Long Run Pace VS Easy Pace: Is There a Difference?

Recently, I was asked, “What’s the difference between long run pace and easy pace?” and had to figure out how to explain it to another runner.

For a long time, I thought they were the same—and for most runners, they often are. But sometimes, there’s a difference.

For my last few marathons, I followed the training plan from Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas. If you read through the book (instead of just skipping to the training plans), Pfitzinger explains that while long run and medium-long run paces fall under the “easy run” category, they shouldn’t be a slow slog just to get them done.

Take my training as an example: when I was preparing for a 3-hour marathon (4:15 min/km pace), my long run pace was supposed to be between 4:45 and 5:05 min/km, according to the calculations described by the authors. By contrast, my easy recovery runs hovered closer to 6:00 min/km—where my effort feels like a 3–4 out of 10. Pfitzinger and Douglas explain that a slightly faster (but still nowhere near marathon pace) long run helps maintain good form (because you have to keep a little spring in your step) and keeps you engaged for the duration of the run. It takes more focus to hold that slightly faster pace, so you can’t just zone out and coast through it.

That said, does this mean you’ve been doing long runs all wrong? Absolutely not.

For years, my long runs were “just run and get it done” type runs. I didn’t check my pace much and simply ran them easy. And you know what? I still ran several marathons between 3:08 and 3:18—far from world-class, but still pretty fast. The key takeaway? Doing the long runs is more important than optimizing them.

I also learned the hard way that if you can’t keep up with recovery, it’s probably better to run long runs closer to your easy/recovery pace so you can complete the full training cycle. I’ve been injured during two of my three Advanced Marathoning cycles, and I’d argue that staying consistent week after week is more important than any single workout.

There’s no magic training session or pace. The real magic is finding that fine line between pushing your limits and overtraining—and staying just under it.