Running News Daily

Ultrarunners and coaches share their best advice for building mileage without getting injured.

Whether you want to progress from a 5K to a half marathon or a marathon to an ultra, a few general rules on how to run longer can help you get there.

While building mileage and time on your feet is paramount, the key to doing it successfully involves patience and persistence. “As much as volume matters—volume is king—too much volume too soon can get you on the sidelines,” Bertrand Newson, RRCA-certified run coach and founder and team captain of Too Legit Fitness, based in San Jose, California, tells Runner’s World. 

Follow these tips from Newson and other coaches and ultramarathoners to successfully increase your mileage, avoid injuries, and crush your longest distances.

1. Build a Base, Then Keep It Consistent

“I steadily built up to running 250-mile races over many years, but I started by running one mile at a time,” says Sarah Ostaszewski, pro ultrarunner with Tailwind Nutrition who won the 2023 Ouray 100-Mile Endurance Run. “Build a strong base and try to keep a consistent running routine, so then adding a little extra here and there won’t seem so daunting.” 

Base training typically requires about four to eight weeks (before following a race training schedule) to strengthen your cardiovascular system and your muscles, but the longer you can regularly run and set a foundation, the better. Your base work should involve mostly easy runs, low mileage, and maybe low-key speedwork (depending on your fitness level), like ending a run with strides. This part of your training is all about consistency, rather than actually building mileage. 

Ultrarunner Mirna Valerio stays consistent by focusing on time on her feet, rather than distance. “This has been mentally freeing,” the author of A Beautiful Work in Progress tells Runner’s World. 

“I have a standing appointment with my treadmill a couple times a week,” says Valerio, who will aim to run a minimum of 12 hours a day over six days at the Lululemon Further event, an ultramarathon for women in March. “I just get it done, which incidentally is one of my mantras.”

2. Find Your Best Approach to Building Volume

If you’re new to running and want to run longer, add another day of a short, easy run to your schedule, suggests Stefanie Flippin, an ultrarunner, Lululemon ambassador, and doctor of podiatric medicine, who has earned a first-place finish at several 100-milers.

Maxed out on available days of the week? Add to your long-run mileage, which is what Leah Yingling, ultrarunner and biochemical engineer who will see how far she can run in 24 hours at Lululemon Further, does first when aiming to build volume. The general rule is to increase your weekly mileage by about 10 percent each week, adding to that long run. For example, if you currently clock 17 miles per week with three four-mile runs during the week and a long run of five miles on the weekend, you would keep your midweek mileage the same, but kick up your long run to about seven miles next weekend.

Yingling, and many other pros, also do two runs a day. While this won’t work for everyone, if you don’t have a significant single block of time, clocking some miles in the morning and again in the evening and resting between can help you clock more mileage. One must-do to make it work: Tame the intensity on at least one of those runs.

Charlie Lawrence, 50-mile world record holder, views his second run of the day as a sort of active recovery. He often goes for double digits in the mornings, then runs for about four miles (at minimum) in the evening, keeping the effort light. 

No matter what, testing out strategies to see what works for your schedule is the best way to run longer. “That might be adding a walk a few days a week in addition to your daily runs, or maybe you’re adding back-to-back long runs,” says Yingling. “Whatever you do, find something that is sustainable.”

3. Follow a Progressive Training Plan

A good training plan will slowly build mileage to decrease your risk of getting sidelined, as research shows taking on too many miles too soon is one of the biggest risk factors for overuse injuries. 

When choosing your training plan, you have to be realistic about the time you have to build up to the distance you want to conquer—and where you’re at now, says Newson. For example, if you have your sights set on a half or full marathon, think about what you can comfortably run today. Then, following the loose rule of adding 10 percent more miles each week, how long do you need to train? If you currently run five miles without stopping and feel good after, and can comfortably clock 12 miles per week, you can probably conquer a 10-week half marathon plan. 

Another important factor to look for when it comes to mileage on a training plan: recovery weeks. Newson explains you’ll typically see this as three weeks of building, then a week in which you back off mileage a little to give your body time to recover and actually make gains from all the work you put into your plan. This will also keep your body strong and help you sidestep aches and pains, he adds.

4. Keep Easy Runs Easy

You’ve heard it before but it’s especially true when trying to run longer: Don’t overdo your low-effort days. 

“It’s important for me to always run my easy runs, short or long, at a conversational, aerobic rate of perceived exertion. This means that I can easily chat with a training partner for the duration of my runs without becoming out of breath,” Flippin says, who also clocks her heart rate to make sure she’s in an easy zone. 

Don’t worry about what shows on Strava, either. “I think a lot of runners run their easy runs too hard and that is because of ego and they don’t want people to think they are slow,” says Devon Yanko, ultrarunner who’s placed first in several 100-mile races and will aim to conquer her longest distance over six days at the Lululemon Further event. “I delight in the idea that people may look at my Strava and think I am too slow, because on race day that won’t be the case!” 

More generally, applying the 80/20 rule to your training overall can also help you record more low-intensity runs, Newson says, as it means 80 percent of your workouts should happen at a low intensity, and 20 percent at a hard effort.

It’s these easy runs that will help keep you running consistently—the key that unlocks higher mileage. “A B+ average of consistent runs, strength work, and recovery measures stacked over weeks, months, and years will always trump sporadic A+ weeks followed by a total drop-off,” Flippin says.

5. Master the Long Run

For most people, the long run will make up the bulk of your weekly mileage, but it doesn’t just help you clock more time on your feet. It also teaches you mental stamina, how to deal with fatigue, and it can help you get comfortable with being uncomfortable. With years of practice, this is what many pros say pulls them through farther distances.

Even though Lawrence can deal with being uncomfortable for long periods of time, he still turns to mind games to mentally check off miles. For example, he often breaks a race down into small, manageable chunks, often focusing on the next fuel stop (typically about every four miles) as a check point. If he’s struggling to get to the next four-mile marker, he may tell himself he’ll feel better in 10 to 15 minutes and checks in again then. 

In addition to breaking your long run up into segments, Newson also suggests dedicating each mile to someone else, which takes it outside of yourself and gives you another reason to keep going, and says to focus on the mile you’re in, simply putting one foot in front of the other. 

Finally, the long run is the perfect time to practice your fueling and fluid intake, Newson says, considering you need energy to clock longer miles. Aim to take in carbs when going for 90 minutes or longer, and go for about 30 to 60 grams per hour after the first hour. 

6. Schedule a Few Harder Workouts

To build endurance, you want to run long, but you can also add intervals and speed work into your schedule. 

Lawrence gets on the track for VO2 max-specific workouts at least once a week. VO2 max is the amount of oxygen you can take in while running and is a major marker of fitness—the better this metric, the easier running will feel, which will help you go longer with less effort. Focusing on VO2 max intensities on runs means going for about 90 to 100 percent of your max heart rate or about 5K pace, and it could involve intervals like 400-meter repeats. 

You could also focus on lactate threshold training. Your lactate threshold is the point at which your body produces lactate at a rate you can no longer clear, leading to fatigue. To help you prolong that side effect—helping you go faster for longer—practice running at your threshold pace. (Here’s how to calculate your running speed at lactate threshold). 

To do this, Ostaszewski prefers longer interval workouts with work periods ranging from six to 10 minutes near aerobic threshold. But tempo runs at your threshold speed are also smart. 

7. Supplement Your Runs With Mobility and Strength

Before you jump into high mileage, you need a solid warmup. Lawrence has been doing the same activation drills before runs for a long time. He starts with foam rolling most of the lower body, then does a series of exercises, like:

Leg swings

Down dog to lunge rotation

Ankle mobility moves

Banded work, like glute bridges

This go-to routine wakes him up and gets him in run mode, even when he’s not feeling it. 

Cross-training workouts are also key. Valerio mixes strength training, mobility workouts, Pilates, and rowing into her training schedule, which she says helps her avoid overuse injuries. Meanwhile, Flippin points to strength training in particular as crucial to running longer. She suggests starting with one day a week to build consistency, then adding on days from there. 

Lawrence focuses specifically on doing core workouts every day (one of his go-to moves: the ab roll out), along with dedicated gym time for lifting, in which he conquers moves like hex bar deadlifts.

8. Make Recovery a Priority

Many pro runners turn to a solid nutrition practice to jumpstart recovery and fuel future performances. “I ensure I’m always getting in carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes of finishing a key workout or long run,” Yingling says.

Finding time for other recovery practices, like mobility work, foam rolling, even meditating, can also support your training and get you prepped for the next round of mileage, Newson says. Full rest days are also important, especially if you’re feeling any aches and pains.

And you can’t forget about sleep for recovery—striving for at least the recommended seven to nine hours—especially for those looking to push their mileage. 

9. Don’t Rely on Motivation Alone

Running your longest distance takes dedication and determination, but don’t expect to feel motivated every day. “People often wait to do things until they are motivated, when instead, they should have been focused on completing their plan or working toward their goal,” says Yanko. “I don’t jump out of bed every morning peppy and excited to run, but I am committed to doing the work and thus, I simply get the work done.”

Yanko also suggests tapping into curiosity to keep you going longer. “That is, instead of being intimidated by a workout or long run, I allow myself the opportunity to be curious about what might happen if I simply begin the session,” she says. “I do not believe that one workout or one long run ‘proves’ anything about my fitness or ability to race, so having curiosity means I can get into a session and allow it to unfold with confidence that if I just continue to show up and do the work, I will build my fitness brick by brick.”

Newson also suggests a running group to keep you accountable and consistent, and to elevate the fun of your workouts. 

“On the mental side, I always try to see the big picture and remember that all the miles I’m running are for fun and for my own personal enjoyment,” Ostaszewski adds. “I’m always aiming to enjoy the process and recognize growth in the journey.”

Jakob Ingebrigtsen brought his remarkable 2026 season to a fitting close on home soil, winning the men’s street 1500m at the inaugural Runfest Norway in Sandnes on Friday.

Competing in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, the Olympic and world champion took control of the race from the early stages and maintained his authority through the finish, stopping the clock at 3:40.7.

Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen followed in second in 3:43.3, while Sigurd Tveit completed the podium in 3:47.8.

The unusual street race added another dimension to the occasion, with 273 runners taking part on the same road and sharing the course with one of Norway’s most accomplished distance runners. For the recreational participants, it offered a rare opportunity to compete alongside Ingebrigtsen in an event that brought elite athletics and mass participation together.

The victory also provided a fitting final chapter to a season that began with significant uncertainty for Ingebrigtsen. After undergoing major Achilles surgery in February, the Norwegian was forced to miss a substantial portion of the summer campaign as he worked his way back to full fitness.

His return, however, quickly developed into another championship-winning chapter. In Birmingham, Ingebrigtsen captured European 5,000m gold before adding another major title at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, where he won the 5,000m.

Those performances transformed what could have been a disrupted season into another year defined by championship success and a determined return to the highest level.

Now, with the Sandnes victory added to his 2026 record, Ingebrigtsen closes the year exactly where it began in spirit — overcoming adversity, rebuilding his form and once again competing at the front.

From Achilles surgery in February to major championship victories and finally a 1500m win before his hometown crowd, the Norwegian has given his 2026 season a memorable final scene.

Olympic 100m hurdles champion Masai Russell has announced her engagement to longtime partner Robert “Robbie” Springfield, adding a major personal milestone to the remarkable journey of one of America’s leading track and field stars.

Russell shared the news with her followers, revealing that Springfield had proposed and that she had accepted. Reflecting on their relationship, the Olympic champion described him as her best friend and expressed her excitement about spending the rest of her life with him.

The couple’s relationship dates back to their college years at the University of Kentucky, where both were student-athletes and competed in track and field. Russell established herself as a standout hurdler, while Springfield competed in the long jump, giving them a shared understanding of the demands, sacrifices and pressures that come with pursuing success in athletics.

Springfield has since transitioned from competition into coaching. A former collegiate long jumper, he is now part of the coaching staff at Morehead State University, where he works with the programme’s sprinters and jumpers.

Their relationship has developed alongside Russell’s rise to the top of the sport. The defining moment of her career came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she captured gold in the women’s 100m hurdles, securing her place among the sport’s Olympic champions.

Away from competition, Springfield has remained a familiar part of Russell’s journey, sharing in the demanding periods of training and competition that accompanied her pursuit of Olympic success. Their connection has consequently grown from a college athletics relationship into a long-term partnership.

The engagement now marks another significant chapter for Russell, this time away from the track. After reaching the pinnacle of her sporting career in Paris, the 100m hurdles champion is beginning a new phase of her personal life alongside a partner who has been part of her journey since their university days.

From competing on the same collegiate stage to building a future together, Russell and Springfield’s story has evolved alongside two careers shaped by track and field. The Olympic champion will now balance this new personal chapter with her continuing ambitions in athletics

The women’s race at the 2026 TCS Amsterdam Marathon is shaping up to be one of the most competitive editions in recent years, with a deep international field set to take on the fast Dutch course on Sunday, October 18.

At the centre of the contest will be four Ethiopian athletes who have already broken the 2:20 barrier, creating the prospect of a fascinating battle for victory and a possible assault on the course record of 2:16:52.

Defending champion Aynalem Desta will return to Amsterdam looking to retain her title after producing the biggest performance of her career at last year’s 50th edition. Desta won in a personal best of 2:17:37, establishing herself among the leading marathoners in the field and setting the benchmark for this year’s contenders.

Standing in her way will be fellow Ethiopian Meseret Belete Tola, a former Amsterdam champion who knows exactly what it takes to succeed on the course. Belete Tola captured the 2023 edition in 2:18:21, and her return adds another layer of experience and proven quality to an already formidable lineup.

The field also includes Mestawut Fikir Truneh, who arrives with an impressive marathon pedigree. Truneh finished runner-up at the 2024 Berlin Marathon in 2:18:48, demonstrating her ability to compete at the highest level on one of the world's major marathon stages.

Completing the quartet of sub-2:20 Ethiopians is Buze Diriba, whose personal best of 2:19:34 places her firmly among the leading contenders. With four athletes possessing credentials below 2:20, the race is likely to develop into a tightly contested battle from the opening kilometres.

The depth extends well beyond the leading quartet. Desi Jisa Mokonin, representing Bahrain, Yeshi Kalayu Chekole of Ethiopia and Nazret Weldu Gebrehiwet of Eritrea have all established themselves as serious marathon competitors with performances approaching the 2:20 mark.

Another major name to watch is Abeba Aregawi, the former 1500m world champion representing Sweden. Aregawi has successfully transferred her talents to the marathon and made headlines earlier this year by setting a Swedish national record of 2:23:12 on her debut. Her presence adds another intriguing dimension to an already high-quality field.

Amsterdam’s marathon course has consistently provided an opportunity for elite athletes to produce fast times, and this year’s women’s lineup has the depth to turn the race into a genuine test of both championship racing and outright speed.

With four athletes already inside 2:20, two former Amsterdam champions returning to the start line and several other accomplished marathoners ready to challenge them, the battle is expected to remain open deep into the race.

The ultimate target will be the Amsterdam women’s course record of 2:16:52. Whether the leading contenders can threaten that mark remains to be seen, but the quality assembled for October 18 ensures that the record will be firmly in the spotlight when the race reaches its spectacular finish inside the Olympic Stadium.

The 2026 Valencia Half Marathon is shaping up to be a thrilling contest of speed, endurance and tactical brilliance, with some of the world’s finest road runners set to converge in Spain on October 25.

Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo and Alex Matata will be among the leading contenders, facing a formidable Ethiopian challenge spearheaded by Jemal Yimer and Tadese Worku. The field also features Rodrigue Kwizera, who boasts the fastest personal best among the leading entrants at 58:16.

Ebenyo arrives with a personal best of 59:04, placing him firmly among the athletes capable of sustaining a demanding pace over the 21.1-kilometre distance. Matata, who owns a 59:11 best, adds further Kenyan strength, while Andrea Kiptoo brings another sub-60-minute credential to the race.

Yimer has already established himself as one of the fastest athletes in the field with a 58:33 personal best, while Worku has clocked 58:35. Kenya’s Owen Korir, with a best of 58:58, further underlines the remarkable depth of the men's lineup.

Valencia Half Marathon 2026 Entries

1. Rodrigue Kwizera (Spain) — 58:16

2. Jemal Yimer (Ethiopia) — 58:33

3. Tadese Worku (Ethiopia) — 58:35

4. Owen Korir (Kenya) — 58:58

5. Daniel Ebenyo (Kenya) — 59:04

6. Alex Matata (Kenya) — 59:11

7. Andrea Kiptoo (Kenya) — 59:11

8. Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Spain) — 59:42

9. Said Mechaal (Spain) — 1:00:24

10. Adel Mechaal (Spain) — 1:02:30

Kwizera, who finished second in Valencia last year, leads the field on paper and will be seeking another standout performance on the famously fast Valencia course. With several athletes carrying sub-60-minute credentials, the race has the ingredients for an aggressive battle from the opening kilometres.

Beyond the headline names, the men’s field is deep and highly competitive, bringing together a strong collection of experienced international athletes with proven ability over the half-marathon distance. With so much quality packed into the lineup, the race promises an intriguing battle in which tactics, endurance, positioning and finishing speed could all play a crucial role in determining the eventual champion.

Yet personal bests will count for little once the gun goes off. The title could ultimately be decided by patience, positioning and the ability to respond when the pace begins to rise in the closing stages. Every surge, every tactical move and every second saved could prove decisive on the road to the finish.

With Kenya, Ethiopia and Spain represented by athletes of exceptional quality, Valencia promises a high-octane men's showdown in which the leaders are likely to be separated by only a handful of seconds. The final kilometres could provide the defining moments of a race packed with speed, ambition and anticipation.

On October 25, the question will be simple: who has the strength to command the streets of Valencia and claim the coveted half-marathon crown?

 

April 19, 1982. The Boston Marathon unfolded under unusually warm, sunny conditions, and by the closing stages, the race had become a private battle between two very different American runners: Alberto Salazar, already one of the biggest names in distance running, and Dick Beardsley, the Minnesota runner who had emerged as a serious marathon contender.

For roughly nine miles, from the Newton Hills toward the finish, Beardsley did much of the leading, with Salazar tucked close behind. Neither man could shake the other. They ran deep into Boston locked together, trading surges and refusing to surrender an inch as the crowds along the course grew louder.

Salazar finally made his decisive move with less than a mile remaining. He opened a small gap, but Beardsley refused to disappear. The Minnesota runner chased him through the final streets, closing again as they approached the finish.

Then came the final sprint.

Salazar held his form and reached the finish first in 2:08:52, with Beardsley only two seconds behind in 2:08:54. It was an extraordinary result: both men broke 2:09 in the same Boston Marathon, and both shattered the previous course record.

The race became known as the “Duel in the Sun,” and it remains one of the most celebrated head-to-head battles in Boston Marathon history. Beardsley had not won, but his performance established him as one of America's elite marathoners.

For Salazar, however, victory came at an enormous physical cost. Immediately after crossing the finish line, he collapsed and required emergency treatment, including several litres of intravenous saline. The combination of heat, dehydration and an all-out effort had pushed his body to the limit.

Salazar's marathon career would never again produce quite the same kind of performance. His celebrated 1981 New York City Marathon victory had produced what was initially considered a world record, although the course was later found to be short. His Boston triumph therefore became one of the defining victories of his career.

Beardsley's story would take an even more difficult turn. Injuries disrupted his career, and after returning to the highest level, he suffered a devastating farm accident in 1989. Further accidents, surgeries and severe physical pain followed, eventually leading to a long battle with painkiller addiction.

He eventually overcame that struggle and transformed the darkest chapters of his life into a story of recovery, resilience and redemption.

That is what makes the 1982 Boston Marathon more than a two-second victory.

For one extraordinary afternoon, Salazar and Beardsley produced a marathon duel in which neither man was willing to give way. One crossed the finish line first. The other finished only two seconds behind him.

Two seconds separated them at Boston. Decades later, their legendary duel remains one of the greatest chapters in marathon history.