Predicting Marathon Times

You can predict your marathon time based on how long it takes you to run 800 metres. Don't believe it? The secret lies in 'Yasso 800s'.

This year I discovered an amazing new marathon workout. Amazing, because it's the simplest marathon workout you've ever heard. (And simplicity in marathon training, is much to be prized). Amazing, because I'm convinced it actually works.

Yasso 800s have been devised by Bart Yasso , race services manager at RUNNER'S WORLD magazine. Amby Burfoot, the Boston marathon champion, takes up the story....

Amby Burfoot: Bart and I were at the Portland Marathon last September when he told me about his workout. He was training for a marathon later in the fall, so two days before Portland he went to a nearby track and ran Yasso 800s. "I'm trying to build up to ten 800s in the same time as my marathon goal time," he told me.

Huh? Half-miles in 2 or 3 hours? I didn't get it.

Bart saw that he'd have to do more explaining. "I've been doing this particular workout for about 15 years," he continued, "and it always seems to work for me. If I can get my 800s down to 2 minutes 50 seconds, I'm in 2:50 marathon shape. If I can get down to 2:40 (minuses), I can run a 2:40 marathon. I'm shooting for a 2:37 marathon right now, so I'm running my 800s in 2:37."

Suddenly things started to make sense. But would the same workout apply to a 3 hour marathoner? A 4-hour marathoner? A 5-hour marathoner?

I'm convinced they are a great session to practice on the track, and give runners an indicator of their possible marathon time. However they only indicate your possible speed providing you also have the necessary endurance base. Which in the case of marathons means plenty of 20 to 23 mile runs.

John McNally