There are a lot of workouts in a marathon training plan.
Intervals. Tempo runs. Easy runs. Recovery runs.
But if you ask me, nothing compares to the 32KM long run.
Even after several marathons, it’s still the workout I respect the most.
Not because it’s the hardest.
But because of everything it represents.
Every single marathon training block, I dread it.
I look at the calendar days before and think, “Ito na naman.”
Not because I don’t want to run — but because I know what’s required. Three to four hours on the road. Tired legs. Mental battles. And somehow finding the time to fit it into an already busy week.
For most of us, the challenge actually starts before the run.
The week leading up to a 32KM is usually one of the busiest. Work doesn’t stop. Family responsibilities don’t disappear. Meetings, errands, and commitments are still there.
Yet somewhere in that schedule, you have to carve out half a day for one run.
You prepare your route. You check the weather. You make sure you have enough gels. You charge your watch. You sleep a little earlier. You tell yourself, “Kailangan matapos ko ‘to this weekend.”
If you’re a busy runner, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
And that’s why the 32KM means so much.
It’s not just another workout.
It’s proof that you’ve been committed to the process.
By the time you reach your 32K, you’ve already spent weeks building your fitness. Every easy run, every speed session, every early morning alarm, every run you almost skipped but didn’t—they all lead to this one day.
The 32KM is where everything comes together.
Physically, it gives your body a chance to experience what hours of running feel like. It’s where you practice your pacing, nutrition, hydration, and race-day routine. Research and coaching experience both support this approach: the longest long run is designed to build endurance and confidence—not to predict your marathon finishing time or be raced at full effort.
Mentally, it’s even more powerful.
Somewhere during those kilometers, the excitement fades. Your legs get heavier. Your mind starts negotiating.
And that’s exactly the point.
You learn that you don’t have to feel good to keep moving.
You learn to trust your pacing.
You learn that patience is a marathoner’s greatest strength.
Then something interesting happens when you finish.
The fear disappears.
You don’t cross the finish of your 32KM thinking, “That was easy.”
You finish thinking, “Maybe… I really can do this.”
That’s the confidence the 32KM gives you.
Not because you’ve already run a marathon distance.
But because it’s proof that all those weeks of preparation were worth it. The training is working. Your body is adapting. Your mind is getting stronger.
For many runners, the 32KM is the moment they stop wondering if they’re ready and start believing they are.
And then comes my favorite part.
The taper.
Crossing off that 32KM usually means the biggest work is done.
The mileage starts coming down. Recovery becomes the priority. You aren’t trying to gain more fitness anymore—you’ve already built it. Sports science tells us that tapering helps your body recover from accumulated fatigue while preserving the fitness you’ve worked so hard to develop.
Now it’s time to let your body absorb everything.
The work is done.
All that’s left is to stay healthy, trust the process, and show up on race day.
That’s why I’ll never look at the 32KM as just another long run.
Whether it’s your first marathon or your tenth, it has a way of reminding you why marathon training is so special.
Because the magic isn’t in the number.
It’s in everything it took to get there.
And when you finally finish that 32KM, you don’t just feel tired.
You feel ready.
