Maximum Weekly Run Mileage

I've been running about 3 years.  Right now I'm running 20 - 30 miles per week.  That'll be going up more in the next few weeks.

I'm running my first marathon this year.  Goal is to finish.

I have been a recreational runner for many years, and never get much over 20 miles per week.  The exception is when I trained for a marathon and then it creeped up to about 30-40 miles per week.  I certainly didn't come close to BQ pace in the marathon - did about a 10 min/mile pace in marathon.  So you probably need more mileage to get ready for a BQ marathon.

 I would say that 50 miles per week is not rare for someone seriously training for a marathon.  Just increase weekly mileage at a safe rate to avoid injuries (about 10% increase per week).  And your long run should be less than 50% of your total mileage each week.

Good luck!

I'm a new runner and have been at it for about a year and a half.  Recently I have been averaging around 20 - 25 a week, but I wasn't very consistent with getting out there in the beginning.

I'm doing my first marathon in October and am hoping for 4:00 or less.  Hopefully I can pull it off

Thanks.  I've been pretty careful about the 10% rule in my training cycles as well as not adding intensity and volume concurrently.

I'm sure there is threshold for increased training load on a macro-cycle to remain healthy.  Specifically for running.  I'm thinking something like this for maximum weekly mileage for each year running:

1. <25 miles in largest week
2. <30
3. <40
4. <50
5. <60 miles per week in heaviest week of your 6th year.

In reality, though, there are just too many factors (age, body composition, cross-training) that would make this kind of "rule" a bit over-simplified.  Perhaps a 10% yearly "rule" wouldn't be such a bad thing.  I see lots of people go out and make THE MARATHON their goal in year one...and pay dearly...

I guess the only category that fit me was "Freak"

I am a high mileage runner but am also quite new. (Been running as a separate discipline for just over 2 years)

My marathoner friends convinced me that (For Me), that path to improvement with my running was with high mileage coupled with Pfitz Marathon Plans. I cannot say that I am dissapointed with the results.

In 7 Marathons, I have taken 70 minutes off of my PB and qualified for Boston last December. The theory is that most consistent runners have 7 years of impovement and being less than half way through that timeframe, I am hopefull for what the future brings.

But, High mileage is not for everyone. I have been injury free for quite some time now and have fairly clean biomechanics. There are certainly a lot of folks out there who run way less than I do with faster marathon times.

As a mediocre runner, the real key for me is improvement and as long as I continue to improve and enjoy what I am doing, I will continue to follow this approach

I know a guy, been running two years.  A month or so ago, he put in something like a 5-600 mile month.  I think his highest amount was around 140 miles in a week.

My thoughts:  Whatever you can handle, regardless of experience level.  Experience will play a factor, to be sure, but after the first year or so, I think it's more about other commitments than anything else.

For me, I've gone as high as around 80 at peak volume.  When actually training for something, I try to keep a minimum of 50, and consider an average of 60-70 about where I really want to be.

In terms of consistent running, I did in HS, some in college, stopped and restarted about 2.5 years ago.

I'm a "new runner" by your classification, as I began running 4 years ago this month shortly after turning 35.  I ran my first (and only stand-alone) marathon a little over a year later.  Probably ramped up the load a little too much for that effort.  Ran better than expected, but also suffered from my only meaningful overuse injury in the following months.

I've probably run in the 30mpw area reasonably consistently over the last 2 years, with a handful of weeks over 40 and one over 50 (this week should be my second forray over 50 if all goes to plan).  I imagine I could have been more aggressive in building this were it not for swimming & biking which simply limit my available time for running.

My main goal is to improve as a triathlete (Kona is still a long-term goal), though I would like to BQ also (perhaps this fall).  I've already run 5k, 10k and 1/2 marry at times that show "equivalent" to a BQ or better.  But I haven't dedicated myself to the volume necessary before.  Trying to do so now and we'll see if I have enough time this year to push out the endurance needed.  I should be close.

Oh man! Never much of a runner here. In college and high school I would nearly die trying to run a mile. I also smoked til I was in my early 30's. So, compared to some, I'm a dino or old enough to be your mom

Been doing this running thing now for 3 seasons and usually run 12-15 mpw. I find that for me when I do longer runs, my body feels it the following day. Doing triathlon makes recovery a cinch though - swim days or off days follow long run days. Early on in my training, I wound up trying to go too far too soon on crappy shoes - wound up with achilles tendonitis for a month of laying low on running plus physical therapy and orthotics. I enjoy running (oddly) now but don't know if I'm ever going to get very fast and to do a full marathon would entail lots of careful planning for recovery.

I think it's much longer than that.  I think it's more like 10-15 years.  What's the median age of the top runners in the world?  I think it's somewhere between 25-35, and they ran in HS, so that would be around 10 years+.

But then, I also don't know that most of us will reach our peak performance, simply for the fact that we're not specialists.  I have a full-time job, so I don't run as much as I should to really hit max potential.

But I do think I could pull off a 100 mile week.

Distance probably plays a factor, too.

The longer events, the longer till you hit a peak.

It was hard to vote because my marathoning mileage mo has changed a little.

I've been running for 10 years. I've done half marathons the whole time I have been a runner. My base prior to running full's was 30-35 mpw. 3.5 yrs ago I started running fulls. My base upped to 40mpw but the peak has varied greatly. First year I peaked at 40mpw. 2nd year I peaked at 73 mpw. Last year my peak was 65mpw. This year I doubt I will go much over 60 mpw but I will do significant cross training. And I still see improvements.

However, I will say I saw a 25 minute improvement when I jumped from 40 to 70+mpw peak.  I only saw a 6 minute improvement when stepped the peak down and started cross training. However I perfer the less miles more cross training because my body is in less pain and it is just easier to race when stuff isn't sore.

edited to add I BQ'd on my second marathon and then the next 3. I didn't on my last because I walked for several miles due to extreme GI distress. But hey, at least I finished!