This Marathon training plan is not randomly divided over 12 weeks, each session builds on the previous one, so don’t be tempted to swap weeks around to suit your schedule.
However, you can change the days within a week.
Just remember to rearrange the rest days, too, to ensure maximum benefit from each session.
Complete the easy stuff easy and the hard sessions hard. Take the rest days seriously, too. The training will stress your body and it will need recovery time. Stretching and using a foam roller is an essential
part of run training, this will help improve your running and most importantly keep you injury-free. Regular massages on rest days are also recommended. If possible, avoid completing every session on a
hard surface. Soft surfaces, like grass, dirt and sand, put less strain on your body, reducing the risk of injury, and provide a well-rounded workout because you will be forced to shift and adjust to uneven terrain, using muscles you might not on tarmac.
Neglect nutrition at your peril. Get used to consuming gels in training and don’t try anything on race day that you haven’t already put into practice.
Download the plan here: Marathon Training Plan
LONG RUN
Long runs are vital to marathon running and are the key ingredient in your training. Long runs are endurance, rather than speed focused, and help develop stamina, strength and the ability to go the distance. Long runs are done at a controlled, conversational pace.
THRESHOLD RUN
Threshold runs are about running under controlled discomfort and are great for improving your running economy. After long runs, threshold runs are probably your most valuable workouts. If you’re doing it correctly, then there won’t be much conversation happening!
INTERVAL RUN
Interval running is structured periods of harder efforts broken up by periods of recovery. They are the most intense run efforts in the training plan and will mean running fast for short periods.
MARATHON PACE (MP)
These runs are done at your target marathon completion pace (approx 5:40min/km for a goal time of 4hrs) and are an essential aspect of understanding how best to race your marathon.
WARM-UP (WU)
Designed to warm-up the muscles and remain injury free during harder efforts. Similarly, you should always cool down to begin the recovery process.
