As the dust settles on the Marji Gesick, many of us are already asking ourselves, "How can I improve my performance next year?" From my perspective, there are three fundamental pillars of endurance performance that every athlete must master before getting distracted by the nuances of training. There’s also a fourth pillar that we need to consider if our goal is to achieve faster times. Having completed the 50-mile race myself this weekend, I can confidently say that these principles are even more critical at an event with this level of technicality. Although I’ll use the 50 as my main example, I will expand on each point to also consider other distances.
Understanding what endurance is and what factors govern our performance the most is crucial.
At its core, endurance is simply about going the distance. For instance, if we need to cover 62 miles, we must have the capability to do so. While this may seem basic, it holds true. The Marji Gesick is a highly technical course, making distance alone less helpful as a marker for endurance. Therefore, we refine this criterion by considering time instead. For example, I might think, "I believe I can complete the 62-mile course on technical terrain in 10 hours." In this case, the required endurance translates to the ability to cover the distance in that timeframe.
To determine whether we have done the necessary work to develop our endurance, I find that using a duration ratio can be quite effective. From my experience, a good comparison is the average hours of weekly training on the bike in relation to the time expected to complete the event. For a race like the Marji, a minimum comparison period of six months is acceptable, while twelve months is much better. For example, in my past six months of training, I averaged nearly 11 hours each week on the bike, including several 10-hour weeks leading up to the race. Over the past twelve months, my average was around 9 hours per week, which was lower due to an injury I had to recover from early in the year.
To make successful race completion a real possibility, I follow a rule of thumb: for any event I estimate will take me less than 12 hours, I aim to match or exceed that duration in weekly training hours. Longer time periods for comparison are better because consistency—rather than the longest individual week or ride, or trying to cram in training in a short time—tends to be a more predictable driver of performance.
For longer races, matching or exceeding this time isn't always as precise. However, there are minimum training amounts needed to ensure a good outcome. In my experience, a 1:4 ratio of training hours to the expected finish time for events under 24 hours tends to be OK and 1:2 tends to be effective. For longer events, it is important to hit a similar minimum and then focus on training nuances, including an athlete's ability to train consistently and accurately.
In backpacking, for example, the athletes I coach participate in races ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 kilometres. Many of them can average 10 hours of training per week but train with great precision, often outperforming those who may be inconsistent but occasionally train for 20 or even 30 hours a week.
For the majority of participants at the Marji, I believe that the fundamentals are much more crucial than the finer details. Finishing the race is the main goal, and not finishing is often a common outcome for many entrants. Therefore, focusing on the basics is essential.
At the top end of the training-time-to-race-time ratio are professional riders, which is one reason they are significantly faster than the rest of us. They consistently accumulate a high average of weekly training hours—often more than the time it takes to complete the race. Despite what some may say, regular riding, week in and week out, over many years, can help nearly anyone reach close to their genetic potential regarding endurance—the ability to cover a distance at a pace close to their maximum.
Most of us are not professionals and don't need to be placed highly in races to maintain our jobs. We often lack the time or energy to devote many hours to riding while balancing family and work responsibilities.
Somewhere in between, there are regular individuals who can get fit but might not yet be at their desired fitness level. Based on the data I have observed over the years if it's a "one-day" race, an athlete who can accumulate the same amount of training weekly and recover adequately week after week will have enough endurance to complete the race—as long as they also get the fundamentals right.
Having averaged over 10 hours of bike training per week for 6-12 months leading up to the race gives me confidence in my ability to complete the distance. Do I need many long rides before the race? No. Do I need to focus on intervals or hard efforts? No. At a fundamental level, as long as I meet essential training criteria, I have the potential to complete the duration. In my experience, getting this foundation right is the most powerful approach, so I place a high value on consistency in both my coaching practice and personal training.
As an example, here are my longest rides over the six months prior to the Marji race: my longest ride lasted 5.5 hours (a race), and I only completed seven rides longer than 3.5 hours. The average length of these longest rides was 2 hours and 40 minutes. This illustrates that there is no direct correlation between the length of my longest training rides and my completion of the Marji Gesick. This pattern applies to every athlete I’ve coached or analyzed before working with me.
I’m not doing many long or intense rides, but if you look at my data presented on a daily chart instead of a weekly one, you’ll see that I’m very consistent and training almost every day. By giving myself a manageable training load most days, recovery becomes easy and achievable. This allows me to train again the next day, resulting in a good overall training volume. It’s important to note that this data pertains specifically to cycling and not to any other sports or activities. As a cyclist training for an upcoming bike event, I need to focus on specificity when determining whether I meet the endurance baseline required for my sport and event.
**Action for You:** Review your training history from the months and weeks leading up to the event. Does your average weekly training time meet or exceed your target? Is it significantly lower? Are there gaps in your training, such as days without any on-the-bike (or run if you are a runner) sessions? Addressing these weaknesses in your endurance could significantly improve your performance at the Marji in 2025.
