Do You Really Need 35K Long Runs? | Marathon Q&A with Henrik Ingebrigtsen

How long should your longest run be when training for a marathon? Do you really need 35 km+ long runs? And how much running gear do you actually need? In this Q&A, Kristoffer and Henrik Ingebrigtsen sit down for an open and unfiltered conversation about marathon training, motivation, running gear, long runs and different approaches to endurance training. As usual, this was completely spontaneous. We stopped by Henrik, asked if he was up for a quick Q&A, and he jumped straight in, even though dinner was already waiting. What was supposed to be a fairly simple Q&A quickly turned into a much broader conversation. We go through the topics we had planned, but there’s also plenty of joking around, random side discussions and conversations that go well beyond the original questions. We talk about: How long your longest marathon training run really needs to be Why longer isn’t always better Motivation and what to do when it disappears How much running gear you actually need Whether you really need multiple pairs of running shoes Different approaches to marathon and endurance training And quite a few things we definitely didn’t plan to talk about These are our own opinions and experiences, not necessarily the definitive answers to everything. Training is individual, and different athletes and coaches will often have different views on what works best. And just for the record, after this interview took place, Kristoffer went on to break the 2:30 marathon barrier in Copenhagen, finishing in 2:29:32. So, obviously, something was done right. That’s also what makes these conversations interesting. What do you agree or disagree with? Let us know in the comments. 00:00 Intro – From Valencia to 2:29:32 04:38 How Has Kristoffer’s Marathon Training Gone? 05:53 The Toughest Marathon Workout 07:01 What Has Impressed Henrik the Most? 09:15 One Long Run vs. Two Runs a Day 12:26 Kristoffer’s Biggest Strength as a Runner 16:04 Do You Really Need 35K+ Long Runs? 21:09 How Should You Pace a Marathon? 27:16 Kristoffer’s Worst Running Habits 28:20 Motivation, Discipline & Pure Stubbornness 30:09 Training Through Norwegian Weather 31:14 Which Ingebrigtsen Brother Would You Race? 32:42 What If You’re Struggling With Motivation? 33:47 How Much Running Gear Do You Actually Need? #MarathonTraining #Running #HenrikIngebrigtsen #RunningTips #Marathon