Bakken Phases
Marius Bakken’s model: drive the lactate threshold as high as possible by accumulating large volumes of controlled threshold work at 2–3 mmol/L, supported by easy mileage. The weekly template is flat; the year adapts through altitude blocks.
Measure lactate per session — not just pace or HR. Target 2.0–3.0 mmol/L for threshold work, not the traditional 4.0 mmol/L. Slightly slower; dramatically more volume.
Two threshold sessions per day, 3–5 hours apart, twice per week. Morning: long intervals (6–10 min). Afternoon: short, faster intervals (45s/15s, 400m reps). Hours of rest let muscle tone reset between sessions.
Easy volume supports threshold — it is not the goal. The 80/20 distribution seen at 180 km/wk is an emergent ratio, not a prescription. For mature athletes, quality can rise to 50%+ while total volume drops.
The Year
Bakken’s mature structure is not a classical mesocycle sequence. It is a flat weekly template that adapts through altitude blocks — the session types don’t change, the volume and intensity mix shifts. Below is the seasonal character of each period, not a strict periodization model.
~26 wk
~13 wk
~10 wk
~2 wk
The year above describes Bakken’s pro-era training. How much of it applies to you depends on where you sit on the maturity ladder.
The Race Build — 100-Day Marathon Plan
Bakken’s marathon program is a Kenyan-Italian hybrid: Italian negative periodization (step from 5K focus up to marathon-specific work) plus Kenyan intensity precision (never harder than 10K pace). Four phases across 15 weeks.
Wk 1–2
Wk 3–6
Wk 7–13
Wk 14–15
Within each phase, training can be structured as 10–14 day intensive blocks followed by a 7-day lighter period. For athletes using altitude, short 7–14 day altitude trips concentrate threshold work before a recovery week.
Post-altitude performance peaks typically arrive on days 10–11 and 14 after arriving home. Secondary peak around days 17–20. Bakken found his personal response curve was identical race after race.
A Typical Week — Per Phase
Select a phase to see a representative Mon–Sun structure. All intensity is lactate-targeted. The double-threshold day (Tue/Thu in the Core phase) is the signature session structure.
Volumes are illustrative for a recreational athlete (3:30–4:00 marathon target). Pro-era canonical week at 180 km/wk shifts Tuesday and Thursday to 6×2000m AM + 20–25×400m PM and 4×10min AM + 10–12×1000m PM respectively.
A Single Session — The Double-Threshold Day
Bakken’s signature: two threshold sessions in one day, 3–5 hours apart. The gap lets muscle tone reset without full recovery. The AM session accumulates aerobic volume; the PM session layers faster work on a pre-fatigued system — maximizing total threshold stimulus without overshooting lactate.
Longer intervals at the lower end of threshold (2.0–2.5 mmol/L). Builds volume without pre-fatiguing the afternoon.
3–5 hours. Lactate clears; muscle tension drops. Heart rate ready to rise again. 4–10 hrs all produce similar results.
Shorter, faster intervals (45/15s, 1 km reps) at the upper threshold (2.8–3.0 mmol/L). Pre-fatigue from AM amplifies aerobic stress at lower absolute speed.
Key difference from Daniels/traditional: Bakken’s threshold targets 2–3 mmol/L, not the standard 4 mmol/L. The pace is slightly slower — but the zone is wider and can be sustained for vastly higher volume. Better athletes typically have lower lactate at the same pace as their base deepens.