Mileage Matters

A few weeks ago, marathoner Cam Levins achieved a breakthrough performance at the Tokyo Marathon, setting a North American record with a time of 2:05:37. Despite coming in fifth place, it was still an impressive feat. Levins is known for running more than his competitors, and he attributed his success to running three times a day and covering over 170 miles each week, along with strength training and daily mobility exercises.

As a high school coach, I often wonder how much to push my athletes. How many miles should they run per week to qualify for state championships? I obviously don’t want them to run as much as Cam Levins! Based on my experience, a team that averages 60-minute runs for boys and 45-minute runs for girls, along with strides three times a week, can be competitive and potentially make it to the top 10 at the state level.

In 2018, we had one of the best boys’ teams that placed third at the Texas UIL State Meet, with our top runner being the individual state champion. Looking back, I often wonder why we can’t easily replicate that success. But, it’s important to remember that it’s challenging for some athletes to run that kind of mileage, and it requires not just motivation but also muscular strength and consistency. It’s worth noting that our athletes had years of training under their belts, and many started running competitively in middle school.

Below is what the 2018 team ran for their 10 weeks over the summer. Most weeks consisted of one long run, 5 distance runs, and a tempo or pick up run (last 2-3 miles fast). In addition to those workouts they ran strides or hill sprints two to three times a week.

I left the names off the list, but I’ll let you guess who was at the top of the summer training log and what he placed at the state meet.

2018 Summer Mileage Chart

Here is a guideline that we follow for mileage progression. Other factors to consider before increasing mileage are their health, current performances, and as previously mentioned their motivation.

Mileage Progression for Girls

Freshman- 15-25 mpw

Sophomores- 25-35 mpw

Juniors- **35-45

**This seems to be the sweet spot for many of our athletes. We have very few girls that run over 45 miles a week on our team.

Seniors- 45 plus miles a week

Mileage Progression for Boys

Freshman- 25-35 mpw

Sophomores- 35-50 mpw

Juniors- 50-65 mpw

Seniors- 65-80 mpw

What about cross training?

I get this question a lot since we have had some athletes who have been successful with cross training. I know many athletes struggle with running more miles, and cross-training can help them improve their fitness and avoid injuries. Cross training isn’t some easy shortcut and requires a greater time commitment. Some athletes struggle with cross-training and are either unable or unwilling to push hard enough to benefit their aerobic fitness. In the future I’ll put together a post on cross training and running or post it on gumroad for sale.

In conclusion, the title of this post rings true: mileage matters. The teams that tend to win or qualify for state championships are usually the ones that work the hardest. As coaches, it’s easy to make excuses, but it’s crucial to stress the importance of hard work and motivate our athletes to achieve their individual and team goals.