5.0 out of 5 stars Good common sense guidance

M.J.P.G. · 10 December 2021

Easy to understand even for an occasional runner. The advice on training regimes in particular I found useful and have adapted my approach accordingly.

5.0 out of 5 stars Run faster and avoid injury

O.B. · 29 July 2016

I bought this after completing 2hr 45 first marathon following Petes marathon plan book and recently took 30 secs off my 16:30 5K time. What I love about it is that earlier chapters equip you with why you do certain workouts whilst maintaining a strict recovery schedule which you easily adapt around normal life. The training plans are manageable with adjustable mileage to suit your current training level. I feel the benefits of these plans deep into races when things start to get hard and can clearly see the difference they've made.

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid training guide

d. · 26 April 2017

Pfitzinger produces another logical and concise guide for those looking to improve their short and middle distance running game. Very similar outline to his "Advanced Marathoning" book. If you feel your training is becoming sluggish, most certainly worth a read.

5.0 out of 5 stars A first class book for runners with ambition

A.C. · 30 June 2016

Excellent book that provides hard earned experience combined with sound physiological principals. The book is well structured and offers well designed templates for ambitious and aspiring athletes. A leader in the this genre.

5.0 out of 5 stars E,excellent reading.

R.r. · 21 January 2016

This book is one that I often go back to. It's great for those who maybe trying to get a better idea on why and how training schedules and sessions should be done. I found the principals & physiology of running very interesting

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for distance running

L. · 18 February 2021

Even if you never followed the plan, the information in the first half is gold. Well worth having this in your arsenal.

5.0 out of 5 stars First class

J.L. · 23 June 2017

I've had great success with his marathon book, from 3.47 to sub 3.20. This book is just as good. The plans are hard but get results, have dipped under 41.00 for the 10K and just over 1.30 for the HM, times I never thought I'd hit as someone in their mid 40s.

4.0 out of 5 stars Really practical and easy to read

A.C. · 11 January 2017

Really practical and easy to read, and interesting. I much preferred it to Daniels Running Formula which similar.Only criticism is that I'd have liked more re paces in training plans but I can get that elsewhere.

Un excellent livre !!!

N. · 20 November 2020

Ce livre est génial ! Le contenu est non seulement super intéressant mais aussi très utile pour améliorer sa technique et éviter les blessures. Le livre couvre tout, de l'alimentation à un entraînement détaillé en passant par une séries d'exercices supplémentaires. Cela fait 2 mois que je suis scrupuleusement les conseils du livre et les résultats sont là. J'ai gagné en VO2max 5[ml/kg/min] et mon temps au semi est passé de 1h30 à 1h22 !! Hier soir j'ai eu l'occasion de faire un 5K en 18'31 durant un entraînement, je pensais même pas savoir passer en dessous des 20 minutes.Si vous souhaitez réellement progresser est atteindre un bon niveau, je ne peux que vous le recommander. Et surtout lisez bien tout du début à la fin car aucune page n'est gaspillée ;)

Great training book

S.K.K. · 29 November 2016

Pfitzinger is one of the best coaches around and this book has fantastic training advice and some great plans for anyone looking to improve their 5k to Half Marathon times

Gold standard

R.B. · 25 June 2025

This is an excellent guide if your goal is to race as fast as possible in distances from 5K to Half Marathon. Here's what I like about it in no particular order.1. Depth. The authors take a deep dive into physiology and how the body reacts training in terms of speed and endurance. No stone is left unturned. The human body is incredibly complex and it's important to understand how different combinations of factors (effort and length of training, nutrition, sleep, etc.) all factor into performance. The authors do a really good job explaining this.2. Guardrails - The book is full of tables that provide guardrails while training. For example, the information about how much recovery time after racing masters level runners need based on the length of the race and their age is priceless. Just because the body feels good does not mean that you've recovered. This information alone makes the book worthwhile.3. Specific training plans - No matter your race distance, condition, etc. there's a plan here for you. Following these plans will lead to faster race times.4. Limited scope - this book doesn't try to be everything to everyone. The authors recognize that training for a marathon is different than training for shorter distances and they resisted the urge to expand the scope...a mistake many other authors make. In doing so, they provide a much higher level of value to the reader.I was uncertain about buying this book but decided to give it a try and could not be happier with it. A word of caution...it may be difficult to view the training plans and tables if you purchase the Kindle version. I tend to always buy hard copies of data intensive books with lots of tables, and in this case that turned out to be particularly wise.

Five Stars

E.Q. · 14 April 2017

Excellent book but the delivery took longer than expected.

El libro de running definitivo

C.N. · 8 January 2025

Me gustó tanto que lo volví a comprar en castellano.