Introduction to Yasso 800s

Bart Yasso invented the Yasso 800s, a marathon specific training workout to gauge marathon fitness and help estimate finish time in training.

He’s been running them for 15 years! “I’ve been doing this particular workout for about 15 years,” he continued, “and it always seems to work for me. If I can get my 800s down to 2 minutes 50 seconds, I’m in 2:50 marathon shape. If I can get down to 2:40 (minutes), I can run a 2:40 marathon. I’m shooting for a 2:37 marathon right now, so I’m running my 800s in 2:37.”

The idea is rather simple, you take your goal marathon time converted into minutes and complete 800m repeats in that time.

There are two big caveats:
1. The workout is 10x800m, that’s 10 reps of 800m that you need to hit goal time in each rep.
2. The workout is not meant to be 800m as fast as you can. Rather, you take your goal time and run that time!

Interval training is a crucial piece to improving your marathon times. Spending a bit of training where you are running at a fast pace helps train your body to get used to that speed and stimulus.

1. Introduction to Yasso 800s
2. How Yasso 800s Work
3. Benefits of Yasso 800s Workout
4. How to Incorporate Yasso 800s into Training
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
6. Yasso 800s vs. Other Interval Workouts
7. Conclusion
8. FAQ

How Yasso 800s Work

Yasso 800s are great for building endurance and speed. They are challenging and require a fair amount of recovery afterwards.

The workout is this:
10x800m with equal time recovery.

Take your goal marathon time and convert into minutes:seconds, that should be your goal 800m time.

Marathon Time -> Yasso 800
4:00 hr Goal-> 4 min flat w/ 4 min recovery
3:30 hr Goal -> 3 min 30 sec w/ 3:30 recovery
2:58 hr Goal -> 2 min 58 sec w/ 2:58 recovery

Benefits of Yasso 800s Workout

This workout is a great way of improving endurance and speed. Longer interval distances serve better for Marathon training than shorter ones. 400 meter repeats help build top end speed but don’t do much for endurance. Whereas anything 800 meter and further, such as 1k or 1 mile repeats, help both endurance and speed.

If you want to run a faster marathon you need to occasionally run faster in training. You mostly need to build your aerobic engine with a lot of easy miles. But once or twice per week you need to run fast.

Getting the legs to turn over for 800 meters is a great way of building your V02 max while not forgetting about endurance as well.

How to Incorporate Yasso 800s into Training

2 to 3 sessions of Yasso 800s spread throughout the marathon block is what Bart Yasso recommends.

Start a few months out from marathon and work your way up from 4x800m, 6x800m, 8x800m then up to 10x800m

Make sure to plan a recovery day the next day.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The biggest thing that people struggle with is they think that if they can run 800m in 2 minutes 37 seconds that they can run a Marathon in 2 hrs 37 minutes. It doesn’t translate that way. It is only a guide to go from Marathon goal time -> Yasso 800 time. Not the other way around.

People often run the Yasso 800s too fast and too hard. The goal is to be strong enough by rep 10 to run at your goal pace. Don’t start out too fast with your first few reps being too aggressive. Remember to keep a controlled pace. If you have gas left in the tank by the end, that is a good thing!

Another mistake that runners make is not giving enough rest between sets. Many intervals have 60-90 second rests between repetitions. Now, there is no magic formula for interval workouts, the art comes in mixing and adjusting the quantity of reps with the amount of rest that you get. Each stimulus you change will change the outcome and what you want to target.

For Yasso 800s, an equal rest time is the target. Don’t shorten the rest because by the 10th rep, you may not have enough gas left in the tank to properly hit the workout.

Yasso 800s vs. Other Interval Workouts

Other common interval workouts include:
400m repeats
600m repeats
1k repeats
1 mile repeats
Fartlek training
Hill repeats
Tempo intervals

There is no one size fits all approach to interval training. You can change the quantity of reps, the distance of the rep, and the rest, and come up with totally different stimulus to target.

It is an art form in how you combine the different elements. It also matters what you want to be working on. Early on in a Marathon block, you might want to target 400m repeats. Closer to the end you might care to hit tempo intervals or 1k repeats instead since they build endurance and threshold more than top end speed.

Conclusion

Start incorporating Yasso 800s into your marathon training today and see how you can boost that goal time.

The workout is 10x800m at goal MP converted in minutes, with equal amount of rest. Do this workout 2-3 times throughout your marathon block to gauge how your fitness is trending.

Looking for more information on training for a sub 3 hr marathon? Check out our guide here!

FAQ

How do I know if I’m ready for Yasso 800s?
If you are training for a marathon then you are ready! Regardless of how fast or slow you think you are, anyone can and should incorporate yasso 800s into their training.

Can I do Yasso 800s if I’m not aiming for a specific marathon time?
Absolutely! If you don’t have a goal marathon time and you are more focused on completing the marathon then go by feel. Run hard for the distance but not 100% all out, leave a little bit of gas in the tank.

How do I adjust Yasso 800s for a different race distance?
Yasso 800s could work for Half Marathon distances as well since it helps build endurance AND speed. Adjust your timing. Take your goal HM pace and plug it into the VDOT calculator to see what the equivalent Marathon time is. From there you can get your target Yasso 800 time.

How do I track my progress with Yasso 800s?
If you do 3 sessions of Yasso 800s over the course of 4 or 5 months, how do you know you’re getting more fit? Go by where your heart rate peaks during each interval. If you complete each 800m repeat in 2 mins 55 seconds but the first session your heart rate hits 190 bpm, then the second time at 180 bpm, and the third time at 175 bpm, then you know you’re getting more fit