In August, COROS invited 400 athletes to participate in a marathon and half-marathon 8-week training camp leading up to their Fall race. The athletes were divided into four categories depending on their goal race and time: 3:20+ Marathon, Sub-3:20 Marathon, 1:45+ Half-Marathon, and Sub-1:45 Half-Marathon. Each group was advised by a designated COROS Coach for the duration of the training camp. As part of the camp, each athlete received a training plan based on their respective group and access to their coach at all times for individualized feedback.

Below are the results of using a structured plan with the guidance of a coach.

Training Plans

Training plans were developed to build athletes' fitness over 8 weeks through their Base Fitness while increasing their Threshold Pace. They followed a traditional 3-week build, 1-week recovery period repeated twice (8 weeks total). This design is best for large group settings based on multiple sports science studies.

Based on the success of these plans (see below), we are releasing them to the public so you can use them at any time they are needed:

• 3:20+ Marathon Plan
• Sub-3:20 Marathon Plan
• 1:45+ Half-Marathon Plan
• Sub-1:45 Half-Marathon Plan

Full Analysis

The analysis below breaks down athletes' progression in their respective groups regarding their Base Fitness and Threshold Pace over time. As a reminder:

• Base Fitness: tracks your daily training load over a 42-day average. Increases in Base Fitness show the athlete's training has been pushing them towards improvement.
• Threshold Pace: is the breaking point in your pace where the intensity suddenly becomes unsustainable. For half/marathoners, a faster threshold pace leads to a faster race time.

Of the 389 athletes that participated in our camp, 23% did not follow the plan and have therefore not been included in our analysis below. 56% of athletes partially followed the plans (30-70% of workouts completed), and 21% of athletes completed >80% of workouts. Although the analysis includes 298 athletes, we have highlighted some differences in progress between the 'partially completed' and the 'fully completed' groups.

3:20+ Marathon Group

Athletes in this group had an average Base Fitness of 93 before training camp and increased their value to 109 at the end of the 7th week (before their final taper week), which ended up being an increase of 17%. The athletes who followed >80% of the plan saw, on average, a peak Base Fitness of 123 (32% improvement)!

Athletes of this group also noticed an average improvement in their Threshold Pace from 7'58"/mi (4'57"/km) to 7'36"/mi (4'43"/km) during this 8-week buildup.

Sub-3:20 Marathon Group

Athletes in this group had an average Base Fitness of 103 before beginning the training camp and increased their value to 125 at the end of the 7th week (before their final taper week), which ended up being an increase of 21%. The 'fully completed plan' athletes saw on average a peak Base Fitness of 144 (40% improvement)!

Athletes of this group also noticed a significant average improvement in their Threshold Pace from 6'29"/mi (4'02"/km) to 6'09"/mi (3'49"/km) during this 8-week buildup.

1:45+ Half-Marathon Group

Athletes in this group had an average Base Fitness of 69 before beginning the training camp and increased their value to 90 at the end of the 7th week (before their final taper week), which ended up being an increase of 30%. The athletes who were the most dedicated to the plan saw on average a peak Base Fitness of 98 (42% improvement)!

Athletes also noticed an improvement in their Threshold Pace from 8'52"/mi (5'30"/km) to 8'36"/mi (5'21"/km) during this 8-week buildup.

Sub-1:45 Half-Marathon Group

Athletes in this group had an average Base Fitness of 85 before beginning the training camp and increased this value to 105 at the end of the 7th week (before their final taper week), which ended up being an increase of 24%. The athletes who followed >80% of the plan saw on average a peak Base Fitness of 127 (49% improvement)!

Athletes of this group also noticed a slight average improvement in their Threshold Pace from 7'00"/mi (4'21"/km) to 6'44"/mi (4'11"/km) during this 3-week buildup.

Insights From COROS Coaches

You may have noticed that regardless of the group, athletes have, on average, progressed the same way over time. However, it is clear that the more consistent you are towards your training plan, the more progress you will notice over time.

This chart below shows an athlete's metrics over the course of the camp with great improvements in their base fitness and threshold pace. Everyone has the potential to progress similarly!

Athlete's progress throughout the camp.

Feedback From Athletes

After the camp, COROS wanted to hear directly from athletes on what went well and areas we could improve for future camps. Below are some answers from athletes.

Overall, I was very impressed with the program and really enjoyed going through it. Communication with Coach David was excellent, and his weekly emails were an excellent way to understand the purpose of each workout and what the perceived exertion would be.

I would be interested to learn more about the methodology behind the training plan. I feel like some concepts were discussed (3 weeks on, 1 week off), but I’d love to learn more.

Photo by Paul W. (Training Camp Athlete) during a recent 10k race.

The training camp was a huge success as you can see from the average athlete's improvement. At COROS, we pride ourselves on educating athletes on how best to improve. Our COROS Training Camp follows this same philosophy by providing practical and individualized feedback and training tips to athletes when needed.

Between Coach Rachel, Stacey, David, and myself, we will continue to provide our coaching guidance and aim to improve as we set our sights on our next training camp in early 2024.
-Tristan, COROS Coaches Manager

If you would like to benefit from the COROS Coaches service, please send us an email at coach@coros.com to start the conversation. COROS Coaches is a free service. We look forward to hearing from you!