How Much Mileage Should I Run?

I recently read a post from a high school athlete on a running forum:

“There’s a question that's been stuck in my head for a few days after a talk with my Coach. What would you call the maximum miles per week for a high school distance runner? My coach's line of thinking (and I still agree with) is that since XC is nothing but 5k races you really don't need much training over ~50 miles per week because the races really are so short. But what has really been bugging me is that in a lot of running articles it's almost an established fact that the higher mileages will get you better results if you're doing it correctly. So, then the next question would be, what's the limit? I'm not sure of any HS teams that are running 100-mile weeks in training. But at the same time, I feel pretty settled for my own 45 to 50-mile weeks. So, using this higher mileage idea, what would be a good average? Keep in mind if people say more miles, I'd probably do it myself. (Not until after XC season concludes though).”

As a coach, I’m often asked, “How many miles should I be running?”

As you prepare for your cross-country season, it is important to know how much mileage you should run. I want to start off by saying that there is no magical number to run to have success.

The best way to determine how much to do is to increase your mileage slowly and systematically from month to month and year to year, taking care to note how you respond to the training stimulus. And remembering that more is not always better. Listen to your body!

You can get by on 40 to 50-mile weeks in high school for a 5k race. But if you want to run cross country in college, the race then becomes a 5-mile to 10k race. You should structure your mileage to achieve long term results. On the college level, the best guys are doing between 70 to 100-mile weeks. If you're coming from a 40-mile per week back ground, 4 years is not enough time to build up to 80+ miles comfortably. I recommend 60-65 mpw for most seniors. This should build your base beyond what you need for most high school races, while still setting you up to make a jump into college volumes.

Personally I think that this is an issue that is missed by both high school and college coaches.

Ideally a good high school coach will consider an athlete's stage of development and potential, as well as biomechanics and ability to do the work. Keep this in mind, that a coach that prevents runners from doing more than 50-miles may be affecting the long-term development of those athletes. Likewise, however, college coaches need to consider the background of the high school athletes they bring in and plan their progression accordingly.

I just finished several years of high school coaching as an assistant. Our program limited training for most boys to be about 50-miles a week in the summer and it was more in the 35-45 range during the XC season, and maybe 10% to 15% less for girls. The head coach was afraid of "injury" and "burnout" at 55+ miles a week, though he did allow me to continue training my nephew at a much higher mileage. The reasoning behind this was because Hayden used a gradual progression to handle that much volume. My nephew went on to win the West Virginia High School State Cross Country Championship, while he placed 17th at the Foot Locker South Regional at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte, NC. He transitioned well at Davis & Elkins College.

Over the years, I have seen kids around the state have NCAA DI or DII talent, but when they got to their respective university programs they were invariably required to run 70 to 100-mile weeks. As true Freshman! And they were expected to perform immediately or lose their scholarships. There were a lot of runners who only lasted more than two seasons at DI, and few showed much improvement once they go to college.

Here's what I'd recommend for aspiring varsity level high school runners, with a portion hoping to run in college.

· Freshman-Sophomore-JV: 30 to 50 mpw during summer and fall.

· Sophomore Varsity: 40 to 50 mpw during the summer, with some 55 to 60-mile weeks for those that seem ready.

· Junior-Senior Varsity: 50 to 65 mpw for most during the summer (some could go 70+); 55 to 65 mpw during early season, cutting back to 50’s for the final month (40-mile taper week for championships).

· Summer transition for DI and DII college prospects: 60 to 75 mpw is sufficient for most. Then the college program can build on that.

The key is to think about a gradual progression and long term (5+ years ahead, not just the upcoming season or next meet).

Obviously, an athlete with no running experience who comes out for cross country during his junior or senior year will start off running what incoming freshman are running.

Below is what I have used as a guide for elementary school upto college:

Progression of Training Chart:

· Grade School Years - 20 mpw (Functional Development - aerobic running)

· Junior High School – 30 mpw

· 9th Grade – 30 to 35 mpw

· 10th Grade - 40 mpw

· 11th Grade - 50 mpw

· 12th Grade - 60 mpw

· Freshman College - 70 mpw

· Sophomore College - 80 mpw

· Junior College - 90 mpw

· Senior College – 100 mpw

[mpw = miles per week]

A runner who remains healthy most of the time can very reasonably expect to be able to effectively train more and more as the years pass.

Whatever your goals in cross-country are, you need to find a mileage that is within your capabilities. Each runner is different, and so is your training.

The problem is that runners aren’t prepared (physically and mentally) to complete that training.

Submitted by Coach McMillion (07/30/17)