Scientific Study Explains Why Higher Training Volume Improves Running Economy

Fun fact: one of the biggest benefits of higher mileage may have less to do with how fast you are when you’re fresh and more to do with how well you hold your form, efficiency, and output together when fatigue starts to build. In this video, I break down a new study looking at why runners with higher cumulative mileage tend to perform better late in races. The key takeaway is that higher lifetime mileage and stronger recent mileage don’t just improve running economy on paper. They help protect it under fatigue. That matters because most runners do not fall apart late in races because they suddenly lose fitness. They fall apart because their mechanics, efficiency, and energy cost per step begin to deteriorate once fatigue sets in. I also explain the difference between fitness and durability, why easy mileage matters more than most runners realize, and how consistent aerobic volume builds the kind of resilience that allows you to actually convert training into race-day performance. We get into why easy runs are not filler, why durability compounds over months and years rather than a few heroic weeks, and why many runners would be better served by thinking less about perfect workouts and more about sustainable, repeatable training. If you’ve ever wondered why some athletes seem to close races well, hold pace deeper into a marathon, or outperform runners who may look fitter on paper, this is one of the missing pieces. Mileage is not just about getting faster. It is about making your speed more durable. Happy Training! ➡️ Watch my “Running: Explained” Series:    • Running: Explained   ➡️ Sign Up For My Newsletter And Get My Next YouTube Video Early: https://brantstachel.activehosted.com... ➡️ Link to Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40878... ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-t... ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.score... Get coached by Brant Stachel https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-st... Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-... Get my Book, “Fast and Free”: https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d Learn More about Team RunRun: https://teamrunrun.com/ Fuel Your Training (Affiliate Link): https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coaching    / @brantstachel     / fastandfreecoaching     / brant_stachel     / brantstachel     / strava     / fastandfreewithbrant     / brantstachel     / brant-stachel   Visit My Website: http://runfastandfree.com ⸻ Listen to the Fast and Free Podcast on Your Favourite Podcast Platform: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2jI6TBv... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Chapters: 0:00 — Intro 1:30 — The Study 4:00 — What Running Economy Actually Is 6:30 — Practical Takeaways 9:00 — How This Changes Your Training #runningeconomy #runningscience #marathontraining #highmileage #runcoach