Can I train for a 10K in summer then run a fast marathon?
Mike Gratton As Paula Radcliffe, Steve Jones, Richard Nerurkar and Paul Evans (all Olympic 10km finalists who followed up with great autumn marathons) have shown, it is possible to switch to 10km in the summer by changing the emphasis of the interval work to shorter and faster sessions while maintaining the long runs, then switch back to marathon-specific speedwork 10 -12 weeks before your target marathon. I think it is necessary to use the seasons that you’re training in to good effect, and running short fast intervals is best done in early summer when the weather is good and there are lots of good 10Ks around.