I’m doing the Great North Run which is in 8 months time.

Have done a 1/2 marathon before, but that was 10 yrs ago, so doesn’t really count for much now I suppose. Did that in just under 2hrs, and would like to stay under 2hrs for this one.

At the moment I can run about 5k in 30 mins, and usually do so 3 times a week (sometimes twice).

So, just increase it steadily between now and then, or something else?

Have a look at something like the Runners World soite, they often have suggested training plans. Basic idea is not to increase distance too rapidly – no more than a 10% increase in weekly mileage/longest run distance per week is an oft-used figure – and work on distance OR speed at any one time, not both.

yeah that’ll do it, that’s loads of time

I went from doing my first 10k to marathon distance in 3 months

You’ll be able to do it easy.

If you already run 3x a week, reckon you could go out tomorrow and run 10k without many worries

As an addendum, yup, what the others said. I went from 5k to (slow) 80k in 8 months…

80k! omg how long did that take?

80k! omg how long did that take?

8 months, you should pay more attention.

I reckon you should be able to run 3X your daily distance without too much stress as a one off. A chap in my office did the Paris marathon in 3:30 and the most he had run was 6 miles in training!

8 months, you should pay more attention.

😐 I was meaning to complete an 80k run 🙂

I did my first half off a longest of about 8 and marathon off about 16. I’m a nitwit though. If you can’t get the full distance, try to get past 10 though. Increase one of your runs gradually, a longer one Sunday morning works for me. Drag one of your others up a bit in distance too, work up to 4 or maybe 5 a week, rather than 3. Gradually though. Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey.

You could make it technical, or you could fit what you can in and not stress too much. You’ll be comfortably mid pack though at the GNR with a bit of prep.

Nice one. I’ve got myself to an athletic start by eating 8 Jaffa Cakes while I was in the bath.

Nowt wrong with eating cake if your doing enough exercise. Half the reason I run and ride as much as I do, I’d be a right fatty otherwise 🙄

80k’s a good session, depends a lot on the route, most or the ultra distance stuff is off road so conditions and times vary massively

As a guide personally on an hilly but not mountainous route I’d be about 9 hours ish, double average marathon time and add a 3rd as a guide

I’m in a similar situation, I can run 5 k in a similar time but struggle to get anything above it unless the conditions and my mindset are perfect and then I’ve found I can run and run and once only stopped at 15k because I had to get home.

The key is certainly a slower pace to start with and once you’re covering distance then increase speed.

in training especially company is a big help I find
find somebody like minded of a similar pace or a local club maybe

Not sure where the nearest club is, but I’ll see. I usually go with the dogs – either on a nice coastal cycle path or on forest roads – so I have companions to shout at if not exactly to converse with.

So, just increase it steadily between now and then, or something else?

you could probably run it now.

Four times the distance? My 5k is pretty steady, and I could definitely go further, but still, that’s asking for trouble isn’t it?

Yeah, but you run 3 times a week already right?

steady pace, it’s just all your runs in one go, plus a bit for fun. Course you can.

UK Athletic clubs

Maybe I’ll give it a go then, see how far I get!

Surfer, thanks.

Sprints ftw.

Depends what you want. You want to do the best you can or just get under 2 hours?

If you’re running 3 times per week 8 months before and have done 2 hours in the past I’d suggest that with some good training you could knock big chunks off 2 hours.

Well, I would like to do it as quickly as I can I suppose. Definitely don’t want to be slower, but that was a long time ago (and 3 stone less).