The Positive Benefits of Negative Splits

Most of you are likely familiar with the term "negative split." Instead of the time increasing to cover the same amount of ground as your run progresses, with a negative split, the latter portion of a run takes less time.

Many of our world records from the mile to the marathon are set with negative splits, including Josh Kerr's recent 3:42 mile and Sebastian Sawe's recent sub-2-hour marathon. Much of the time, when the human body is performing at its outer limit in traditional distance races, it does so by finishing faster than it began. I advise almost every marathoner to aim for a faster finish if they are able, and most of my peer coaches would say the same.

Although Runbuk competitors aren't strangers to world records, most of us aren't seeking our fastest races in January. We'd like to finish strong and not fade at the end of our race days. One way we can prepare for that demand is to intentionally incorporate days with negative splits.

Negative splits teach us patience, one of the most valuable assets for any endurance athlete. Staying aerobic is key for going the distance, and practicing negative splits can help build the backbone of patience to do so on race days. As runners move up from 5K and 10K races, it may feel unfamiliar to arrive at the halfway point and not yet be redlining aerobically. It takes practice to feel comfortable with the slow burn of longer races and deliberately starting conservatively in practice can help.

Especially as hard training ramps up, beginning a long effort at your exact target pace or slightly under to "bank time" can be difficult when the muscles are fatigued from the heavier load. Sometimes it can even take several miles to feel like things are flowing. A 12-mile run where the first four miles are the quickest, with a bigger effort to immediately reach that pace, followed by hanging on for the last eight, feels much different than 12 miles where the body warms up at a gentler pace and you finish with a flourish over the last four miles instead.

Knowing you can finish strongly and turn it on in the end feels like a superpower when you have it, and it is a superpower worth nurturing.

— Dena Evans

Most importantly, the combination of practicing patience and achieving a stretch of quicker pace with less effort gives a runner confidence. That confidence is perhaps the most precious benefit of all.

If you're looking for a low-demand way to spice your long run or daily training runs up a bit, or if you're seeking to maximize the benefit of some long cruise intervals, take advantage of the opportunity to start slightly slower than your target average and finish strong to still achieve or exceed your overall target pace. While not every course and race allows this possibility all the time, the patience, training benefit, and confidence are worth having in your pocket on any race day.

• Start slightly slower than your target average pace on long runs or cruise intervals.
• Let the body warm up gradually rather than chasing pace from the first mile.
• Build toward a strong, faster finish over the final miles.
• Use this approach on both daily training runs and key long efforts.