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Running · Speed

PRE'S 30/40S

Continuous 200 m fast / 200 m float, about 3 miles

Time · 50 minDifficulty · Difficulty 4 of 5 — Very hardVery hardInspired by · Steve Prefontaine

THE STORY

A session from the Oregon program most associated with Steve Prefontaine: 200 m in 30 seconds, then 200 m in 40 seconds, repeated until the pace can't be held. Those numbers are elite pace — run your own versions of 'fast' and 'float'.

Sources

  1. Not Just for Gods: You Too Can Do Pre's 200s — Outside, 2021

WHAT IT TRAINS

Running at speed without a full recovery — rhythm changes and lactate tolerance for 3K–10K racing.

WHO IT'S FOR

Experienced 5K–10K runners. Keep the fast 200s at about mile-to-3K effort and the floats honest.

HOW TO DO IT

  1. 01Warm up 15 minutes easy with strides.
  2. 02Alternate 200 m fast and 200 m float without stopping, for about 3 miles (12 of each).
  3. 03Stop when the float pace falls apart — that's the workout telling you it's done.
  4. 04Cool down 10–15 minutes.

SCALED VERSION

Run 6–8 of each, and make the float a steady jog.

Build the scaled version in Forge →

TARGETS THAT FIT YOU

Every rep carries an effort cue — 5K effort, threshold, easy — so it works at any fitness. Your watch shows the cue on each step. Want exact paces? Save your threshold pace or a recent race in Settings and tap Tailor to my paces.

THE WORKOUT, STEP BY STEP

RUNNING

Pre's 30/40s

Continuous 200 m fast / 200 m float, about 3 miles · Inspired by Steve Prefontaine. · Fit File Forge Workout Library: www.fitfileforge.com/workouts/library/pre-30-40s

WARMUP15 min

Easy

12×Repeat

INTERVAL200 m

Fast at mile-to-3K effort; original was 30 s

RECOVERY200 m

Float; original was 40 s

COOLDOWN12 min

Easy

RELATED WORKOUTS

  • RunningVO2maxDifficulty 3 of 5 — Hard

    Billat 30/30s

    16–20 × (30 s at vVO2max / 30 s easy)

    45 minInspired by Véronique Billat
    Save Send
  • RunningVO2maxDifficulty 4 of 5 — Very hard

    Deek's Quarters

    8 × 400 m at 3K–5K effort, 200 m fast float

    55 minInspired by Rob de Castella
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NOT HERE? DESCRIBE IT.

Type any session the way you'd tell a training partner — Forge turns it into a Garmin workout in seconds, and your coach can plan the weeks around it.

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