FROM MARATHON MILES TO HYBRID TRAINING: MY SUMMER WORKOUT SPLIT

Published: 12/06/2026, By: Kate Hutchinson

Kate Hutchinson goes from 16 weeks of marathon grind straight into something completely different. Now she’s running less, lifting more, and training like a hybrid athlete for the HYROX World Championships. And somehow… she’s getting faster. Wondering why? Read on – in this piece, she breaks down what she’s changed, why she made the switch, and how her new training split is reshaping everything she thought she knew about running.

I can't quite believe it, but it's already been one whole month since the London Marathon. I was delighted with how it went, to be honest. After 16 weeks of high mileage (for me), long, hard sessions on wet Sundays, and lots of afternoons spent not in the company of friends but recovering on the sofa, I achieved a 16-minute PB and a time that looks like it's going to qualify me for the Championship wave next year (3:09!). And while I found the Strava stats incredibly satisfying to look at, I was rather glad to see the back of marathon-specific training for a while.

My mileage wasn't necessarily as huge as other people's – my peak week was around 60km – but it was a lot for me to manage, particularly when trying to balance a full-time teaching career and some lofty HYROX goals too.

My marathon-specific block started on January 16th: genuinely the perfect time to “lock in”, as the kids say. The post-Christmas blues were in full swing, the weather was suitably dark and miserable, and I really benefitted from having a clear reason to get my running shoes on.

My weeks consistently involved four running sessions: a short easy run on a Tuesday, a track session on a Wednesday, a slightly longer easy run on a Saturday, and my key marathon session on a Sunday – a long run with efforts which progressed in mileage over time.

During the marathon build, these were my non-negotiables. It was incredibly important that as few long runs as possible were missed, as these were going to be the cornerstone of my success – the sessions that not only prepared me physiologically for the race, but psychologically too.

However, never one to be satisfied by an easy life, my HYROX goals during this build were also important, meaning I needed to maintain my strength and ensure I was doing enough conditioning to get me through some really high-stakes Elite 15 doubles races.

So, while prioritising my runs, I also made sure I completed my upper and lower body strength days and fitted in HYROX-specific training once or twice per week. To keep me racing strong and relatively fatigue-free, long runs never exceeded 2 hours 30, and although we knew that would mean I might struggle in the final 5km, it was the right decision for me.

Since completing the marathon, my training split has really shifted. I still complete four runs per week as I did during the marathon build, but now the long run has been swapped for a session focused on getting back some of the top-end speed required to excel in HYROX racing and to put in solid 5km and 10km performances.

And even if I didn't have the HYROX World Championships in mid-June to train for, the training would have shifted quite significantly anyway. For your average person, the training involved in a marathon block is simply not sustainable all year round, nor is it even necessary.

A marathon block done properly places immense physical and mental stress on the body, and can lead to overuse injuries, vulnerability to illness, and psychological burnout. If you want to get quicker, it's important to cut back on excessive mileage and train for speed and power too – which is exactly what I'm doing now.

What Hybrid Training Means In My Current Set Up

The phrase “hybrid training” gets thrown around a lot, but to be clear: hybrid training is essentially a structured mix of running, strength, and conditioning. It's not purely endurance-focused, and not purely gym-based. While a lot of people train hybrid, it's not always to become a “Hybrid Rockstar” (HYROX athlete for short) – for many people it's simply about improving overall athletic performance.

It differs from a marathon block significantly: lower peak mileage, a higher strength emphasis, more variation in intensity, and greater recovery integration built throughout the week.

My Current Weekly Training Split (Summer Block)

In a week, my training split generally looks like this:

·       3 strength sessions (upper, lower, full body)

·       4 HYROX-specific conditioning pieces (10–40 minutes, sometimes at the end of strength sessions)

·       4 runs (2 quality sessions, 1 easy, 1 longer)

·       1 full rest or active recovery day

Obviously, I'm in training for the HYROX World Champs, so I'm putting in quite a lot of hours. How you structure your own week will depend hugely on your goals, time, and level of experience.

How This Split Supports Running Performance

One thing I've really noticed is how much the strength work feeds back into my running. Being stronger supports the muscles that carry you through week after week of training, reducing the risk of overuse strains and keeping you on the road more consistently.

The combination of a maintained aerobic base, targeted speed work, and regular strength training means I'm genuinely running better – and with less volume – than I was at peak marathon training. It's a good reminder that more isn’t always more.

Key Differences Vs Marathon Training Block

·       Higher intensity, lower volume

·       More structured rest and recovery

·       Strength training integrated year-round

·       Less reliance on long runs

·       More emphasis on athleticism over pure endurance

What I've Learned From The Transition

The biggest takeaway is that you don't need maximum mileage year-round to keep improving. Strength training has a direct and meaningful impact on running performance, and consistency over time matters far more than extreme volume in any single block.

I've also come to really value recovery as a performance tool rather than something you fit in when you're forced to stop.

More broadly, the transition has made me think differently about longevity in running – hybrid training feels like something that could keep me doing this for a long time, in a way that a year-round marathon block simply wouldn't.

How I Adapt Training Around Summer Conditions 

While the UK doesn't exactly bombard us with hot days, it's worth knowing how to adjust when it does warm up. The main things I focus on are shifting intensity earlier in the day, staying on top of hydration and fuelling (electrolytes become even more important), reducing unnecessary volume in poor conditions, and being willing to take sessions indoors if needed.

None of it is complicated – it's just about being sensible rather than stubborn 

Who This Training Approach Works Best For

In my experience, this kind of split works really well for:

·       Marathon runners coming out of a race block who need a change of stimulus

·       Athletes who want to build strength and speed alongside endurance

·       Runners prone to overuse injuries at high mileage

·       Anyone looking for a more balanced, year-round approach

·       Hybrid athletes combining running with gym-based goals like HYROX 

Final Reflections On Hybrid Training

I love hybrid training because it genuinely feels like the best of all worlds. The marathon block was a brilliant experience and a brilliant test, but it's not something I'd want to sustain indefinitely.

Hybrid training, on the other hand, feels like something I could do long-term: the variety is there, the stimuli keep changing, and the strength element feels like an investment rather than a grind.

I've already noticed real improvements in speed, power, and muscular endurance, and I'm curious to see how much further those gains go over the coming months.

The split will keep evolving as my goals and race schedule change, but for now it's all eyes on World Champs, and then we'll see what comes next.