Give It a Break

So, when Persia was dust, all cried, “To Acropolis!

Run, Pheidippides, one race more! the meed is thy due!

Athens is saved, thank Pan, go shout!” He flung down his shield

Ran like fire once more: and the space ‘twixt the fennel-field

And Athens was stubble again, a field which a fire runs through,

Till in he broke: “Rejoice, we conquer!” Like wine through clay,

Joy in his blood bursting his heart, – the bliss!

An excerpt from the poem Pheidippides by Robert Browning, 1879.

Long considered the brainchild of Jeff Galloway, if Pheidippides had just followed the famous marathon coach’s run-walk program, he probably would have lived to tell a longer tale when, as the legend goes, he ran from Marathon to the Acropolis in Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians.

Galloway’s idea of taking walk breaks during a half or full marathon has been embraced by marathon coaches across the globe, most famously here in Canada by the Running Room’s John Stanton, a huge proponent of a 10 minute run period followed by a one minute walk, a program which has helped thousands of runners complete longer distance races. “Using this method will extend the capacity of the running muscles at the end of the run because you’re shifting the workload between the walking and the running muscles,” according to Stanton. “It will also allow those with some types of previous injuries … to train for marathons without further injury.”

On top of all that, taking a break every 10 minutes makes training that much more fun, almost entirely eliminates the chance of injury and can help beginner runners dramatically increase their endurance, Stanton says. He should know – formerly an overweight, two-pack-a-day food industry executive, he started his running program by sneaking out early in the morning so that people wouldn’t see how short his running stints were before he’d have to start walking. Now considered by many to be one of Canada’s most influential running figures, Stanton turned his own experience into a successful training program.

Jenny Hadfield, the official coach of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, also promotes run-walk training, especially for beginner runners. “The ‘Run-Walk’ Training Program is best suited for those who are active three to four times per week and are new runners,” Hadfield writes in her introduction to the training program preparing athletes for this year’s marathon.

For Galloway, though, a run-walk program will benefit runners of all levels. “Walk breaks force you to slow down early in the run so that you don’t start too fast,” says the 1972 Olympian. “This reduction of the intensity of muscle use from the beginning conserves your energy, fluids and muscle capacity. On each walk break, the running muscles make internal adaptations, which give you the option to finish under control, increase the pace or go even further.

“Most runners will record significantly faster times when they take walk breaks because they don’t slow down at the end of a long run. Thousands of time-goal-oriented veterans have improved by 10, 20, 30 minutes and more in marathons by taking walk breaks early and often in their goal races. You can easily spot these folks. They’re the ones who are picking up speed during the last two to six miles when everyone else is slowing down.” In addition to the improved marathon times, run-walk proponents also cite improved recovery times after long runs as another huge benefit of the program.

Stanton’s Running Room program of 10 minute runs followed by a one minute walk has helped thousands of Canadian runners achieve their goals over the years. Many major Canadian marathons will offer pacers who follow the 10:1 run to walk ratio, helping athletes achieve their time goals.

Galloway recommends different ratios of running and walking based on your running pace per mile:

8 min/mile (5 min/km)- run 4 min: walk 35 sec
9 min/mile (5:30/km) – run 4 min: walk 1 min
10 min/mile (6:15/km) -3:1
11 min/mile (6:50/km) -2:30:1
12 min/mile (7:25/km) –2:1
13 min/mile (8 min/km) –1:1
14 min/mile (8:45/km) -30 sec: 30 sec
15 min/mile (9:15/km) -30 sec: 45 sec
16 min/mile (10 min/km) -30 sec: 60 sec

Critics of the run-walk program say that while the program is a great way for beginners to get started in the sport, if you’re after a faster time, you need to run the entire marathon distance and train yourself accordingly. Galloway didn’t follow the run-walk program during the 10,000m at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and you can be sure that Haile Grebrselassie didn’t have his watch set to beep every 10 minutes in Berlin when he posted his 2:03:59 world record. For some, getting back to their initial running pace can be a struggle once they start to walk, while others find that they have to run at a quicker pace to achieve their time goals if they’re slowing down for a regular interval along the way.

Even world-class marathon runners will sometimes use an aspect of the technique, though. According to Hal Higdon, walking through the aid stations of a marathon can be a huge help for runners of all levels. “This serves a double function: 1) you can drink more easily while walking as opposed to running, and 2) since many other runners slow or walk through aid stations, you’ll be less likely to block those behind,” he writes. “I once ran a 2:29 marathon, walking through every aid station. My son Kevin ran 2:18 and qualified for the Olympic Trials employing a similar strategy. And Bill Rodgers took four brief breaks (tying a shoe on one of them) while running 2:09 and winning the 1975 Boston Marathon. Walking gives your body a chance to rest, and you’ll be able to continue running more comfortably. It’s best to walk when you want to, not when your (fatigued) body forces you too.”

Ironman triathletes have long followed Higdon’s advice during the marathon at the end of an Ironman race to ensure that they take in enough fluids. Eight-time Ironman World Champion Paula Newby-Fraser routinely walked through the aid stations during her races, posting an impressive 3:04 marathon split along the way.

While the debate about run-walk programs for faster runners will likely continue for years to come, certainly for those getting started, the run-walk protocol appears to have a number of benefits – including decreasing your chance of keeling over at the end of your first marathon, as poor Pheidippides ostensibly did in his first effort.

Kevin Mackinnon is a senior editor at Canadian Running and the editor of Triathlon Magazine Canada.