How fast do you need to run 5km to run a full marathon sub 3 hours?

How fast are you able to run a 5km race now?

Or do you want to run a full marathon sub 3 hours?

Then, how fast are you able to run a 5km race now?

A full marathon race is very long distance, however, at the end of the day, the fastest runner wins a race. So, you need to run fast 42.195km.

Considering that, you better focus on 5km or 10km race approximately a half year if you want to run a full marathon fast.

Also, most amateur runners miss one thing out that you need good basic endurance to run a 5km race fast. I totally understand what a lot of amateur runners think or feel. Once you finish your first marathon, you feel that a 5km race is pretty short and you need very much speed.

But the truth is, you need much more endurance than speed if you want to run a 5km race fast.

In Japan, a few hundreds runners run 5000m under 14 minutes every year and most of them run approximately 140km a week. These days, they run less than before but that does not mean they train less than runners in the past because some athletes do a lot of drill exercises, core training, jump training, sprint training etc.

So, if you need to run a lot to run a 5km race fast and because of that, you build up your basic endurance gradually.

But of course, you need intensity to run a 5km race fast. I don’t mean only the intensity of speed workouts (especially interval workouts), but also the intensity of your total mileage.

If you run 140km a week, the average pace of the 140km is very important. You cannot run 5000m under 14 minutes if all of your workouts are 5:00/km pace.

And of course, your body needs to get used to fast pace.

The biggest reason why we cannot run a 5km race as fast as we want is because our metabolism hits the limit, not the speed.

However, before we improve specific metabolism by doing specific workouts, our body needs to get used to the speed itself by doing short interval workouts.

Imagine, when you drive a car, you don’t hit your metabolism limit, right?

When you drive a car, you don’t feel hard and you don't breath hard.

However, if your motor neurons do not get used to driving a car, you get tired mentally (Your nerve system gets fatigue and your concentration ability goes down).

The same thing happens to us when we run fast.

The slower we run, the less concentration we need. Maybe you can chat with your friends when you jog.

While when we run fast, we need more concentration. Based on our experience, we all know that.

Of course, one side is because our metabolism gets closer to the limit. But another side is because the body movement gets faster and more complicated. So, we need more concentration.

However, once you get used to driving a car, you need less concentration, right?

Maybe in the beginning, you cannot talk with your friends when you are driving a car while once you get used to driving a car, you can drive a car and at the same time talk with your girlfriend and look at a beautiful girl who is walking on a sidewalk and your girlfriend notices that and she slaps you because now you are used to driving a car.

But even if you are used to driving a car, if you go for a F1 race, you need to focus on the race 100%, you cannot talk with your girlfriend anymore. The faster you want to drive a car, the more practice you need.

The same is running. The faster we want to run, the more we need to practice running fast. This is not training because this does not train our body, but practice running fast. This is basic speed.

Let’s go back to the topic now. If you want to run a 5km race fast, you need to build various types of speed and endurance and that builds a solid base as a marathoner. So, I highly recommend many amateur runners to focus on a 5km or a 10km race about half a year. And another half a year focus on a marathon race.

In Japan, there are not many marathon races from May to September because it is too hot for marathon. Especially, from June to September, there is almost no race (There are some full marathon races though).

In this period, I recommend amateur runners in Japan to focus on a 5000m or 3000m race because 3000m is the longest race you can perform the best even in the Summer. A 5000m is a bit too long to perform the best in the Summer. However, it is still possible to perform the best.

While, if you make your personal best time in a 10km or half marathon race in August in Kyoto in Japan, I’m 100% sure, you are able to run a lot faster in December.

Now, just think about where you live.

Most of you live in countries which is always Summer. Most of my blog readers live in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, in other words where the Japanese emperor military temporary were and old people still speak Japanese.

These countries are hot all the year. So, it is better to focus on improving a 5km race time at least half a year.

Then the question is, how fast do you need to run in a 5km race to achieve your goal at a full marathon distance.

The conclusion is 2 minutes faster than your goal full marathon race pace per 5km, in other words, 24 seconds faster than your goal full marathon pace per 1km.

If you get enough endurance, you can sustain only 1 and a half minute per 5km slower pace than your 5km race pace to the end.

For example, if you are able to run 5000m 20 minutes, you can sustain 5000m 21:30 pace to the full marathon distance which means, you are able to run a full marathon approximately 3:02.

But for most of amateur runners, it is a bit unrealistic because they train much less than the ideal training volume.

Ideally speaking, you need to train about 200km a week to reach your potential. Let’s say somewhere between from 150km to 250km a week.

However, it is not realistic for most of amateur runners. So, they lack endurance basically. That’s why more realistic number is about 80-100km a week training and 2 minutes per 5km slower than your 5km race pace.

Meaning, if you want to run a full marathon sub 3 hours, you better run a 5000m race 19:15. And once you are able to run a 5000m 19:15, you are ready to go for your marathon preparation and run a full marathon sub 3 hours.

Also, this is important, if you are able to run 5000m 19:15, your moderate runs pace would be somewhere between from 4:50-4:30/km pace and you consistently do 20km runs (consistently means once a week or two weeks) and these basic endurance runs create a solid base for running marathon sub 3 hours.

Also, you need to get used to 3:50/km pace, then it’s gonna be a good speed base for running 4:15/km. Once you are used to 3:50/km pace, you can run 4:15/km pace without much concentration. So, you can save your mental energy until 30km point.

If you are wondering how possible human beings run a full marathon sub 3 hours, my best advice is ‘Divide a big problem into small problems’. If you know how to think, it gets much easier. I hope this blog post helps you a lot.

Lastly, if you want to run marathon sub 3 hours in near future or far future in faster way, want a blue print for running marathon sub 3 hours and are ready to pay 4 cups of starbucks coffee (10 US dollars), I have something for you.

So, let me tell you why and what it is.

This is 25 weeks training program for running marathon under 3 hours. This is not like ‘Please try the following 3 workouts and you could run marathon under 3 hours probably’, but exact 25 weeks training program, in other words, you’ll know exactly what you do every day including when you take a rest day and when you train hard.

Here is a Japanese saying ‘Taking a rest is a part of training’ or one of the most successful marathon coach Renato Canova said ‘Training starts with hitting shower because training starts with recovery’.

Recovery does not only mean taking a rest but also sleep, nutrition, drinking water, staying relaxed etc. However, in terms of training, also there should be hard days, moderate days and easy days.

You’ll know exact ratio of hard days, moderate days and easy days.

Also, you’ll know the exact ratio of speed workouts and endurance workouts. If you want to finish a marathon, then you need only endurance (aerobic resistance exactly speaking) while if you want to run a marathon fast, then you need speed and endurance. Not only one factor.

You also will know approximately how much speed do you need and how much endurance do you need.

Also, you’ll know the ratio of basic training and specific training. Here’s my point, if we want to run fast on a race day, we need to simulate a race a little bit in training mentally and physically.

However, if we have no basic endurance and speed, there is no way to do it at a high level.

Here is an example. If you run 20km at 4:15/km pace, you simulate a marathon race. At least, you’ll know how you feel at the first half point. But the problem is what can we do for arriving there.

I have coached about 500 amateur runners in the last 5 years and many of them finished their first marathons about 4:30. And many of them ran a marathon under 3 hours a few years later. If someone is at a marathon 4:30 level, there is no way to run 20km at 4:15/km pace in training.

So, I let them do basic training first and increased their basic fitness level and once you built a basic fitness level, you need to maintain it.

So, in this 25 weeks training program, there are many basic workouts which are not hard but so effective.

Some of you might be wondering why this training program is so long. I mean, 25 weeks are more than a half year.

The reason is pretty simple, if I set as small as possible steps, it is easier to go to the next step. Many people try to take a big step and they never go up because one step is too big. They don’t know how to divide a problem to solve it.

That’s why this training program is a bit long.

However, if you are not able to run 5000m under 20 minutes now and/or if you do not run 200km a month (50km a week) regularly now, you need more small steps. But even in this case, it is important to know what the final goal looks like.

Many people don’t know where the final goal is, so they don’t even know which direction they need to go. And because of that, they don’t aim at running marathon under 3 hours at all.

Imagine, there is the Yamashita buried treasure (Tons of gold that general Yamashita hided from the US military during World War two) somewhere in Philippines. I know that. But I have never thought to go to Philippines to find the treasure because I have no idea where it is (By the way, probably the Yamashita buried treasure was given to the USA during Edsa revolution. The USA government asked president Marcos to give it to the USA and he gave it to the USA to go into exile in the United States).

While if I know where it is approximately, I fly to Philippines to find it.

This is the difference people who know which direction they need to go and people who don’t know even which direction they need to go and how far from their places to the final goals.

The real problem is not you are far away from the final goal, but you don’t know which direction you need to go and how far away from your place.

If you buy this 25 weeks training program, you’ll know where the final goal is and which direction you need to go, so that you beat most of amateur runners because they don’t know which direction they need to go and how far away from their goals.

But also, you need to understand this before you buy this program.

You should not follow this training program 100%. As I described already, I helped about 500 amateur runners to run marathon under 3 hours in the last 5 years, and none of them followed the completely same program. Details should be individual. While it is also important to know all of their training program is somehow similar.

Approximately, 70-80% same.

Or, I would say ‘The flow is the same’. Imagine, you get on a boat without any pedals, in other words, there is no way to control your way 100%. But 70-80% of your course is already determined because of the river flow.

Just like that, if you get on a right river flow, you will be successful 70-80%. You gotta work for the rest of 20-30% but at least you beat most of amateur runners because they need to work for 100%. They have no idea what to do.

This is a big advantage and you’ll get this advantage for only 4 cups of starbucks coffee, in other words 10 US dollars (don’t worry, you’ll know how much it is in your country currency in the product page).

Getting started is very very easy. You just choose your payment method from a credit card, Paypal, Apple pay, Google pay and Alipay, type your name and your e-mail address which I am going to send the program to. It takes only 5 minutes and you’ll get the 25 weeks training program by an automation e-mail.

So, literally you’ll get the 25 weeks training program in 10 minutes from now. And one hour later or one day later, you will already appreciate your decision and be motivated so much to go for running every day.

The only problem you’ll have is that I didn’t start coaching in English 3 years ago and you started then. Does that sound fair enough?

Getting the fast ticket to marathon sub 3 hours now!

Do you want to think about it more?

I totally understand how you feel because many runners said ‘Let me think about it more’ before I started coaching them even though now, they appreciate my coaching so much and some of them call me ‘master’.

Now, let me ask you a question. Does the idea make sense to you?

This 25 weeks training program sounds good to you so far?

If not, probably this training program is not for you. Please close this page and I will try to write something for you next time.

While if that sounds good to you so far, let me say ‘You are a smart person who knows the value of this program’.

The true beauty of this program is, not only giving you 25 weeks training program but also explaining what you understand before you start this program. I explain also terminology and test races, in other words how to assess your training in a right way by yourself. So, you will know the right process to marathon sub 3 hours. You can change your training program accordingly by seeing how everything goes.

Imagine, one day you feel bad and you just ignored the symptom. And after that, the harder you train, the slower you get. This is a very common thing which is gonna happen to us runners.

We try to avoid it as much as possible and fix it in case it happens to us. I explain how to prevent it and how to fix it in case it happens.

Training is somehow similar with running a company or a life. You need to try to avoid a risk but you cannot avoid a risk 100%. So, you need to know how to deal with it in case something bad happens to you.

And you’ll know how to do it in running field.

Let me ask you another honest question. Are you comfortable with me right now?

I mean, I have 10,000 customers only in the last 5 years in Japan and have never met most of them. So, in the beginning they were uncomfortable with me for only one reason that they have never met me in face to face even though most of them respect me and trust me so much now and some of them call me 'master' just like I told you.

And I totally understand that feeling too.

So, let me introduce me a bit. I’m Ikegami Hideyuki and have been running daily since I was 12 years old. My seeking was running as long as possible with 3 minutes per kilometer pace. When I was 14 years old, I ran 3,000m under 9 minutes, I ran 5,000m under 15 minutes at the age of 15, I ran 8.5km under 25:30 at the age of 18 and ran 10,000m race under 30 minutes at the age of 18, I ran half marathon 63:09 at the age of 19. And then unfortunately 30km 1:31 and full marathon 2:13 are my personal best time in my life so far. I have never sustained 3 minutes per kilometer pace until 30km. My dream is sustaining that pace until 42.195km and still chasing it.

On this way, I have read hundreds books about running which were written in Japanese, English and German and heard hundreds top coaches and athletes all over the world including Japanese, German, English, Norwegian, Kenyan, Austrian, Australian, French etc. Some of them ran under 2:10 for male runners and under 2:25 for female.

The fastest guy I talked with daily was 2:06 male marathoner and 2:18 female marathoner even though we did not always talk about running or training but also family, friend, love, job, education though.

After 18 years old, mostly I trained alone. So, I knew I was able to help amateur runners who trained alone or coached themselves. I made my company Well-being Ltd 5 years ago with no capital investment with my goal ‘Helping 10,000 amateur runners to achieve their goals, dreams and solve their problems’. And I already did it with Japanese amateur runners.

So, I made a decision to do the same thing in English.

Additionally, I hired 5 employees who are still running or were running in the past. Three male employees ran full marathon around 2:30 with my coaching and two female runners ran 1,500m under 4:30 and 3000m around 9:30 without my coaching.

Plus, the vice president of my company who ran full marathon 2:29 trained junior high school students now and one of them became a junior high school champion with the time 1,000m 2:30. Now he is 16 years old and already ran 1,500m 3:52 and 5000m 14:22.

As long as my company goes, we support you too if you commit yourself. Remember, this is not the end, but the beginning of our relationship. Finally, you found a person who teaches you the right information about running.

Now, what if my product does not help you at all and you are not satisfied with my product?

In that case, I will give you money back without any hesitation. Let me honest with you. Approximately, 0.3% of my customers are not satisfied with my product for some reasons and in that case, I always paid all money back to them because I’m proud of my coaching. If I help runners, I get paid without hesitation and if I do not help runners, I pay them back without any hesitation too.

However, the simple truth is that more than 10,000 amateur runners are satisfied with me in the last 5 years and the next is your turn.

The only problem you’ll have is that I started this business in 3 years ago and you started then. Sounds fair enough?

Getting the fast ticket to marathon sub 3 hours now!