| | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Week 1 | 5M easy, off-road | 7M steady with a few strides | 6M easy | Run to a hill, then 10 x 30 secs uphill, jog down | Rest or 5M easy | 6-7M steady, off road | 9-11M slow, no pressure |
| Week 2 | 5M easy | Warm up, then 3-4M at a brisk pace, timed. Warm down | 6M steady | Warm up, then 8 x 90 secs fast, 90 secs slow | Rest or 5M easy | 6-8M steady, cross-country | 12M slow, no pressure |
| Week 3 | 5M easy | 6M – run to a hill, then 10 x 30 secs uphill, jogging back down | 6M easy | Warm up, then 4 x 5-6 mins, with 3-min recoveries. Don’t push too hard at first | Rest or 5M easy | 7-8M steady, cross-country or in a park | 10M, slow, no pressure, but it should prove a little faster with no more effort |
| Week 4 | 5M easy, with a few strides | 7M warm-up, then 3-4M at a brisk pace, timed. Warm down | 5M easy | Warm up, then 6 x 3 mins fast, 2 mins slow (or 6 x 800m on track, with 400m jog recoveries) | Rest | 3-5M easy | 13M, starting slowly, finishing faster |
| Week 5 | 5M easy | 7M – run to a hill, then 12 x 30 secs uphill, jogging back down | 6M steady | 8M. Start easily, then put in bursts of 100-200m, jogging after each until you’ve recovered | Rest or 5M easy | Rest or jog up to 4M | Half-marathon race |
| Week 6 | 5M easy, off-road | Hill session: 4 x 90 secs-2 mins hill climb, jogging back each time | 7M steady, no pressure | Warm up, then 4 x 5-6 mins, with 3 mins rest between each. Time them | Rest or 5M easy | Warm up, then 6M at marathon pace. Warm down | 10-12M easy. Don’t push |
| Week 7 | 6M steady, with a few strides | Warm up, then 7 x 800m (or 7 x 3 mins), with 2-min recoveries | 5M easy, off-road if possible | Hill running: 12 x 30 secs, or fartlek with 12-15 30-sec bursts | Rest or 5M easy, starting slowly | 3M, jogging only | 18M slow. Start easily |
| Week 8 | 5M easy, off-road | 6M. Slow start, then speed up if you’re not tired | Warm up, then 6M at a fast pace, timed | 6M fartlek, inc bursts of 200-300m | Rest or 5M easy, off-road | 4M, jogging only | Half-marathon race |
| Week 9 | 5M easy, off-road | Warm up, then 6 x 3 mins fast, 2 mins slow (or 6 x 800m on track, with 400m jog recoveries) | 7M steady pace run, untimed | 8M inc repetitions: 3 x 3K (or 3 x 10 mins), with 5-min recoveries | Rest or 4M, jogging only | 5M easy with strides | 20M. Set up some feeding stations where you can pick up carbohydrate drinks |
| Week 10 | 3M jog, off-road | 6M steady, starting slowly | 8M inc intervals: 10 x 400m at 10K pace or 12 x 1 min fast, 1 min slow | 8M inc intervals: 10 x 400m at 10K pace or 12 x 1 min fast, 1 min slow | Rest or 7M steady, untimed | 3M, jogging only | 8M steady, inc 6M pace run |
| Week 11 | 5M easy | 7M fartlek, inc sustained bursts of up to 400m | 6M steady. Start slowly, finish fast | 10M, inc 8M pace run | Rest or 3M jog | 5-6M easy, with a few strides | 18M easy |
| Week 12 | 5M jogging, off-road | 7M steady, starting slowly | 7M, inc 14 x 30 secs uphill | 8M at brisk pace | Rest or 3M, jogging only | 10M – inc 4 x 1M, with 5-min recoveries | 13-15M easy, or half-marathon race |
| Week 13 | 6M, at whatever pace you like | 7M of easy fartlek | 10M steady, inc 8M pace run | 7M, inc intervals: 10 x 400m at 10K pace or 12 x 1 min fast, 1 min slow | 5M easy, with some strides | 3M, jogging only | 20-22M – the last big training run |
| Week 14 | 5-6M easy, off-road | 8M, starting slowly, then fartlek | 6M easy | 10M, inc 7M at marathon pace | Rest or 3M easy | 4M jogging, plus some strides | 15M steady, or half-marathon race |
| Week 15 | 5-6M easy, off-road | Warm up, then 4 x 1M at faster than marathon pace | 8M steady, not pushing | 10M, with two 3M stretches at marathon pace | Rest or 3M jog | Warm up, then 4-5M at a brisk pace | 10M steady. Practise your marathon preparation |
| Week 16 | 5M easy | Warm up, then 1M at race pace. Warm down | 4M easy, with a few strides | 3M easy, in racing kit | Rest | 30 mins jogging, with easy strides | RACE DAY |
