Every long run, every distance, all the way to May
Warm-up 9:15, run 9:30 sharp, River God Fountain in Fitzroy Gardens. Same spot every week. This page tells you how far the long group is going, so you can decide before you leave the house.
There's always a 5km
Every distance below is what the long group is running. There is a 5km option every single Saturday regardless of the number on this page, you will never run it alone, and nobody will ask you why you are on it.
Long run Includes goal pace Race weekend Easy or shakeout
Distances come from the marathon and ultra plan. On race weekends the long run moves to Sunday and Saturday becomes a shakeout.
Marathon build. Aug to Oct 2026.
Nine weeks to Mansfield on 25 October. Goal pace is 5:41/km.
August 2026
29Sat5kmShakeoutBrighton 10km tomorrow. Stay with the 5km group and keep it very easy.
September 2026
5Sat24kmLong, last 6km at goal pace18km easy at 6:40, then 6km at 5:41. Gel at 8km and 16km.
12Sat6kmEasyMaribyrnong half tomorrow. First sub 2:00 attempt.
19Sat5kmShakeoutGeelong half tomorrow, then the drive down.
26Sat6kmEasy. Long run moves to Sunday.Sun 27 Sep: 28km with 3 x 3km at goal pace. Longest run so far.
October 2026
3Sat32kmPeak long run. Last 8km at goal pace.The big one, three weeks out. Full race rehearsal: same breakfast, kit, shoes and gels as Mansfield.
10Sat18kmNike Melbourne 10km race dayWarm-up, race the 10km at 5:24, then 4km easy. Finishes on the MCG.
17Sat22km10km easy, then 10km at goal paceThe longest sustained block of 5:41 in the plan. Last real session.
24Sat3kmShakeout in MansfieldMarathon tomorrow. Early dinner, feet up.
31Sat0kmNothing. Recovery week one.Six days after a marathon. Walk if you want to move.
Recover and rebuild. Nov 2026 to Jan 2027.
Two weeks completely off running, then a slow rebuild towards ultra base. No goal pace work in this block.
November 2026
7Sat5kmOptional easyRecovery week two. Only if it feels good.
14Sat8kmEasyBack into it. No watch, no structure.
21Sat10kmEasy
28Sat12kmEasy longStructure restarts. Tuesday track comes back this week too.
December 2026
5Sat14kmLong
12Sat16kmLong
19Sat18kmLong
26Sat12kmBoxing Day easyCut back week. Come as you are.
January 2027
2Sat16kmLongNew year, easy pace, no heroics.
9Sat22kmLong
16Sat24kmLongStart early. Melbourne January heat is the real opponent.
23Sat18kmCut back
30Sat26kmLongLast single long run before back-to-backs start.
Back to back. Feb to Mar 2027.
Saturday long, then a second long run on Sunday on tired legs. This is the specific work for a backyard ultra, where the skill is running well when you are already worn out.
February 2027
6Sat20kmLong, plus 15km SundayFirst back-to-back. Sunday should feel awful for 3km then fine.
13Sat24kmLong, plus 15km Sunday
20Sat18kmCut back, plus 12km Sunday
27Sat28kmLong, plus 18km Sunday46km across the weekend. Practise real food, not gels.
March 2027
6Sat22kmCut back, plus 15km Sunday
13Sat30kmBiggest weekend. Plus 20km Sunday.50km across two days. If you can do this, you can do a lot of loops.
20Sat20kmCut back, plus 12km SundayRecovering before the yard sims start.
27Sat26.8kmYard sim. 4 hours.6.71km on the hour, every hour, four times. Learn the rhythm and the 15 minute reset.
Yard simulations. April 2027.
Running the actual race format. 6.71km on the hour, every hour, until the session ends.
April 2027
3Sat40.3kmYard sim. 6 hours.Six loops. Test your food, your chair and your shoes.
10Sat24kmSteady long runRecovery weekend between the two big sims.
17Sat80.5kmYard sim. 12 hours, overnight.Twelve loops running into the dark. Headtorch, night food, and finding out what happens to your head at 3am. The single most important session of the ultra build.
24Sat12kmTaperEasy. Everything is already in the bank.
May 2027
1Sat6.71km/hrMelbOURne Frontyard UltraStudley Park Boathouse, Kew. 6.71km on the hour until you cannot. No finish line, last one standing wins. Runs overnight into Sunday.
The whole thing at a glance
Block
Saturdays
Range
Longest
Marathon build
Aug to Oct 2026
3 to 32km
32km on 3 Oct
Recover and rebuild
Nov 2026 to Jan 2027
0 to 26km
26km on 30 Jan
Back to back
Feb to Mar 2027
18 to 30km
30km on 13 Mar
Yard simulations
Mar to Apr 2027
12 to 80.5km
80.5km on 17 Apr
None of this is compulsory. These numbers are what the long group is aiming at. Turn up, run 5km, and go get a coffee. That is a full session and it always has been.
If you want to run further than the number on a given week, that is fine too. Tell a run leader where you are going and roughly when you will be back.
See you Saturday
Warm-up 9:15, run 9:30 sharp. River God Fountain, Fitzroy Gardens.