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This training plan is recommended for runners with marathon times around 3h 40’ or faster. With it, you can aim for a finish time close to three and a half hours, give or take about three minutes. Improvement will depend on your previous level, how closely you follow the plan, your race strategy, the course profile, and/or the weather.
The key for these runners is to master paces between 5:00 and 4:50 per km. To achieve this, you should race the half marathon between 4:30 and 4:20 per km. Obviously, those closer to the faster end of this range will have more chances and better margins going into the marathon.
As I explain in the three-hour plan, many external, uncontrollable factors significantly influence performance on marathon day, so you need to arrive with a solid margin. Those who are just barely prepared to dip under their target time, if unlucky with a very windy or very hot race day, will have no chance. In these cases, the most sensible choice is to adjust your goal right at the start: if you planned to run at 4:55 per km (on average), you should switch to 5:05 or 5:00 per km. This way you avoid blowing up spectacularly in the final kms and can finish in good condition, even if it means running four to six minutes more.
You need to do some core exercises (15 to 25 reps each) before heading out to run.
At the end of each session, you must do three core exercises (15 to 25 reps each), two lower-back exercises (10 reps), and six to eight stretching exercises (more focused, pushing the stretch, and holding each for at least 20 seconds).
Easy run paces should be very slow (6:20 to 5:20 per km) during the weeks with hill training, bounding drills, and heavy strength work. Medium during the central weeks of the plan (6:00 to 5:15), and somewhat quicker in the following weeks (5:30 to 4:50). In the last ten days before the marathon, runs should return to an easy pace. You may change training days around, but avoid doing more than two consecutive sessions, and never schedule interval sessions on back-to-back days.
Strength training is essential in marathon preparation. It is very important to work specifically on the quadriceps (both eccentric and concentric), abductors, adductors, calves, soleus, psoas, and hamstrings. You will perform much better and get injured far less. No strength training should be done during race weeks. It is important to do ankle exercises every week. These not only strengthen your ankles but also improve your stride efficiency and significantly reduce the risk of injuries such as plantar fasciitis, tendinitis, and shin splints.
You must hydrate with at least half a liter of water with mineral salts on every training day. Double that if you sweat a lot or train in heat and humidity. If you follow this plan, do not add more training. No extra running days, no additional minutes in your runs, no more intensity in the paces. Doing so would reduce its effectiveness and could lead to two things: injury or overtraining. Both are bad.
| MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY | SUNDAY | |
| 1 | 60’ + weights |
25’ + 2 hills of 4’ + 2 x 2’ downhill + 15’ rest: jog down 90’’ |
60’ + ankle exercises + weights + 2 strides |
95’ (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 25’ from 5’20’’ to 4’45’’ and 10’ from 4’45’’ to 4’30’’) |
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| 2 | 60’ + weights |
25’ + 2 hills of 4’ + 2 x 2’ downhill + 15’ rest: jog down 90’’ |
60’ + ankle exercises + weights + 2 strides |
95' (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 25’ from 5’20’’ to 4’45’’ and 10’ from 4’45’’ to 4’30’’) |
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| 3 | 60’ + weights | 25’ + 4 x 10’ on flat + 15’ rest:1’ | 60’ + ankle exercises + weights + 2 strides |
95’ (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 25’ from 5’20’’ to 4’45’’ and 10’ from 4’45’’ to 4’30’’) |
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| 4 | 60’ + weights | 25’ + 8 x 3’ on flat + 15’ rest:1’ | 60’ + weights |
100’ (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 25’ from 5’20’’ to 4’45’’ and 15’ from 4’45’’ to 4’25’’) |
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| 5 | 60' | 25’+ 30’ of pace changes from 45’’ to 4’ + 15’ | 45’ very easy + ankle exercises + 8 strides |
Race (From 10 to 15 km) |
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| 6 | 65’ + weights |
25’ + 5x2000 + 15’
rest:1’
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65’ + weights |
100’ (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 25’ from 5’20’’ to 4’45’’ and 15’ from 4’45’’ to 4’25’’) |
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| 7 | 65' |
25’ + 6 x 1000 + 15’ rest: 1’ 4’40’’ to 4’15’’ |
45’ very easy + ankle exercises + 8 strides |
Race (Better 21 km) |
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| 8 | 65’ + weights |
25’ + 15 x 300+ 15’ rest: 45’’ From 1’14’’ to 1’06’’ |
65’ + weights + strides |
105’ (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 30’ from 5’20’’ to 4’45’’ and 15’ from 4’45’’ to 4’25’’) |
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| 9 | 65’ + weights |
25’+ 3 x 4000 +15’ rest: 90’’ 19’50’’, 19’00’’ and 17’40’’ |
65’ + weights + 2 strides |
105’ (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 30’ from 5’20’’ to 4’45’’ and 15’ from 4’45’’ to 4’25’’) |
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| 10 |
25’+ 2 x 5000 +15’
rest: 2 jog 23’45’’ and 22’00’’ |
70’ + weights |
25’ + 10 x 1000 + 15’ rest: 1’ 4’35’’ to 4’05’’ |
110’ progressive (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 30’ from 5’20’’ to 4’40’’ and 20’ from 4’40’’ to 4’20’’) |
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| 11 | 70' |
25’ + 6 x 1000 + 15’ rec: 1’ 4’35’’ to 4’15’’ |
45’ very easy + ankle drills + 8 strides |
Race (Half Marathon) Try to break 1h 32' |
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| 12 | 70' |
25’+3x3000 +15’
rec: 90’’ 14’15 to 13:00 |
70’ + weights + 2 strides |
110’ progressive (60’ from 6’00’’ to 5’20’’ 30’ from 5’20’’ to 4’40’’ and 20’ from 4’40’’ to 4’20’’) |
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| 13 | 65’ + 2 strides |
TEST: 25’ +2x6000+ 15’
Rec: 90’’ 1st in 28:30 and 2nd in 25:15 |
90’ easy progressive (6’00’’ to 4’30’’) + 6 strides |
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| 14 | 60' |
25’ + 5x1000+15’ rec:1’ From 4’40’’ to 4’15’’ |
40’ + ankle drills + 2 strides |
MARATHON Reach halfway in 1h 44’20’’, at the fastest (if flat) |
