need a reasonably accurate idea of your current Marathon speed. Ideally, this should come from a recent marathon, realistic current race prediction or recent race performances rather than your all-time PB.
Your treadmill speeds throughout the sessions are then calculated relative to this number.
These sessions are designed to complement rather than replace your weekly long run. Marathon preparation still requires appropriate overall running volume and progressively longer endurance sessions.
The goal isn't to turn every treadmill workout into a marathon simulation. It's to consistently accumulate quality running at and around the correct speed.
Marathon performance isn't simply about having enough endurance to cover 26.2 miles, it's about being able to maintain pace, efficiency and control when the legs inevitably start getting tired.
Run controlled. Build durability. Hold your pace for longer.
That's Marathon FAST.
WhittleFit provides proven, structured endurance training plans for triathletes, cyclists and runners; from first-time racers through to competitive age-group athletes.
Our TrainingPeaks plans combine over 20 years of endurance-sport experience with practical sessions designed for athletes balancing training with real life.
We have plans for:
- Triathlon
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Running
- Strength Training