The time required to prepare for your goal race—your “A” race—depends primarily on your current fitness level. The fitter you are, the less time you need to peak for race day.
Elite athletes often maintain a high base level of conditioning year-round, allowing them to ramp up quickly. Marius Bakken, a top Norwegian distance runner from the early 2000s, aimed to stay in such good shape that just six weeks of focused training would have him ready for an Olympic-caliber 5,000 meters.
Side Note: Bakken played a key role in developing a distinct Norwegian training philosophy—one that still shapes world-class athletes like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the 2022 Olympic 5,000m champion.
For newer runners or those coming off a break, the timeline can be much longer. For instance, someone training for their first marathon needs to be able to handle training runs of at least 32 km (20 miles). That kind of endurance may take 6–12 months to develop safely.
Most runners, however, are somewhere in the middle. Suppose you’re eyeing a late summer 50k trail race (like the Finlayson Arm 50k). Even if you’ve done a few ultras before, starting high-volume long runs too early (e.g., 35k runs in April for a September race) may lead to burnout or injury.
For the majority of recreational and amateur runners, a 12-week focused training block is a solid guideline—adjustable depending on your resilience and experience. Some highly durable runners can handle a 14-week block. Others (like me), who are more injury-prone, may benefit from a shorter 9–10 week cycle.
The Science Behind It
A 2017 study published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance looked at periodized training strategies in endurance athletes. Researchers found that optimal race performance is typically achieved following 8–14 weeks of specific preparation, assuming a solid aerobic base is already in place. The study emphasized the importance of gradually progressing training load and including both general and event-specific sessions over time.
Source: Mujika, I., & Padilla, S. (2017). “Scientific Bases for Precompetition Tapering Strategies.” International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12(2), 271-276. [DOI:10.1123/ijspp.2016-0273]
The takeaway? The training block before your A race should build on your existing fitness—not start from scratch.
