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 RACING
 

RW's Garmin-Ready Marathon Schedule: Sub-4:00

A 4:00 marathon is approximately 9:00 per mile. To break 4:00, you should eventually be capable of a sub-1:50 half-marathon (8:20 per mile) and sub-50:00 10K (8:00 per mile). Right now, you should be running at least 20 miles per week, and be able to run for an hour non-stop.

  • The target times below are approximate defaults. Your Garmin download will give you more specific targets.

WEEK ONE

Mon 3M (miles) (approx 30 mins) slow
Tue Rest
Wed 4M (approx 40 mins) slow
Thu 2M (approx 18 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 3M (approx 30 mins) easy
Sun 7M (approx 72 mins) slow

WEEK TWO

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 2 x 1.5M (or 11-12 mins) fast, with 800m (5-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 5M (approx 50 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 2M (approx 18 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 8M (approx 82 mins) slow

WEEK THREE

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 1M (or 8 mins) fast, with 400m (3-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M (approx 60 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 27 mins) steady, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 9M (approx 90 mins) slow

WEEK FOUR

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 4 x 800m (or 4 mins) fast, with 200m (2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 70 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 2M (approx 16 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 1M jog, then race 10K or 5M, then 1M jog. Aim for a sub-50:00 10K or sub-40:00 5-miler

WEEK FIVE

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 4M (or 40 mins) fartlek, then 1M jog
Wed 5M (approx 51 mins) slow
Thu 5M (approx 45 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 11M (approx 1hr 50) slow

WEEK SIX

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 8 x 400m (or 2 mins) fast with 200m (or 90-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M (approx 60 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 25 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 13M (approx 2hrs 10) slow

WEEK SEVEN

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 9 x 200m hill with slow jog/walk down, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 70 mins) slow
Thu 6M (approx 55 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 15M (approx 2hrs 35) slow

WEEK EIGHT

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 1M (or 9 mins) fast, with 400m (3-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M (approx 82 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 2M (approx 16 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M (approx 30 mins) easy
Sun Race (5M to half-marathon)

WEEK NINE

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 12 x 200m (or 1 min) fast, with 100m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 70 mins) slow
Thu 8M (approx 73 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 17M (approx 2hrs 55) slow

WEEK TEN

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 3 x 1.5M (or 12mins) fast with 400m (or 3-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M (approx 82 mins) slow
Thu 1 mile jog, then 3M (approx 25 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M (approx 30 mins) easy
Sun Half-marathon Aim for sub-1:50

WEEK ELEVEN

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 6M (approx 55 mins) fartlek, then 1M jog
Wed 6M (approx 55 mins) slow
Thu 10M (approx 90 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 40 mins) easy
Sun 19M (approx 3hrs 15) slow

WEEK TWELVE

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 3 x 1.5M (or 12 mins) fast with 400m (or 3-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M (approx 82 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 25 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 40 mins) easy
Sun 19M (approx 3hrs 15) slow

WEEK THIRTEEN

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 5 x 1M (or 8 mins) fast, with 200m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 70 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, 4M (approx 35 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 40 mins) easy
Sun 22M (approx 3hrs 45) slow

WEEK FOURTEEN

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 800m (or 4 mins) fast, with 100m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M (approx 60 mins) slow
Thu 9M (approx 82 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 40 mins) easy
Sun 18M (approx 3hrs 05) slow

WEEK FIFTEEN

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 200m hill, with slow jog/walk down, then 1M jog
Wed 5M (approx 50 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 25 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 40 mins) easy
Sun 12M (approx 1hr 50) steady

WEEK SIXTEEN

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 400m (or 2 mins) fast, with 200m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 4M (approx 40 mins) slow
Thu Rest
Fri Rest
Sat 2M (or 20 mins) easy, in racing kit
Sun The race

Download This Schedule For Your Garmin

You can download this schedule onto your Garmin Forerunner 301, 205, 305 and 405 (it will work best on the 205, 305 and 405). Your Forerunner will then guide you through each session with target training paces or heart rates to aim for.

  • Decide whether you want to train by heart rate or pace (if in doubt, choose pace).
  • Download the schedule onto your PC desktop using either the quick-download buttons below, or the custom-download buttons further down the page. (The custom options allow you to refine your training paces and heart rates.)
  • Open your Garmin Training Centre software, use 'file>import sessions' to import the schedules from your desktop, then plug in your Forerunner to synchronise it. (You should make sure your Garmin software is up to date, especially as there is a new improvement to pace-smoothing for the 205 and 305. We suggest you use the 'WebUpdater option on these pages: 205; 301 ; 305)
  • If you are new to the 405, to ensure that you have the right software installed, click here.
Enter your race date:

(dd/mm/yyyy)
Enter your race date:
(dd/mm/yyyy)
Make A Version With Custom Training Paces

Here are the training paces recommended by this schedule. You can adjust them if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the paces is likely to be slightly too fast or too slow.
Jog recovery - a period of extremely slow running in between the efforts in a speed session :
Easy - a gentle jog at below 75% maximum heart rate (MHR) :
Slow - conversational pace (73-78% MHR) :
Steady - a comfortable, but purposeful, pace. About marathon pace (79-84% MHR) :
Brisk (or Threshold (THR)) - around your target half-marathon pace (87-91% MHR). :
Fast-10K - 90-94% :
Fast-5K - 93-97% MHR :
Fast-above-5K :

You can also adjust the paces above by adjusting your marathon target slightly. The sessions and mileages in the schedule will stay the same but the paces will change.

New target: :
Enter your race date:  (dd/mm/yyyy)
Finished? When you're happy with the paces, download your schedule

(You can revise your paces partway through your training – just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner.)

Make A Version With Custom Heart Rates

Here are the percentages of maximum heart rate used in the different sessions in this schedule. Insert your maximum heart rate to see which targets you will have to aim for. You can adjust the '% max' figures if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the heart rates is likely to be slightly too high or too low.

Your maximum heart rate:
Pace in schedule % max Your target heart rate
Jog recovery - a period of extremely slow running in between the efforts in a speed session - 104-180
Easy - a gentle jog - 138-148
Slow - conversational pace - 146-156
Steady - a comfortable, but purposeful, pace. About marathon pace - 158-168
Brisk (or Threshold (THR)) - around your target half-marathon pace - 174-182
Fast-10K - 180-188
Fast-5K - 186-194
Fast-above-5K - 192-198
Enter your race date:  (dd/mm/yyyy)
Finished? When you're happy with the heart rate zones, download your schedule

(You can revise your heart rate zones partway through your training - just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner)

Your Questions Answered

Choosing and customising a schedule

Downloading the schedule from RW onto your Forerunner

Using Training Center

Following the sessions

More help... If you don't find the answer to your question in the above FAQs, then please email Garmin's helpline, inputting 'Runner's World training plans' in the subject field of your email to aid our product support teams.


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Discuss this article, 1 of 9 messages, read more:
Richard Downing 
Posted: 10/03/08 14:14:03 03

I notice in RW's Garmin-Ready Marathon Schedule: Sub-4:00 when looking through the training sessions that there are only two days of hill repeats in this 16 week schedule. Likewise, there are only two fartlek sessions.

I think most runners would say that these are of value. If so, shouldn't there be more of them in the schedule? It doesn't seem that only two days of hill training would be of much value.

Read more...