How slow should my long run be?

Most long runs should be 1-2 minutes per mile slower than your marathon pace, or roughly 60-75% of your maximum heart rate. You should be able to hold a conversation throughout. If you're breathing hard or can only speak in short phrases, you're going too fast for an aerobic long run.

Does running slow make you faster?

Yes, for most runners. Easy running builds aerobic capacity, capillary density, and mitochondrial function-the foundation of endurance. Running too fast too often prevents these adaptations and creates excessive fatigue. Elite runners do 80% or more of their training at easy paces.

Should I ever run my long run faster?

Occasionally, yes. Marathon-specific long runs might include segments at goal pace. Progression long runs start easy and finish moderate. But these are specific workouts, not the default. Most long runs should be genuinely easy to allow recovery and consistent training.

Why do my long runs feel hard even at a slow pace?

Duration creates fatigue independent of pace. A 2-hour run at easy pace still depletes glycogen, stresses connective tissue, and accumulates muscular fatigue. This is normal. If easy pace feels hard from the start (not just at the end), you may need more recovery, better fueling, or a genuine fitness check.

Long Run Pace: Why Slower Is Often Smarter

Many runners push their long runs too hard. They check their pace constantly, feel guilty about "slow" splits, and finish depleted. This approach misses the point of the long run-and often slows overall progress.

The Purpose of Easy Pace

Long runs build your aerobic engine: capillaries that deliver oxygen, mitochondria that produce energy, and fat-burning efficiency that spares glycogen for when you need it. These adaptations happen at easy intensity-not moderate, not "comfortably hard," but genuinely easy.

The conversation test: If you can't speak in complete sentences, you're running too fast for an aerobic long run.

Running faster doesn't accelerate these adaptations. It just adds fatigue that compromises your recovery and your next workout.

What "Easy" Actually Means

Easy pace varies by runner, terrain, and conditions. But here are some general guidelines:

By pace: 1-2 minutes per mile slower than marathon pace
By heart rate: 60-75% of maximum, or zone 2
By feel: Conversational, could go faster but choosing not to
By RPE: 3-4 on a 1-10 scale

If any of these metrics suggest you're working too hard, slow down. The slowest guideline wins.

Why Pace Gets Faster as Fitness Improves

Here's the counterintuitive truth: if you run your long runs at the right effort, your pace will naturally get faster over time as fitness improves. You don't need to push pace-pace comes to you.

A runner who averages 10:00/mile at easy effort today might average 9:30/mile at the same effort six months later. The effort stayed constant; the pace improved because the aerobic system developed.

Chasing pace short-circuits this process. You end up tired, not fit.

When Faster Long Runs Make Sense

Not every long run needs to be a pure easy jog. Specific workouts have their place:

Progression long runs: Start easy, finish at moderate effort. The last 20-30% picks up naturally.
Marathon pace segments: Include 4-8 miles at goal marathon pace within a longer run. Race-specific practice.
Fast finish: End with 10-20 minutes at tempo effort. Teaches finishing on tired legs.

These are workouts with specific purposes-not the default. If you're doing fast long runs every week, you're probably not recovering adequately for your other quality sessions.

The "Slow" Runs Elite Runners Do

Elite marathoners-runners who can race at 4:45/mile pace-often do their easy runs at 7:30-8:00/mile or slower. That's nearly 3 minutes slower than race pace.

If professionals with world-class fitness run that easy, recreational runners can certainly allow themselves to slow down. There's no prize for posting fast Strava splits on your recovery runs.

What If Easy Pace Feels Hard?

Sometimes easy pace doesn't feel easy. If this happens consistently, consider:

Accumulated fatigue: You might need an extra rest day or recovery week
Inadequate sleep: Even one poor night affects perceived effort
Underfueling: Running on empty makes everything harder
Heat and humidity: Slow down further in hot conditions
Life stress: Work, relationships, and other stressors deplete recovery capacity

If easy pace feels hard, the answer is usually to run easier-not to push through.

Practical Approach

For most long runs:

Start slower than you think you need to
Let pace drift naturally-don't force consistency
If you're checking your watch anxiously, you're probably going too fast
Finish feeling like you could do more, not destroyed

Save the hard efforts for workouts designed to be hard. Let your long run be what it's meant to be: time on your feet at an intensity that builds your base without breaking you down.