Pete Pfitzinger
Coach and physiologist
Olympic marathoner and physiologist; lactate-threshold focus and the signature medium-long runs. Solid underlying physiology, unvalidated plans, aimed at experienced runners.
Pete Pfitzinger (born 1957) is an American two-time Olympic marathoner and exercise physiologist, author of Advanced Marathoning. His plans put a lactate-threshold focus early in the build-up and are known for their signature midweek medium-long runs, which raise the average length of every run.
The threshold focus rests on solid physiology, since threshold velocity is among the best predictors of marathon performance. The plans themselves, however, are unvalidated by controlled trials and carry a substantial time and injury load, making them suited to experienced runners with an existing base rather than beginners. See training philosophies.